English is the most spoken language in the world. According to the International Center for Language Studies, around 1.52 billion people speak the language across the globe as of 2024. However, only around 25% of its vast majority of speakers are native; the rest have learned to speak English as a second language. It is spoken in 186 countries worldwide, ranking it as one of the most widely spread languages across the globe. English is also the language of online and social media, with over half of all websites, around 52.1%, using it to disseminate their content.
The total number of English speakers worldwide surpasses Mandarin speakers, which ranks as the second most spoken language in the world. English speakers exceed Mandarin Chinese speakers by around 28%. Unlike English, Mandarin has the highest number of native speakers, amounting to around 941 million, nearly 2.5 times more than native English speakers.
English is expected to continue dominating global trends as the most widely spoken language worldwide, with the annual growth of English speakers going from 1.13 billion to 1.46 billion between 2019 and 2023. This translates to a 29.20% growth over the five-year period. Further estimates show that the global count of English speakers will likely reach 2 billion by 2050. This growth is primarily attributed to globalization, with English becoming the primary language for communication in almost all fields around the world, including science, law, and business.
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The Global English Language Learning Market
With English becoming a lingua franca, its demand is increasing worldwide. According to the English Language Learning—Global Strategic Business Report, the global market for English Language Learning was estimated at $24.8 billion in 2023 and is anticipated to reach $70.7 billion by 2030. This translates to a compound annual growth rate of 16.2% between 2023 and 2030.
The English language learning market in the United States was valued at around $5.6 billion in 2022. China, the second-biggest economy in the world, reflects these trends. The English language learning market in China is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 20.6% between 2022 and 2030, reaching a projected size of $17.9 billion. Canada and Japan mark other notable geographic markets in this domain, and are anticipated to grow at rates of 11.5% and 13.8% between 2022 and 2030, respectively. Germany is also expected to demonstrate strong growth, growing at a compound annual growth rate of around 12.5%.
With these trends in view, let’s look at the 20 countries with the best English accent in the world. You can also look at 20 Best Countries to Study Abroad for English Speakers and 20 Best Countries to Teach English Abroad in 2024.
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Our Methodology
To compile a list of the 20 countries with the best English accent in the world, we conducted a consensus approach through Reddit. We looked at ten Reddit threads that asked commenters to mention the countries with the best English accent in the world. We only chose threads with more than 50 comments and studied more than 500 comments to shortlist the countries with the most recommendations by Reddit users. We then counted the number of upvotes on each comment and chose the top 20 countries with the most upvotes. The 20 countries with the best English accent in the world are arranged in ascending order of their number of upvotes on Reddit.
Note: This list is not exhaustive and does not reflect our opinion. The ranking is solely based on the opinions of mass consumers on Reddit.
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20 Countries With The Best English Accent in The World
20. India
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 401
India takes the 20th spot on our list of the 20 countries with the best English accent in the world. The country ranks among the top countries with the most English speakers across the globe, as a number of Indians speak English as their second or third language. The Indian English accent is very distinctive in its articulatory features.
19. Austria
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 413
Formerly known as the Republic of Austria, Austria is a landlocked Central European country that lies in the Eastern Alps. It has a population of around 9.132 million as of 2023, according to estimates by the World Bank. Although German is the official language of the country, Croatian, Slovenian, and Hungarian are considered to be the official languages of certain autonomous population groups in some regions.
18. Czech Republic
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 429
Also known as Czechia, the Czech Republic takes the 18th spot on our list of the 20 countries with the best English accent in the world. This landlocked Central European country holds 429 Reddit upvotes. While the official language of the country is Czech, its English accent is considered one of the best in the world.
17. Singapore
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 434
Singaporean English is widely recognized across the globe. Singaporeans have a distinctive way of speaking English. According to the Singapore Department of Statistics, the country’s census showed English to be the language most frequently spoken at home among resident population aged 5 and over, increasing to 48.3% in 2020.
16. Italy
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 463
Despite English not being their first language, a significant number of people in Italy speak the language, generally with the same energy, tone, and gestures as they speak Italian. This makes the Italian English accent the 20th-best English accent in the world, holding 534 upvotes on Reddit.
15. Russia
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 479
The Russian English accent takes 19th place on our list of the 20 countries with the best English accent in the world, with 547 Reddit upvotes. Despite an increasing interest in English across Russian-speaking countries, only a small percentage of the country’s population can speak English fluently.
14. Hungary
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 491
Hungarians speak English with a distinctive accent that is considered one of the best in the world. Hungary is a landlocked Central European country with a population of around 9.59 million as of 2023, according to estimates by the World Bank.
13. Switzerland
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 507
Switzerland is considered one of the most beautiful countries in the world. English is gradually becoming the second national language of the country, as it is its most widely spoken non-national language. Switzerland has four official national languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh.
12. Greece
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 515
With 568 upvotes on Reddit, Greece takes the 16th spot on our list of the 20 countries with the best English accent in the world. This southeastern European country has a population of 10.36 million people as of 2023, according to estimates by the World Bank. It has 568 upvotes on Reddit.
11. Germany
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 528
Officially known as the Federal Republic of Germany, Germany is a Central European country that takes the 15th spot on our list of the 20 countries with the best English accent in the world. Estimates show that Germany has the highest number of non-native English speakers in Europe, with more than half the country’s population speaking English as a second language.
10. France
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 530
France ranks tenth on our list of the countries with the best English accents in the world. A small portion of the country can speak English fluently, a majority of which consists of the younger generations. The French English accent is liked all across the globe.
9. Portugal
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 536
Portugal lies on the Iberian Peninsula in southern Europe, bordering Spain and the Atlantic Ocean. A significant majority of the country’s population speaks at least one foreign language, and English is the most commonly spoken foreign language in the country. It takes the 14th spot on our list.
8. Luxembourg
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 541
Luxembourg is a small European country surrounded by Belgium, France, and Germany. Most people in the country speak German, French, and Luxembourgish, and a significant majority, around 80%, speak English as well, though often as a second, third, and even fourth language. It ranks eighth on our list.
7. South Africa
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 551
English is the second most commonly spoken language in South Africa, the first being Afrikaans. Since the country has 12 official languages, almost all the people in the country are multilingual, with a large majority speaking English fluently. South African English accent is distinctive due to its several articulatory features, and takes the seventh spot on our list.
6. Scotland
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 559
Scotland is a country in the United Kingdom that lies in the northern part of the Great Britain. It comprises nearly one-third of the UK’s land area and more than 790 islands. Scottish accent takes the tenth spot on our list of the best English accents in the world.
5. Denmark
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 564
With 599 Reddit upvotes, Denmark ranks 13th on our list of the 20 countries with the best English accent in the world. This Scandinavian country lies in the south-central portion of Northern Europe, and has a population of around 6 million as of 2023, according to World Bank estimates.
4. Ireland
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 577
The Irish accent of English is famous all across the globe due to its distinct features. More than 98% of the Irish population speaks English, either as a first or a second language. Ireland thus ranks ninth on our list of the countries with the best English accent in the world. It has 638 upvotes on Reddit.
3. Spain
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 589
English is not widely spoken in Spain, with English speakers typically concentrated in tourist hotspots and larger cities in the country. Despite that, the country’s English accent is considered to be one of the best in the world, attaining 658 upvotes on Reddit.
2. Sweden
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 607
Swedish people have a distinct English accent that takes the 12th place on our list with 607 Reddit upvotes. The Scandinavian nation comprises thousands of coastal islands and inland lakes, and has a population of around 10.54 million as of 2023, according to World Bank estimates.
1. Norway
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 618
Norway is also a Scandinavian country with glaciers, deep coastal fjords, and mountains. Norwegians are often considered among the best English speakers in the world, with approximately 90% of the country’s population speaking English. The country has 618 upvotes on Reddit.
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Disclosure. None. This article was originally published on Insider Monkey.