Why the new ranking matters
Hong Kong has slipped again in a major international measure of adult English proficiency, falling to 39th place worldwide with a score of 538. The city now trails Malaysia and the Philippines in Asia, a reversal of earlier years when Hong Kong consistently sat near the top of regional tables. It is the fourth straight annual drop, and it has stirred debate about how well schools, universities, and employers are nurturing everyday English skills, especially speaking and writing. Parents and recruiters say the trend shows up in interviews and internships, where grammar looks fine on paper but communication falters under time pressure.
For a services economy that trades on international finance, law, logistics and tourism, English functions as a working language and a gateway to clients and capital. A lower ranking does not erase Hong Kong’s bilingual legal system or its depth of English media and culture. It does signal that other Asian markets are improving faster, while gaps inside Hong Kong are widening by age and district. That combination is pushing educators and businesses to reassess how English is taught and used outside exams. The debate now centers on practice, not slogans, and on what will raise speaking and writing in real workplaces. With hiring picking up after the pandemic, language has become a clearer filter for graduate jobs, client facing roles, and promotion.
What the EF index measures and what changed
The EF English Proficiency Index aggregates millions of test results from adults who take a standardized online assessment. Recent editions analyze reading and listening, and now also incorporate writing and speaking. Bringing productive skills into the mix gives a fuller picture of real world communication. It can also shift country scores, because classroom study often builds passive comprehension faster than confident conversation.
By the numbers
Hong Kong’s latest 538 places it in the moderate proficiency band. The global average is 488. The city’s reading score sits around 550, while listening is 526 and writing 527. Speaking is the weakest component at 494. That pattern matches what employers report: many candidates can parse reports and emails, but hesitate during negotiations, presentations, or spontaneous problem solving in English.
The headline number also fell by 11 points from the previous edition. The index’s city breakdown shows Kowloon scoring 551, Hong Kong Island 531, and the New Territories 523. These differences are small, yet they point to uneven language exposure after school. Districts with heavier concentrations of international offices, tourism, and service work tend to offer more chances to practice English outside the classroom.
Youth setback and schools language challenges
The sharpest concern sits with young adults. Surveys over the past three years point to a decline among 18 to 20 year olds, with pandemic school closures and lengthy periods of online learning cited by principals and parents as major brakes on speaking and writing practice. Daily exposure also matters. The departure of many expatriate families, fewer tourists for long stretches, and a stronger emphasis on learning Putonghua have reduced informal opportunities to use English.
Language policy is part of the picture. After the 1997 handover, secondary schools gradually moved away from teaching most subjects in English. The goal was biliteracy and trilingualism, but implementation varied widely. Before the change, most secondary schools delivered the majority of classes in English. By 2019, roughly one third did so. Students still have English lessons, yet fewer hours studying science, history, or economics in English narrows the vocabulary and confidence they bring to university and work.
Where English is stronger or weaker across the city
Within Hong Kong, the index suggests modest geographic differences. Kowloon leads, just ahead of Hong Kong Island, with the New Territories slightly lower. These gaps likely track education pathways, commuting patterns, and job mix across districts. Areas with denser clusters of international facing roles may give residents more daily practice, from client calls to hospitality.
Age and gender patterns are also visible in the data. Adults in their twenties and thirties usually perform best, with scores tapering at older ages. Men and women score similarly, with small differences that vary by country and year. The common thread is that active use keeps skills sharp. When speaking and writing are part of work or study, scores hold up. When English is limited to media consumption and test prep, proficiency erodes.
The regional race for English skills
Malaysia and the Philippines now sit ahead of Hong Kong in Asia on the index. Many global firms run back office operations, customer support, and professional services from Kuala Lumpur and Manila. That keeps a steady flow of real world English practice in those markets. Singapore, which the index now treats as a native English environment, remains a regional benchmark for English medium schooling and public life.
Closer to home, professionals in Shanghai and Beijing have outscored Hong Kong in past editions that ranked Chinese cities. Mainland urban centers have poured resources into international programs, corporate training, and overseas exchange. Hong Kong still rates above mainland China at the national level, yet the distance has narrowed. Meanwhile, emerging markets like Vietnam have climbed into the moderate band, reflecting gains among young professionals.
Why proficiency matters for trade, law and talent
English remains the working language of cross border finance, legal services, aviation, shipping, and higher education. Hong Kong’s common law system, international arbitration role, and deep capital markets rely on clear English for documentation, disclosure, and client service. The government has set out ambitions to build multiple centers in fields such as innovation and technology, culture and the arts, and international legal and dispute resolution. Those goals assume a workforce able to operate confidently in both Chinese and English.
What could help reverse the slide
Schools and universities are already adjusting. More classes use task based learning and content integrated English, such as capstone projects, lab reports, or business cases written and presented in English. Short, frequent speaking drills help build fluency faster than rare, high stakes presentations. Authentic writing tasks, from email to brief memos, matter as much as essays. Partnerships with industry can bring internships and coaching that reward practical communication.
Teacher support is critical. Continuous professional development focused on teaching speaking and writing, along with smarter use of language assistants, can lift classroom interaction. Targeted scholarships and recruitment can attract experienced English teachers. Outside school, companies can embed English practice in onboarding and supervisor training. New AI tools already give students and workers instant feedback on pronunciation, grammar, and tone. Used well, they can multiply practice time, while exams and public benchmarks keep everyone focused on measurable progress.
What to Know
- Hong Kong ranks 39th globally with a score of 538 in the latest English Proficiency Index.
- The city is third in Asia, behind Malaysia and the Philippines, while Singapore is treated as a native English environment in the index.
- The score fell by 11 points from the previous edition; speaking is the weakest skill at 494.
- Reading is strongest at 550; listening and writing are 526 and 527 respectively.
- Citywide results show Kowloon at 551, Hong Kong Island at 531, and the New Territories at 523.
- Proficiency among 18 to 20 year olds has dropped since the pandemic, reducing the pipeline of talent ready for client facing work.
- A long running shift away from English as the classroom medium for many subjects has limited content learning in English.
- Malaysia and the Philippines benefit from large service sectors that use English daily; mainland Chinese cities continue to improve.
- Practical speaking and writing, stronger teacher support, and workplace training are the most direct ways to rebuild momentum.
