language knowledge /eu publishes the latest language knowledge statistics for english in the European Union using European Commission data published in 2024. Explore which countries english is most spoken in, compare native with foreign speakers, and compare age groups to see where english is gaining or losing popularity.
According to European Commission Eurobarometer survey data (2024), the European countries with the highest proportion of English speakers are Ireland (92.8%), Netherlands (85.9%), and Malta (79.2%).
35.5% of the European Union population speaks English (2.5% as a native language and 33.0% as a foreign language).
In the European Union, 55.8% of 15–34 year olds speak English, compared to 20.2% of people aged 55 and over.