If you searched “what percentage of the Philippines speaks English,” you are not looking for a vague country ranking. You want a number.
Here is the clean answer. A 2023 Social Weather Stations poll found that about 55% of Filipino adults can speak English. Far more can understand it: about 80% understand spoken English and about 80% understand written English. English is also a co-official language of the Philippines, alongside Filipino.
The old “over 90%” figure you may still see online is too high if the question is “can they speak it.” Understanding English and speaking English are not the same thing.
What Percentage of Filipinos Speak English?
Using the 2023 SWS adult poll:
- Speak English: about 55%
- Understand spoken English: about 80%
- Understand written English: about 80%
- Write English: about 69%
- Think in English: about 47%
So if the question is “how many people in the Philippines speak English,” the honest reply is: roughly 1 in 2 adults can speak it, and about 4 in 5 can follow it.
That still puts the Philippines among the most English-friendly countries in Asia. English is used in school, government, business, medicine, and a lot of everyday “Taglish” conversation.
How Strong Is English in the Philippines?
Speaking a language and scoring high on a proficiency test are different measures.
In the 2025 EF English Proficiency Index, the Philippines ranked 28th out of 123 countries and regions, with a score of 569 (high proficiency). In Asia it placed second, behind Malaysia. That is strong. It is not “almost everyone is fluent.”
Philippine English is also its own variety. It is close to American English, with local rhythm, vocabulary, and Tagalog or Spanish-influenced words. If you work with Filipino colleagues, you will usually understand each other quickly. The remaining gap is often accent, stress, and the small words that make speech sound native.
What About Pakistan and Other English-Speaking Countries?
People who land on this page also ask about Pakistan and about the “largest English-speaking countries.”
Pakistan: English is an official language and is used in government, courts, and higher education. Counts of “how many Pakistanis speak English” jump around because some lists count anyone with school English, and others count fluent speakers. Treat “nearly half the country” as an estimate, not a census fact. Proficiency rankings put Pakistan well below the Philippines.
India: India has one of the world’s largest English-speaking populations, mostly as a second language. English is used in business, higher education, and national media. The percentage of the whole population is lower than the Philippines; the raw number of speakers is huge because India is huge.
Nigeria: English is an official language and a main language of school and government. It is one of the largest English-using countries in Africa. Again, “speaks English” can mean anything from classroom English to daily fluency.
If you want a ranking of countries whose first language is English, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand lead. This page is about countries where English is widespread even though it is not the mother tongue for most people.
Why These Numbers Matter If You Are Learning English
English is already a work language for millions of people whose first language is not English. That is good news if you are learning it. You do not have to sound British or American to be useful. You do have to be clear.
If your goal is American English at work, the next step is pronunciation, not another country list. Start with British vs American accents and how to pronounce E in English.
Want to Speak American English More Clearly?
Knowing that the Philippines, India, Pakistan, and Nigeria use English is useful. Being understood on a call with an American client is a different skill.
Pronunciation Pro helps non-native English-speaking professionals speak American English clearly and confidently, with step-by-step training and guidance from a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist.
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