People in Sweden have the best command of the English language of any non-native speakers.
The announcement came from Education First (EF) which produces an annual ranking. This year it considered the language abilities of more than 910,000 adults in 70 countries.
The overall score for Sweden was nearly 71 out of a possible 100 in EF’s Proficiency Index. This put it back in the number one position where it had also been in 2012 and 2013.
In 2014 Denmark stole the crown, but this year found itself in third position after the Dutch. Norway and Finland took fourth and fifth spots.
EF pointed out that “Denmark didn’t fall (in abilities), it was just beaten. Denmark actually increased marginally, it is just that Sweden is doing better”, said company VP Christen Bagger.
He also noted that both countries remain positive examples for the rest of the world.
Portugal was no slouch either capturing 12th position for an overall score of 6.61.
Larger European countries, such as Spain, Italy and Hungary, failed to make the top 20 and France languished in 37th position.
Ability in English adds to a country’s economic health. The report noted a correlation between English ability and Gross National Income per capita, quality of life and internet connectivity.
The report also outlined the connection between levels of English and achievements in innovation.
"Countries with higher English proficiency have more researchers and technicians per capita," said the report.
"The ability to learn from the research of others, participate in international conferences, publish in leading journals, and collaborate with multinational research teams is dependent upon excellent English," it concluded.
