Can Brazilians Understand English? Brazil is the biggest country in South America, and despite being surrounded by Spanish-speaking countries, its official language is Portuguese. As Portuguese is a very challenging language to learn, people planning trips to Brazil or even those that want to move here wonder if Brazilians can understand English.
Only 5% of Brazilians can understand English, and about 1% of the population is fluent in the language. There are approximately 2 million fluent English speakers in the country. The cities with higher levels of English proficiency in Brazil are Curitiba, Belo Horizonte, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro.
These number shows that most Brazilians are not capable of communicating in English, as only a small percentage of the population is fluent in the language.
But are there cities in Brazil with good levels of proficiency? And what are the opportunities for fluent speakers in the country? Is it possible to travel to Brazil without speaking Portuguese? You can find these answers and a lot more in this article, so keep reading.
Can Brazilian People Understand English? (Infographic)

Only 5% Of Brazilians Can Communicate In English
Can Brazilians Understand English? Well, Brazil ranks 60 of 112 on the EF English Proficiency Index. It highlights a well-known fact around here: where in most of the world, bilingualism is the rule, in Brazil, most of the population only speaks one language. It is estimated that 43% of the world’s population is bilingual, while less than 40% speak a single language.
Want to learn more, read this article as well: Is English Spoken In Brazil?
According to the British Council, only 5% of the population can communicate in English, one of the lowest numbers in the world. And the number of fluent speakers in Brazil is even lower. In the following table, you can check the most updated version of the EF English Proficiency Index, with Brazil ranking the 60th position.
Rank | Country | Score | Proficiency Band |
---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 663 | Very High Proficiency |
2 | ![]() | 641 | Very High Proficiency |
3 | ![]() | 636 | Very High Proficiency |
4 | ![]() | 635 | Very High Proficiency |
5 | ![]() | 632 | Very High Proficiency |
6 | ![]() | 629 | Very High Proficiency |
7 | ![]() | 625 | Very High Proficiency |
8 | ![]() | 623 | Very High Proficiency |
9 | ![]() | 618 | Very High Proficiency |
10 | ![]() | 617 | Very High Proficiency |
11 | ![]() | 616 | Very High Proficiency |
12 | ![]() | 606 | Very High Proficiency |
13 | ![]() | 604 | Very High Proficiency |
14 | ![]() | 599 | High Proficiency |
15 | ![]() | 598 | High Proficiency |
16 | ![]() | 597 | High Proficiency |
17 | ![]() | 593 | High Proficiency |
18 | ![]() | 592 | High Proficiency |
19 | ![]() | 591 | High Proficiency |
20 | ![]() | 590 | High Proficiency |
21 | ![]() | 587 | High Proficiency |
22 | ![]() | 581 | High Proficiency |
23 | ![]() | 580 | High Proficiency |
24 | ![]() | 579 | High Proficiency |
25 | ![]() | 575 | High Proficiency |
26 | ![]() | 569 | High Proficiency |
27 | ![]() | 563 | High Proficiency |
28 | ![]() | 562 | High Proficiency |
29 | ![]() | 560 | High Proficiency |
30 | ![]() | 556 | High Proficiency |
31 | ![]() | 551 | High Proficiency |
32 | ![]() | 545 | Moderate Proficiency |
33 | ![]() | 540 | Moderate Proficiency |
34 | ![]() | 536 | Moderate Proficiency |
35 | ![]() | 535 | Moderate Proficiency |
36 | ![]() | 532 | Moderate Proficiency |
37 | ![]() | 529 | Moderate Proficiency |
38 | ![]() | 528 | Moderate Proficiency |
39 | ![]() | 527 | Moderate Proficiency |
40 | ![]() | 525 | Moderate Proficiency |
41 | ![]() | 524 | Moderate Proficiency |
42 | ![]() | 523 | Moderate Proficiency |
43 | ![]() | 521 | Moderate Proficiency |
44 | ![]() | 520 | Moderate Proficiency |
44 | ![]() | 520 | Moderate Proficiency |
44 | ![]() | 520 | Moderate Proficiency |
47 | ![]() | 516 | Moderate Proficiency |
48 | ![]() | 515 | Moderate Proficiency |
49 | ![]() | 513 | Moderate Proficiency |
50 | ![]() | 512 | Moderate Proficiency |
51 | ![]() | 511 | Moderate Proficiency |
52 | ![]() | 510 | Moderate Proficiency |
53 | ![]() | 509 | Moderate Proficiency |
54 | ![]() | 508 | Moderate Proficiency |
55 | ![]() | 506 | Moderate Proficiency |
56 | ![]() | 505 | Moderate Proficiency |
57 | ![]() | 504 | Moderate Proficiency |
58 | ![]() | 501 | Moderate Proficiency |
59 | ![]() | 499 | Low Proficiency |
60 | ![]() | 497 | Low Proficiency |
61 | ![]() | 493 | Low Proficiency |
62 | ![]() | 492 | Low Proficiency |
63 | ![]() | 491 | Low Proficiency |
63 | ![]() | 491 | Low Proficiency |
65 | ![]() | 490 | Low Proficiency |
66 | ![]() | 486 | Low Proficiency |
67 | ![]() | 485 | Low Proficiency |
68 | ![]() | 482 | Low Proficiency |
69 | ![]() | 480 | Low Proficiency |
70 | ![]() | 478 | Low Proficiency |
71 | ![]() | 477 | Low Proficiency |
72 | ![]() | 476 | Low Proficiency |
73 | ![]() | 475 | Low Proficiency |
73 | ![]() | 475 | Low Proficiency |
75 | ![]() | 474 | Low Proficiency |
76 | ![]() | 470 | Low Proficiency |
77 | ![]() | 469 | Low Proficiency |
78 | ![]() | 468 | Low Proficiency |
79 | ![]() | 467 | Low Proficiency |
80 | ![]() | 466 | Low Proficiency |
81 | ![]() | 465 | Low Proficiency |
82 | ![]() | 464 | Low Proficiency |
83 | ![]() | 461 | Low Proficiency |
84 | ![]() | 458 | Low Proficiency |
85 | ![]() | 455 | Low Proficiency |
86 | ![]() | 451 | Low Proficiency |
87 | ![]() | 448 | Very Low Proficiency |
88 | ![]() | 447 | Very Low Proficiency |
89 | ![]() | 445 | Very Low Proficiency |
90 | ![]() | 440 | Very Low Proficiency |
90 | ![]() | 440 | Very Low Proficiency |
92 | ![]() | 436 | Very Low Proficiency |
93 | ![]() | 429 | Very Low Proficiency |
94 | ![]() | 428 | Very Low Proficiency |
94 | ![]() | 428 | Very Low Proficiency |
96 | ![]() | 426 | Very Low Proficiency |
97 | ![]() | 423 | Very Low Proficiency |
98 | ![]() | 421 | Very Low Proficiency |
99 | ![]() | 420 | Very Low Proficiency |
100 | ![]() | 419 | Very Low Proficiency |
101 | ![]() | 418 | Very Low Proficiency |
102 | ![]() | 417 | Very Low Proficiency |
103 | ![]() | 405 | Very Low Proficiency |
104 | ![]() | 404 | Very Low Proficiency |
105 | ![]() | 403 | Very Low Proficiency |
106 | ![]() | 401 | Very Low Proficiency |
107 | ![]() | 399 | Very Low Proficiency |
108 | ![]() | 390 | Very Low Proficiency |
109 | ![]() | 389 | Very Low Proficiency |
110 | ![]() | 386 | Very Low Proficiency |
111 | ![]() | 363 | Very Low Proficiency |
112 | ![]() | 360 | Very Low Proficiency |
Brazil Has 1% Of The Population Fluent In English
According to a recent survey by the British Council, only 1% of the Brazilian population speaks English fluently. It means that there are about 2 million fluent speakers in the country; a small number of Brazilians can understand English. Despite the low numbers, there is good news: in the past two years, the interest in learning English has been growing.
“In 2021, about 40% of Brazilians set learning English as a goal, according to a survey by 7Waves, a platform that helps organize goals. At the time, it was also found that six out of ten Brazilians planned international travel, and about 20% of the trips were planned with the intention of learning English,” says the article published by R7.
The motivation to learn English is diverse. Whether to have better job opportunities, communicate with people of other nationalities, or understand movies, music, and books. For many of these learners, the new language is essential, as it is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world.
In the corporate environment, for example, a professional who is fluent in English can have a salary well above average, as the most recent data on the labor market show.
Great Opportunities: Better Salaries For English Speakers
When looking for a job in Brazil, mastering English is a must for anyone who wants to earn more money. This is what data from the Brazilian labor market show. Around here, professionals with a college degree receive 65% more if they are fluent in the language. For management positions, the difference is even greater and can generate salaries up to 90% higher. It means that Brazilians that can understand English receive higher payments.
In an interview for Globo, Fernando Morette, president of Catho, made the following statement: “Companies are looking for professionals who have the technical capacity to perform that function and who are also able to communicate with other countries and with the professionals who are allocated in other countries, especially in remote work, and this requires that English be part of the requirements of the vacancies that are published”.
Role | Advanced English | Intermediary English | Basic English | No English |
Manager | Director | R$ 15042,21 | R$ 11466,7 | R$ 9397,94 | R$ 7265,31 |
Supervisor | Team Leader | R$ 7377,52 | R$ 6182,04 | R$ 4541,06 | R$ 3724,46 |
Specialist | Graduate | R$ 6451,77 | R$ 5576,50 | R$ 4694,89 | R$ 4191,30 |
Analyst | R$ 4301,67 | R$ 3944,09 | R$ 3518,26 | R$ 3154,56 |
Tech Specialist | R$ 3699,43 | R$ 3222,93 | R$ 3008,58 | R$ 2669,77 |
Assistant | R$ 2198,40 | R$ 1824,93 | R$ 1636,74 | R$ 1500,07 |
Operational Roles | R$ 2120,35 | R$ 1668,71 | R$ 1721,19 | R$ 1663,58 |
Visit Brazil Only Speaking English: Is It Possible?
Brazil is a magic country, with fantastic food, paradisiac places, and rich culture. However, travelers can be concerned if Brazilians can understand English or not.
Generally, Brazilians are not great English speakers. However, in touristic destinations, people are well-prepared to receive English-speaking tourists, including hotels, stores, and restaurants. Especially in Brasília, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, and Curitiba.
Studying some Portuguese before traveling is essential, especially for emergencies. In other cases, a simple translator app is enough for routine situations like ordering food or buying items.
Finally, if you know Spanish, you are all set to travel to Brazil. Of course, Portuguese and Spanish are not the same, but as there are a lot of similarities between the languages, Brazilians can deal super well with Spanish speakers.
Ranking: Brazilian Cities With More Fluent Speakers
In the ranking of English proficiency recently released by EF Education First, a company specializing in language teaching, Brazil falls into the category of “low proficiency” in the language. But some cities are doing good, where Brazilians can understand English pretty well.
In the most recent release of the ranking, São Paulo, Brasília, and Rio de Janeiro are the top-ranked cities. But there are at least two more cities with a history of a high number of fluent English speakers: Curitiba and Belo Horizonte.
City | Score | Proficiency Band |
---|---|---|
![]() | 682 | Very High Proficiency |
![]() | 668 | Very High Proficiency |
![]() | 659 | Very High Proficiency |
![]() | 658 | Very High Proficiency |
![]() | 646 | Very High Proficiency |
![]() | 643 | Very High Proficiency |
![]() | 641 | Very High Proficiency |
![]() | 638 | Very High Proficiency |
![]() | 635 | Very High Proficiency |
![]() | 633 | Very High Proficiency |
![]() | 628 | Very High Proficiency |
![]() | 622 | Very High Proficiency |
![]() | 622 | Very High Proficiency |
![]() | 621 | Very High Proficiency |
![]() | 616 | Very High Proficiency |
![]() | 612 | Very High Proficiency |
![]() | 604 | Very High Proficiency |
![]() | 601 | Very High Proficiency |
![]() | 598 | High Proficiency |
![]() | 597 | High Proficiency |
![]() | 596 | High Proficiency |
![]() | 595 | High Proficiency |
![]() | 595 | High Proficiency |
![]() | 594 | High Proficiency |
![]() | 591 | High Proficiency |
![]() | 590 | High Proficiency |
![]() | 586 | High Proficiency |
![]() | 586 | High Proficiency |
![]() | 580 | High Proficiency |
![]() | 579 | High Proficiency |
![]() | 576 | High Proficiency |
![]() | 571 | High Proficiency |
![]() | 571 | High Proficiency |
![]() | 569 | High Proficiency |
![]() | 569 | High Proficiency |
![]() | 567 | High Proficiency |
![]() | 561 | High Proficiency |
![]() | 553 | High Proficiency |
![]() | 552 | High Proficiency |
![]() | 552 | High Proficiency |
![]() | 548 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 548 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 546 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 545 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 543 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 538 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 537 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 535 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 535 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 534 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 532 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 531 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 528 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 534 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 524 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 523 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 523 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 522 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 522 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 521 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 521 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 520 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 517 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 516 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 515 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 515 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 515 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 514 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 512 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 512 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 512 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 512 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 511 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 511 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 511 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 510 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 506 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 505 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 505 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 504 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 504 | Moderate Proficiency |
![]() | 498 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 498 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 497 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 493 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 492 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 489 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 489 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 486 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 482 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 482 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 480 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 480 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 480 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 475 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 475 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 472 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 471 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 470 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 466 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 464 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 460 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 459 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 458 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 454 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 451 | Low Proficiency |
![]() | 446 | Very Low Proficiency |
![]() | 441 | Very Low Proficiency |
![]() | 441 | Very Low Proficiency |
![]() | 440 | Very Low Proficiency |
![]() | 437 | Very Low Proficiency |
![]() | 436 | Very Low Proficiency |
![]() | 432 | Very Low Proficiency |
![]() | 431 | Very Low Proficiency |
![]() | 424 | Very Low Proficiency |
![]() | 423 | Very Low Proficiency |
![]() | 421 | Very Low Proficiency |
![]() | 421 | Very Low Proficiency |
![]() | 420 | Very Low Proficiency |
![]() | 412 | Very Low Proficiency |
![]() | 405 | Very Low Proficiency |
![]() | 403 | Very Low Proficiency |
![]() | 375 | Very Low Proficiency |
Ranking: English Proficiency Level By State
The cities of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Brasília are doing better than the average, but not so well. The proficiency level in these cities is considered Moderate. In the following table, you can check the Brazilian states and proficiency levels in the English language.
State | Proficiency Level |
---|---|
Distrito Federal | Moderate |
Rio Grande do Sul | Moderate |
Paraná | Moderate |
São Paulo | Moderate |
Santa Catarina | Moderate |
Mato Grosso do Sul | Low |
Rio de Janeiro | Low |
Minas Gerais | Low |
Ceará | Low |
Maranhão | Low |
Pernambuco | Low |
Espírito Santo | Low |
Paraíba | Low |
Pará | Low |
Rio Grande do Norte | Very Low |
Bahia | Very Low |
Goiás | Very Low |
Amazonas | Very Low |
Mato Grosso | Very Low |
Related Questions
Do people in Brazil understand English? In general, people in Brazil do not speak good English. In the country, only 1% of the population is fluent. However, in touristic destinations, people are well-prepared to receive English-speaking travelers, especially in restaurants, stores, and hotels.
Can Brazilians speak good English? Unfortunately, only 1% of the Brazilians can speak good English, and about 5% of the population can communicate somehow. However, it’s common in large cities and tourist destinations to find people with excellent English skills, including near-native speakers.
How many Brazilians speak English fluently? About 2 million Brazilians are able to speak English fluently. According to a study made by the British Council, 5% of the population in Brazil is able to communicate in English, but only 1% of them are really fluent.
References
EF English: https://www.ef.com/wwen/epi/
Portal R7: https://noticias.r7.com/educacao/brasil-tem-1-da-populacao-fluente-em-ingles-01062022