What the 2025 EF Index shows about Japan
Japan has fallen to its lowest position since the English Proficiency Index began in 2011, according to the 2025 edition of the global ranking. The index, produced by EF Education First using 2.2 million adult test results from 123 countries and regions, places Japan 96th with an average score of 446. That is eight points lower than last year and well below the global average of 488. The result marks an eleventh straight year of decline for Japan and leaves the country in the low proficiency band, behind many Asian peers that compete with Japan for trade, talent, and tourism.
The regional picture inside Asia underscores how far Japan has slipped. Japan ranks 18th out of 25 countries and territories in the region. South Korea sits above Japan, and China is also ahead when viewed by regional rank even though its score is close to Japan’s. The steady slide contrasts with the country’s early standing when the index first launched with a much smaller set of participants. As the index expanded, Japan did not keep pace with the countries that saw large gains from school reforms, workplace training, and international exposure.
Globally, the Netherlands remains number one, followed by European neighbors such as Croatia and Austria. In Asia, Malaysia leads the regional table this year and the Philippines and Hong Kong are also strong performers. Japan’s skill breakdown shows the biggest gaps: reading at 454 and listening at 437 outpace writing at 394 and speaking at 393. That imbalance aligns with years of classroom instruction centered on grammar and translation rather than practice that builds confidence to write and speak in real settings.
How EF measures English skills
The EF English Proficiency Index is based on results from the EF Standard English Test, a free online assessment for adults. The 2025 edition includes 123 countries and regions. EF groups countries into very high, high, moderate, low, and very low proficiency bands to simplify comparisons. The index does not function like a national census. It captures voluntary test takers, who skew younger and more digitally connected, and it reflects adult performance rather than student outcomes in schools.
This year introduces an important shift in how some skills are scored. EF says speaking and writing are now evaluated with proprietary AI technology developed by Efekta Education Group. That change expands the scope of testing beyond reading and listening and helps show how well adults can use English to express ideas. The 2025 report highlights that many countries do better at understanding written and spoken English than they do at producing it.
EF describes speaking as an area where many learners struggle. The organization’s report frames it as a widespread challenge across the world.
EF said in its 2025 report that “Speaking remains the weakest English skill in over half of the countries measured.”
Regional trends vary. Europe still dominates the top of the ranking but has stopped climbing as quickly. Asia shows a narrower skills gap between the strongest and weakest countries, yet much of the region hovers in the moderate to low bands. EF also reports that adults under 25 are not rebounding to pre pandemic levels and often score lower than older age groups.
Japan’s scorecard, strengths and gaps
Japan’s overall score of 446 hides stark differences between the ability to understand English and the ability to use it actively. Reading at 454 and listening at 437 indicate that many adults can recognize vocabulary and follow a range of everyday content. Writing at 394 and speaking at 393 sit far lower, which can translate into hesitation in meetings, limited participation in international projects, and difficulty composing professional emails beyond templates. The gap is not new in Japan, yet the growing weight on productive skills in tests and at work is making the shortfall harder to ignore.
Many educators argue that the roots of the gap lie in how English has been taught and assessed. Classroom time often prioritizes grammar, translation, and preparation for university entrance exams. Tests like TOEIC that are popular with employers in Japan emphasize reading and listening. Students who excel at those sections may still receive limited structured practice in extended speaking and writing. That can create a generation of learners with strong foundational knowledge but little experience using English to solve problems and persuade others.
Reading strength, speaking lagging
Reading strength can help with self study and technical research, areas where Japan has long excelled. The weak scores in speaking and writing affect daily interactions with clients, peer learning with international colleagues, and the ability to present ideas in global forums. The shift to virtual meetings has raised the value of clear spontaneous speech and concise writing, two skills that are relatively underdeveloped in Japan’s adult population according to EF’s scoring.
Where Japan performs best inside the country
EF’s city and regional breakdowns show clear internal differences. The Kanto region, which includes Tokyo and neighboring prefectures, tops the national list with a score of 478. The rural Chugoku region sits at the bottom with 436. That divide reflects job opportunities, international links, and exposure to visitors and foreign colleagues. Larger metropolitan areas tend to host more multinational employers and provide more chances to use English at work and in daily life.
By city, Kawasaki records the highest score at 489, followed by Yokohama at 483 and Tokyo at 480. Those cities are just near or above the global average, which highlights how far many other Japanese cities trail the international benchmark. Hiroshima at 421 and several other regional centers remain well below the national mean. Concentration of English use in a handful of urban hubs is common worldwide, yet the gap inside Japan is large enough to shape hiring and wage patterns.
EF also provides data by job function. Strategy and project management roles average 578, teachers 561, and marketing 551. Students average 477, and the unspecified or unemployed category sits at 399. The workplace numbers suggest that regular contact with international partners, and on the job writing and presenting, raise skills faster than classroom study alone. They also show that adults with limited access to English in their jobs and communities fall further behind without deliberate practice and support.
Japan in the Asian and global picture
Japan’s 18th place out of 25 Asian countries and territories highlights the scale of the challenge. Malaysia leads Asia this year and the Philippines and Hong Kong are strong performers. South Korea scores in the low five hundreds, while China and Japan cluster in the mid four hundreds. Indonesia scores 471, above Japan, and Thailand sits near the bottom of the global table. Cambodia ranks last among the 123 countries measured in this edition.
Europe remains the global engine for high English proficiency. The Netherlands retains the top spot, with Croatia and Austria close behind, and Germany in the top tier as well. South Africa and Zimbabwe appear in the very high band, reflecting their use of English in education and public life. The mix of countries near the top tells a consistent story. Widespread school exposure to English, international media consumption, and on the job use shape outcomes across generations.
EF’s 2025 report points to a few common patterns in many countries. Reading and listening scores often exceed writing and speaking. Younger adults have not recovered the momentum they had before the pandemic. Europe’s scores are now plateauing after years of steady growth, and Asia shows wide variation by country with a narrowing gap between the strongest and weakest. Those patterns are visible in Japan’s profile, which pairs strong reading habits with limited practice in active communication.
What is driving the slump in Japan
Economic headwinds are part of the picture. A weak yen and persistent inflation have reduced the number of Japanese who can afford to travel or study abroad. Fewer business trips and fewer semesters overseas mean fewer real world opportunities to practice English. Inbound tourism has surged, yet many locals avoid crowded visitor corridors and service workers tend to carry the burden of communication. Those trends limit exposure to the kind of spontaneous speaking that strengthens skills under time pressure.
Education policy and classroom culture also matter. Many schools still organize lessons around grammar explanations and vocabulary lists. Teachers shoulder large class loads, which makes it hard to give individual feedback on speaking and writing. Assistant language teachers help, but the amount of authentic conversation in class often remains limited. Large scale tests that employers value are heavy on reading and listening, so students and teachers tailor preparation to those parts.
Workplace incentives are uneven. Some sectors, such as technology and finance, reward English with promotion and project assignments. Many other sectors still operate comfortably in Japanese with limited international collaboration. Adults who do not need English for their jobs often stop studying, and the EF index, which measures adults, reflects that reality.
What could move the needle
Five shifts would raise Japan’s English skills over time. First, assessments that count for admission and hiring need stronger speaking and writing components. Schools respond to exams and employers respond to what they measure. If speaking and writing count more, class time will shift to conversations, presentations, and writing workshops. The 2025 EF edition’s use of AI scoring for writing and speaking shows that large scale evaluation is possible at low cost.
Second, teacher support can expand practice time. Smaller class sections for conversation, regular feedback loops, and practical lesson plans make a difference. Schools can use AI tools as conversation partners and writing coaches that provide instant suggestions while teachers focus on higher level guidance. Safeguards and clear rules should sit behind that technology so that students learn rather than outsource the hard parts.
Third, workplaces can create more occasions to use English, not just classes. Internal meetings with global teams, presentation slots for junior staff, and short stints supporting overseas clients build confidence faster than textbook drills. Hiring for roles that require English across more departments, not just a handful of international teams, spreads practice. Fourth, mobility and exchange programs can reach beyond elite schools. Scholarships for short online exchanges, virtual internships, and community events with visitors give students outside big cities the same chance to practice. Fifth, adult learning needs to be affordable and convenient. Night classes, on demand courses, and public libraries with conversation hours keep learning accessible when household budgets are tight.
What to Know
- Japan ranks 96th out of 123 in the 2025 EF English Proficiency Index with a score of 446.
- The country sits in the low proficiency band and has fallen for eleven straight years.
- Reading and listening are stronger than writing and speaking for Japanese adults.
- EF introduced AI scoring for speaking and writing in 2025, broadening skill coverage.
- Kanto leads Japan’s regions, while Chugoku scores lowest; Kawasaki, Yokohama, and Tokyo top the city list.
- Malaysia leads Asia this year; the Netherlands remains number one globally.
- Younger adults worldwide have not fully rebounded since the pandemic, a trend also seen in Japan.
- Economic pressures and exam heavy classroom culture reduce practice in active communication.
- Raising speaking and writing in admissions and hiring, more workplace use, and accessible adult learning would help close Japan’s gap.
