English Proficiency Rises in Central Europe, But Service Gaps Still Frustrate Foreigners

Young Central Europeans are entering the workforce with stronger English skills than ever before, yet gaps in service industries continue to frustrate tourists, expatriates, and business visitors when it comes to ordering food or accessing everyday services.

The EF English Proficiency Index 2025 places Romania at 12th globally, Poland 15th, Hungary 17th, Slovakia 18th and Czechia 25th. All five countries sit in the “high proficiency” band, though Czechia trails its neighbours. Capital cities consistently outperform national averages, with Warsaw, Budapest, Bratislava, Bucharest and Prague recording the strongest levels. This explains why foreigners generally find communication smooth in corporate offices, airports and international hotels.

Inside multinational companies, English has become the working language of choice. In Poland, the business services sector employed nearly half a million people in the first quarter of 2025, with fluency seen as a basic requirement. Romania’s IT and shared services industry has similarly integrated English into daily operations in Bucharest and Cluj, while Budapest and Bratislava have established themselves as reliable hubs for English-speaking professionals.

Outside these internationalised sectors, however, the picture is less consistent. Smaller hospitality businesses often rely on seasonal or lower-qualified staff, where language training is less common. Tourists and residents alike still encounter difficulties in smaller shops, cafés, or public offices, particularly outside the main urban centres. Everyday tasks can involve pointing, translation apps, or patient guesswork.

Healthcare presents one of the more challenging areas. Foreign residents and visitors in Czechia and Hungary often report difficulties communicating in clinics, where English is not always available and interpretation is limited. Slovakia faces similar hurdles, with language barriers affecting access to services and integration for newcomers. Romania, while performing best in regional rankings, still shows uneven English availability beyond its largest cities, particularly in smaller hotels and regional services.

Despite these shortcomings, the overall trajectory is positive. Each year, new graduates enter the workforce after more than two decades of mandatory English education, raising proficiency levels across both professional and customer-facing roles. Employers are also expanding language training to improve client service, especially in industries tied to tourism and international trade.

Central Europe’s headline scores in English proficiency continue to rise, but the reality on the ground remains uneven. For international business, corporate settings and hotels present few obstacles. Yet the daily experience of ordering lunch, seeing a doctor, or arranging basic services in smaller towns still highlights the gap between professional fluency and everyday communication.