Study: Malaysia Overtakes the Philippines to Become Country With Highest English Proficiency in Asia

It’s no surprise that English remains the world’s most widely used language for international communication, but how does Malaysia measure up?

This year, Malaysia has been ranked as having the highest English proficiency in Asia, overtaking the Philippines, according to the latest EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) survey, which examines the proficiency in the language among non-native speakers.

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Malaysia soared up to the top!

Malaysia is now ranked first in Asia, jumping two spots from last year, when Singapore held the top spot, the Philippines was second, and Malaysia was third.

This year, Malaysia overtook the Philippines with a score of 581, placing the Philippines in second with a score of 569. Globally, Malaysia rose two spots to 24th.

Ef english proficiency index (2025)

Do note that Singapore was excluded from the 2025 rankings after being reclassified as a native English-speaking country. It had ranked third globally and first in Asia in 2024.

Ef english proficiency index (2024)

Kuala Lumpur is listed among cities with High English Proficiency

Meanwhile, in terms of Capital City Scores, Kuala Lumpur was listed as one of the world’s cities with High English Proficiency, achieving a score of 588.

Ef english proficiency index (2025)

Here’s a look at the top nine Asian countries and their scores in this year’s ranking:

1. Malaysia – 581
2. Philippines – 569
3. Hong Kong (China) – 538
4. South Korea – 522
5. Nepal – 514
6. Bangladesh – 506
7. Vietnam – 500
8. Pakistan – 493
9. Sri Lanka – 486

Ef english proficiency index (2025)

The EF EPI is based on test data from more than 2,200,000 test takers around the world who took the EF SET in 2024. The EF SET is an online, adaptive English test of reading, listening, speaking and writing skills. It is an objectively scored test designed to classify test takers’ language abilities into one of the six levels established by the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

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Also read: Study: Malaysia has 3rd Highest English Proficiency in Asia Behind Singapore & Philippines