Malaysia Tops Asia in English Proficiency, Survey Finds

How Malaysia moved to the front of Asia

Malaysia has taken the top spot in Asia for adult English proficiency in the 2025 EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI), the world’s largest ranking based on 2.2 million test results across 123 countries and regions. Malaysia scored 581 points, which places it in the high proficiency band and 24th globally, two places higher than last year.

The country posted a 15 point year on year gain, with a balanced profile across reading (596), writing (584), listening (576), and a lower speaking score (534). The best performing age group is 26 to 30 with an average of 595. Within Malaysia, Penang recorded the highest regional score at 589, Kuantan led among cities with 601, while Kuala Lumpur reached 588 on the capital city list, up from 584 last year.

Among Asian countries and territories included in the 2025 index, Malaysia ranks ahead of the Philippines and Hong Kong. The result underscores the role of English in Malaysian education, business, and urban life, and it reflects how large cities, export industries, and services bring many residents into daily contact with English media and international clients.

What the EF EPI measures and what changed in 2025

EF EPI is built from the EF Standard English Test (EF SET), a free online assessment that evaluates reading, listening, speaking, and writing. For 2025, EF analyzed 2.2 million adult test takers and included only countries with at least 400 test takers and cities or regions with at least 100. Scores are grouped into very high, high, moderate, low, and very low proficiency categories. Governments, companies, and schools often use EF SET and the EF EPI to benchmark workforce and student skills across borders.

This year brings a new feature. EF reports that speaking and writing are now evaluated using proprietary AI technology developed by its education technology unit. That expansion complements the long standing reading and listening measures and offers a more complete snapshot of how adults use English in daily life. The 2025 report also highlights broad patterns across age and gender, and it observes that speaking is the weakest skill in many countries. The full 2025 report and country tables are available on EF’s site at ef.com/epi.

Malaysias scores by skill, age, and location

Malaysia’s skill profile shows clear strengths in receptive skills and room to grow in spoken communication. Reading at 596 and writing at 584 place adult learners on solid ground for academic and professional tasks like email, reports, and documentation. Listening at 576 is also strong. Speaking at 534 lags behind the other skills, which mirrors a global pattern that EF calls out across many countries.

The geographic spread of scores is equally telling. Penang’s regional score of 589 and Kuantan’s 601 in the city ranking point to a cohort of adults with frequent exposure to English in the workplace and in services. Kuala Lumpur’s 588 on the capital city list shows a steady climb from 584 last year. The best performing age group is 26 to 30 with an average score of 595, which aligns with a workforce cohort that has both university exposure and practical use in early career roles.

How Malaysia compares with Asia and the world

Across Asia, Malaysia leads among the places that met EF’s inclusion rules for 2025, ahead of the Philippines and Hong Kong. The region remains diverse. South Korea, Vietnam, and several South Asian countries show steady progress, while some Southeast Asian economies still report modest scores. Indonesia’s national score of 471 places it in the low proficiency band, though its capital Jakarta performs better at 523.

City comparisons add texture. Manila reaches 603, Kuala Lumpur 588, and Hong Kong 541. Outside Southeast Asia, Beijing registers 514, while Bangkok records 467. These figures reflect wide differences in school curricula, workplace requirements, and daily exposure to English in media and tourism.

Globally, European countries dominate the top tier. The Netherlands is number one with a score of 624, followed by Croatia at 617, Austria at 616, Germany at 615, Norway at 613, Portugal at 612, Denmark at 611, Sweden at 609, Belgium at 608, and Slovakia at 606. Malaysia’s 24th place marks it as a strong performer among non native English speaking countries that do not sit in the very high category.

Why English proficiency matters for business, jobs, and research

English proficiency is tied to economic opportunity in many studies and benchmarks. EF EPI and external analyses have found positive links between higher English scores and stronger human capital, innovation capacity, and productivity. Employers prize clear communication with suppliers and customers, and researchers rely on English to access journals, conferences, and open source projects.

For Malaysia, a high proficiency score can support growth in shared services, digital content, engineering, and tourism. It also helps small firms sell on global platforms and plug into international value chains. EF’s 2025 report notes that many of today’s leading artificial intelligence tools are released in English first. Countries where professionals read and converse comfortably in English can adopt and adapt those tools sooner, then localize and extend them for domestic use.

The policies and habits that shape Malaysian English

Malaysia’s language landscape is complex. Bahasa Malaysia is the national and official language. English plays a wide role in higher education, law, finance, technology, and everyday urban life. Many schools offer strong English instruction, and private providers add extracurricular lessons that range from exam prep to workplace writing.

Civil society groups have urged a sustained focus on English alongside the national language. The English Speaking Union of Malaysia, for example, has advocated for students to learn three languages, including English and an additional foreign language, to better prepare graduates for global collaboration. Advocates say this can be done without diluting the central status of Bahasa Malaysia, and that wider use of English is a practical tool for economic mobility.

Gaps to close, especially in speaking

The EF EPI points to speaking as a weak spot around the world, and Malaysia’s own scores reflect this pattern. A speaking score of 534 trails the country’s reading and writing results. Common factors include limited classroom time for conversation, exam formats that stress grammar and reading, and fewer low cost chances to practice speaking outside school.

Practical steps can help. Schools can set aside structured time for presentations and debates. Universities and employers can build conversation clubs and short workshops focused on calls and meetings. Teacher training can emphasize feedback on pronunciation and fluency. Edtech and media can make regular speaking practice easier, especially for adults outside major cities.

What the data does and does not say

Like any large survey, the EF EPI has limits. Results come from people who choose to take an online test. That group tends to skew younger, more connected, and more interested in English than the general population. People without internet access, or with little interest in English, are less likely to appear in the sample. EF also notes that the 2025 rankings include only places with enough test takers to meet minimum thresholds.

The index is still useful as a reference point. It offers comparable scores over time and across countries, and it now reflects four skills rather than two. Readers can review the full report, methods, and country tables on EF’s site at ef.com/epi.

Key Points

• Malaysia ranks first in Asia in EF EPI 2025 among included countries and territories.
• National score of 581 is in the high proficiency band and 24th globally, up two places.
• Year on year gain of 15 points, with strong reading (596) and writing (584) scores.
• Speaking is the lowest skill at 534, consistent with a global pattern noted by EF.
• Best performing age group is 26 to 30 with an average of 595.
• Penang leads among regions at 589, Kuantan tops cities nationally at 601.
• Kuala Lumpur reaches 588 on the capital city list, up from 584 last year.
• Asia’s next highest in the 2025 list are the Philippines and Hong Kong.
• EF EPI 2025 evaluates four skills using EF SET, with AI based scoring for speaking and writing.
• Countries need at least 400 test takers to be ranked, cities and regions need at least 100.
• Europe dominates the global top 10, led by the Netherlands at 624.