El Salvador has positioned itself as the second Central American country with the strongest command of the English language, according to the 2025 report by Education First (EF). The country ranked 47 out of 123 nations with a “moderate” level of proficiency, scoring 523 points. This reflects a notable improvement from 2024, when it stood in position 55 with 513 points, gaining eight places and 10 points in just one year.

Within Central America, El Salvador trails only Honduras, which leads the region with 553 points and holds the 32nd position worldwide in the “high proficiency” category. Costa Rica follows El Salvador with 516 points, then Nicaragua with 512, Guatemala with 510, and Panama with 491 points. At the Latin American level, El Salvador ranks fifth among 20 countries, reinforcing its growing regional relevance in English skills.

The EF report highlights that Salvadorans perform best in reading, with 541 points corresponding to a medium level of proficiency, followed by listening comprehension with 516 points. Writing scored 495 points, placing it in the low proficiency range, while speaking remains the weakest skill at 491 points. According to EF, “speaking is the most visible skill among adults and the one that shapes the impression foreign visitors form about a country’s English level.”

Age also plays a significant role in performance. Adults between 31 and 40 years old reported the highest proficiency, with 567 points, followed closely by those aged 26 to 30 with 562 points. In contrast, young people between 18 and 20 years old recorded just 412 points, the lowest level in nine years and classified as “very low” proficiency.

The 2025 EF English Proficiency Index assessed 2.2 million people across 123 countries and regions, with women representing 54 percent of participants and men 46 percent. Globally, the Netherlands ranked first in English proficiency, followed by Croatia and Austria. These results underscore El Salvador’s gradual progress and its growing potential to compete in an increasingly interconnected global economy where English remains a key professional tool.