When it comes to the highest English proficiency in Malaysia, which state pops into your head first? Chances are, Perak isn’t the one you’d guess—but surprise, it actually tops the list!
According to the EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) 2024, Perak scored the highest among all Malaysian states with a score of 585, officially making it the top English-proficient state in the country.
Top English-Proficient States in M’sia (2024):
The EF EPI is a globally recognised index that evaluates the English skills of adults in over 100 countries, making Perak’s achievement all the more impressive.
Here are the states which made their way into the list:
- Perak – 585
- Kedah – 584
- Penang – 583
- Pahang & Sarawak – 580
- Selangor – 575
Kedah’s performance also surprised many, tying closely with Penang, a state often recognised for its English-speaking capabilities.
But the spotlight remains on Perak, a state often associated with the soft-spoken and affectionate Ipoh dialect—now revealed to be a hotbed for English talent.
Shah Alam leads among cities
While many tend to believe Kuala Lumpur would have the best English proficiency, it actually only ranked third among the cities.
While Perak leads by state, Shah Alam took the top spot among Malaysian cities with a score of 598, followed by Kota Bharu (585) and Kuala Lumpur (584).
Surprisingly, Selangor only came in 5th, falling behind Kuantan (582), followed by Johor Bahru (558) and Klang (557) in the English proficiency rankings.
M’sia continues to outperform global average
On a global scale, Malaysia ranked 26th overall and 3rd in Asia, trailing just behind Singapore and the Philippines—two nations known for their strong command of English.
Malaysia’s national average score of 566 is well above the global average of 477, showing that the country is still holding strong in global English proficiency.
Even better, this year’s performance continues Malaysia’s consistent track record of ranking high in the EF EPI over the years.
