A new survey of English skills in the Czech Republic reveals that progress has stalled for the fifth consecutive year.

According to the EF English Proficiency Index 2025, published on Wednesday by Education First (EF), Czechs still struggle with speaking English, although Brno residents score higher than those in the capital.

The Czech Republic rose one position to 23rd place globally, gaining 15 points to reach a total score of 582. Despite this, the country remains in the B2 proficiency category, considered “upper-intermediate,” while neighboring countries such as Slovakia and Germany now reach the C1 level, representing very high proficiency.

Brno Leads the Way in the Czech Republic

Regional differences are clear. Brno scored an average of 620 points, outperforming Prague, where residents averaged 576 points. Among Czechs, reading is the strongest skill, followed by listening and writing, while speaking remains the most challenging area.

Age also plays a role: participants between 26 and 30 years old achieved the highest scores. Gender differences were minimal, although men performed slightly better, in line with global trends.

Global Leaders and Laggards

Internationally, the Netherlands ranks highest with 624 points, while Copenhagen leads among capital cities with 644 points. At the lower end of the spectrum, Italy ranks 59th worldwide with 513 points, and Cambodia trails overall with 390 points, corresponding to an A2 proficiency level.

About the EF English Proficiency Index

The EF EPI is based on results from the free EF Standard English Test (EF SET). In 2025, 2.2 million non-native English speakers from 123 countries participated. This year marked the first inclusion of productive skills – speaking and writing – which previously were optional and only partially contributed to overall scores.

The report highlights that, while Europe as a whole has made modest gains, countries such as Slovakia and Germany showed the largest improvements, leaving the Czech Republic in a relatively stagnant position.

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