Cyprus has experienced a notable decline in English proficiency over the past year, according to an international ranking agency.

The island fell to 40th place globally in the latest EF EPI report, based on data from 2.2 million adults in 123 countries.

Cyprus is placed among the lowest-ranking EU member states for English as a second language, alongside Italy and France.

Although the island remains above the global average score of 488, scoring 537, it still recorded a drop of 21 points from 2024.

Cyprus is categorised as having only moderate proficiency and lags behind the 12 EU countries now assessed as having very high proficiency.

The strongest skills among test-takers in Cyprus remain reading and listening, scoring 564 and 539 respectively, while writing continues to be the weakest at 468.

Regional variations persist, with Limassol performing best at 551, followed by Paphos at 540 and Nicosia at 523.

Across the EU, the Netherlands retained its top global position for the seventh consecutive year despite a score decline.

Greece, with a score of 592, remains within the high-proficiency category.

The broader European trend shows that reading and listening consistently outperform speaking and writing.

The report also highlights a gender gap, with male proficiency rising twice as much as female proficiency since 2014, and ongoing concerns about the post-pandemic decline in English levels among younger adults.