Which European Countries Have the Most English-Speaking Workers?

English-speaking workers in Europe are not concentrated in the countries where English is the native language. In fact, some of the strongest English-speaking labour markets are countries where English is a second language. That matters for employers hiring across borders because it means a company can recruit an English-speaking professional without necessarily recruiting from the UK or Ireland.

The latest European Commission language data shows that 35.5% of the EU population speaks English, making it the bloc’s most widely spoken language after accounting for both native and foreign-language speakers. Among people aged 15–34, the figure rises to 55.8%.

For employers, however, the interesting part is what happens when you look at individual countries.

The European Countries With the Largest Share of English Speakers

Using 2024 European Commission language data, these are the leading EU countries by the percentage of their population who speak English:

The figures come from European Commission language data published in 2024.

This immediately changes the way an employer should think about the European talent pool.

The Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark are not English-speaking countries in the traditional sense, but a very large share of their populations can work in English.

That makes them very different recruitment markets from countries where English is understood mainly by a smaller, internationally oriented section of the workforce.

The Netherlands Is Particularly Interesting for International Employers

The Netherlands has one of the strongest combinations of English proficiency and international business exposure in Europe.

According to the European Commission data, 85.9% of the Dutch population speaks English, including 92.1% of people aged 15–34.

The country also ranks first globally in EF’s 2025 English Proficiency Index, with a score of 624. The index is based on test results from 2.2 million adults across 123 countries and regions.

That makes the Netherlands particularly attractive for companies building international teams.

An employer can often operate in English while recruiting people who are already accustomed to working in a highly international environment.

The important distinction is that English ability and English-native status are not the same thing.

For many technology, engineering and professional roles, the first is what the employer actually needs.

The Nordics Continue to Stand Out

Sweden and Denmark also have unusually large English-speaking populations.

76.2% of people in Sweden speak English, while the figure for Denmark is 73.2%. Among younger people, the proportions are even higher.

Finland reaches 53.3%, although the country’s performance is stronger when proficiency rather than the percentage of the entire population is measured. EF’s 2025 index places Finland 12th globally, with a “very high” proficiency score of 603.

This distinction is useful for recruitment.

A country can have a relatively smaller percentage of English speakers but still have a highly capable English-speaking professional workforce.

The question for an employer should therefore be less about whether “everyone speaks English” and more about whether the people with the skills you need can work comfortably in English.

Germany Has a Much Larger English-Speaking Pool Than the Percentage Suggests

Germany is an interesting case.

Only 41.8% of the population speaks English, according to the European Commission data.

That is considerably lower than the Netherlands or Sweden.

But Germany’s population is so large that the absolute number of English-speaking people is still substantial.

This is an important distinction when comparing recruitment markets.

A smaller country can have a much higher percentage of English speakers but a smaller overall talent pool. Germany can have a lower percentage while offering a very large absolute population of potential English-speaking professionals.

For employers, both numbers matter.

And Then There Is Romania

Romania is particularly relevant for companies looking at Central and Eastern Europe.

The European Commission data puts the share of the Romanian population that speaks English at 16.3%, which is significantly below the EU average of 35.5%. Among Romanians aged 15–34, however, the figure rises to 32.4%.

That overall figure can make Romania look less attractive than it actually is for international recruitment.

The reason is that employers do not recruit from the entire population.

They recruit from particular occupations and age groups.

The English-speaking share among young Romanians is almost twice the national figure, and Romania also has a sizeable technology and engineering workforce. That helps explain why Romanian professionals can be relevant to international employers even though English is spoken by a smaller share of the population overall.

There is another useful data point here.

EF’s 2025 English Proficiency Index gives Romania a score of 605, placing it 11th globally among the countries included in the index and in the “very high” proficiency category.

The two datasets are measuring different things, so they should not be treated as interchangeable. The European Commission figure estimates the share of the population reporting English knowledge, while EF measures English proficiency among adults who took its tests.

Together, though, they show why Romania deserves a closer look than its population-wide percentage might suggest.

Poland and Czechia Are Also Useful Markets

Poland has 22.0% of its population speaking English according to the European Commission data, while Czechia is at 32.1%.

EF’s 2025 index puts Poland at 600, in the very-high proficiency category, while Czechia scores 582, classified as high proficiency.

Again, the difference between the two measures matters.

A recruitment team searching for English-speaking software engineers, accountants or engineers should not automatically assume that the national percentage tells them how large their professional candidate pool will be.

The relevant pool can be much stronger than the national average.

The Younger Workforce Is Where the Market Gets More Interesting

One of the strongest patterns in the European data is the age difference.

Across the EU, 55.8% of people aged 15–34 speak English, compared with just 20.2% among people aged 55 and over.

That has an obvious implication for employers building teams over the next decade.

English is becoming less of a specialist workplace skill for younger European workers and more of a normal part of professional communication.

For companies recruiting junior and mid-career employees, the potential English-speaking workforce is therefore considerably larger than the figure for the entire population suggests.

This is especially relevant to technology, shared services, engineering and other sectors where English is already commonly used across borders.

So Which Countries Should Employers Look At?

There isn’t one universal answer.

If the priority is the highest proportion of English speakers, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Malta, Ireland and Finland are among the strongest EU markets.

If the priority is English proficiency, the picture expands considerably. EF’s 2025 index places the Netherlands, Croatia, Austria, Germany, Norway, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Slovakia, Romania and Finland in its very-high proficiency category.

If the priority is a large absolute workforce, countries such as Germany and Poland become much more interesting because population size changes the calculation.

And if the priority is cost, technical skills and access to English-speaking professionals, Central and Eastern European markets deserve serious attention rather than being treated as secondary options.

The right country depends on what the company is actually trying to hire.

Final Thoughts

Speaking English does not automatically make someone a suitable international hire.

A company still has to compete on salary, working arrangements, career progression, location, employment conditions and the attractiveness of the role itself.

But language can remove a major barrier.

If an employer can communicate comfortably with candidates in several European countries, its potential talent market becomes considerably larger.

That is particularly useful when local recruitment becomes difficult.

Instead of asking, “Where can we find people who speak English?” companies can start asking a more useful question:

“Which European markets give us access to the skills we need, with enough English proficiency to make cross-border hiring practical?”

That produces a much better recruitment strategy.