The average level of English-language proficiency in Italy has fallen significantly in a new ranking, dropping 13 places to become the lowest in Europe.
The 2025 English Proficiency Index, based on tests from over two million people worldwide, ranked Italy 59th – down from 46th in 2024.
The annual study by international education company Education First (EF) is the world’s largest ranking of English language skills, covering 123 countries and regions where English isn’t the native language.
Italy’s proficiency score stood at 513 out of 700 – the lowest across the EU and among the lowest in continental Europe.
For context, neighbouring France ranked 38th, with 539 proficiency points, while Germany came in 4th, with 615.
Under EF’s scoring system, any score between 500 and 549 indicates “moderate proficiency,” which allows speakers to “participate in meetings in one’s area of expertise, understand song lyrics and write professional emails on familiar subjects,” among other basic activities.
People falling under this category, however, struggle with more advanced English-language tasks, including making a presentation at work, understanding TV shows, or reading newspapers, according to the report.
Although Italy had the lowest national score in the EU in 2025, proficiency levels varied significantly across the country, particularly between north and south.
The northeastern Friuli Venezia Giulia (553) was the region with the best English language skills, followed by Emilia Romagna (534).
At the other end of the table, Puglia (498), Sardinia (491) and Calabria (482) were the lowest-ranked Italian regions, with their scores falling into EF’s “low proficiency” band.
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Despite significant regional variations, Italy as a whole has consistently ranked among the worst EU member states for English proficiency in recent years.
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Experts attribute persistently low scores to the nature of Italy’s education system, pointing to shortages of native English teachers (insegnanti madrelingua) and an excessive emphasis on theory as two of the main factors.
“The Italian education system tends to focus on acquiring theoretical knowledge rather than the practical application of it. This is a problem for every subject, but it applies to languages particularly,” English-Italian translator Fabiola Sibilla told The Local in 2020.
Besides flaws in the national education system, critics also argue that the ongoing prevalence of dubbing in film and TV means that young Italians are exposed to less English than some of their European peers.
Does Italy’s English proficiency score align with your own experience? Share your thoughts on navigating the country as an English speaker in the comments section below.