Hong Kong drops in English rankings, falling behind Malaysia and the Philippines

Hong Kong’s English proficiency has declined for the fourth consecutive year, placing the city 39th globally and third in Asia, according to the English Proficiency Index published by an education organization.

The city trails regional peers Malaysia and the Philippines, highlighting weaknesses in spoken English linked to its exam-focused education system.

The report analyzed English test results from over 2.2 million adults across 123 non-English-speaking countries. Hong Kong scored 538 points, down 11 from last year, placing it at an intermediate level. Malaysia led Asia with 581 points (24th globally), followed by the Philippines with 569 points (28th), both rated high proficiency.

While Hong Kong maintains strong reading skills, spoken English remains weak, reflecting the entrenched “heavy reading and writing, light listening and speaking” approach in schools.

Singapore was excluded in 2025 after being reclassified as a native English-speaking country; it ranked second globally in 2024.