The level of English proficiency in Uzbekistan was “very low” but has fallen again, according to the 2025 EF EPI (EF English Proficiency Index) ranking for non-English-speaking countries by EF Education First. The company has published reports on English proficiency in non-English-speaking countries since 2011.
Who evaluates English proficiency and how
EF Education First, which prepared the report, is an international educational company focused on language, academic studies, cultural exchange, and educational travel. The company was founded in Sweden in 1965.
To prepare the 2025 EF English Proficiency Index report, the company analyzed the results of 2.2 million people who took its EF SET English test in 2024.
“It includes results from speaking and writing assessments for the first time, offering a broader view of English proficiency than previous editions,” the report states. “Prior to 2024, the EF SET tested only receptive English skills (reading and listening comprehension). New test sections were introduced in the first half of 2024 to assess productive skills (writing and speaking).”
These new sections — writing and speaking — are optional, and most participants continue to certify only their receptive English skills.
Only cities and regions with at least 100 test participants, and only countries with at least 400 test participants, were included in the ranking. According to the report’s authors, the test includes only those who want to learn English or are interested in their English skills. This may distort the results.
The EF SET test is available free of charge to any internet user. Its scores are expected to correlate strongly with TOEFL iBT scores and IELTS Academic Test scores.
The “very low” proficiency band (below 450 points) corresponds to levels Pre-A1, A1, A2, and the lower half of CEFR B1 (the so-called Pre-Intermediate). At this level, a person can give a simple account of themselves (name, age, country of origin), understand basic signs, and give elementary directions to a foreign tourist.
A total of 123 countries appear in the final 2025 ranking, and Uzbekistan is in 104th place.
English proficiency in the world
Uzbekistan ranked 104th among 123 non-English-speaking countries in the English proficiency ranking. The country remains in the group with a “very low” level of English. Last year Uzbekistan ranked 98th among 116 countries.
The highest English proficiency among non-English-speaking countries remains in the Netherlands (“very high”), followed by Croatia, Austria, Germany, and Norway. Cambodia is in last place.
Among former USSR countries, none reached the “very high” category. In the “high” category are Latvia (16th) and Estonia (31st).
Moderate proficiency is reported in Lithuania (33), Georgia (35), Belarus (41), Moldova (43), Ukraine (45), Russia (49), and Armenia (56).
Low proficiency is reported in Turkmenistan (91) and Azerbaijan (94). The remaining former Soviet countries fall into the “very low” category — Kyrgyzstan (101), Uzbekistan (104), Kazakhstan (107), and Tajikistan (110).
Notably, Afghanistan ranks 96th.
Uzbekistan in the EF EPI ranking
Uzbekistan has participated in the EF EPI since 2018 — in its first year it ranked 86th out of 88, in 2019 it fell to 95th out of 100 (that same year the capital, Tashkent, ranked last among world capitals and major cities in English proficiency), in 2020 the country rose to 88th out of 99, in 2021 it kept 88th out of 112, in 2022 it dropped to 89th out of 111, in 2023 dropped further to 93rd out of 113, and in 2024 — to 98th out of 116. Now the country ranks 104th out of 123, meaning a decline of 6 positions.
In the 2025 report the country scored 429 points, losing 10 points compared with last year. The global average is 488.
At the same time, productive skills (writing and speaking) were stronger — at a “low” level — than receptive skills (reading and listening), which remain at a “very low” level.
People aged 41 and older show the highest proficiency, while youth aged 18–20 show the lowest.
Women and men have approximately the same level of English proficiency.
Among professions, teachers have the highest English proficiency — 467 points, or “low.” All others fall into the “very low” category. Administrative and clerical staff rank the lowest — 362 points.
Among regions, Fergana and Andijan show higher proficiency; among cities, Fergana and Tashkent. Here the level is “low.”
Advice for English learners from the report’s authors
- Play the long game: plan for the hundreds of hours it takes to move from one proficiency level to the next.
- Be aware of growing competence at different stages and celebrate your successes.
- Study English every day, even if only for a few minutes.
- Study in sessions of maximum 1 hour and take a break when you feel your attention waning.
- Set specific, achievable goals and write them down.
- Memorize vocabulary relevant to your job or field of study and begin using it immediately.
- Practice speaking, even if it’s just reading a book aloud.
- Engage with content you enjoy in English when you need a break
- Watch TV, read, or listen to the radio in English.
- When traveling to an English speaking country, read the signs, labels and advertisements. Speak
as much as possible, even if only to shopkeepers, hotel receptionists and people on the street. - Use social media in English and set computers, apps and your favorite AI to English to get more built-in exposure to the language.
- Consider online options for regular conversation practice and access to a teacher.
- Periodically return to work you have completed to try and improve on it.
- Explore how LLMs can help you overcome your English learning challenges, whether by helping you understand concepts you’ve always struggled with or providing feedback on your writing. Use these tools to learn, not just to take shortcuts.