Can Brazilians Understand English? New Research (2022)

Written by André in Facts

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)

Can Brazilians Understand English?

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.

RankCountryScoreProficiency Band
1 Netherlands663Very High Proficiency
2 Austria641Very High Proficiency
3 Denmark636Very High Proficiency
4 Singapore635Very High Proficiency
5 Norway632Very High Proficiency
6 Belgium629Very High Proficiency
7 Portugal625Very High Proficiency
8 Sweden623Very High Proficiency
9 Finland618Very High Proficiency
10 Croatia617Very High Proficiency
11 Germany616Very High Proficiency
12 South Africa606Very High Proficiency
13 Luxembourg604Very High Proficiency
14 Serbia599High Proficiency
15 Romania598High Proficiency
16 Poland597High Proficiency
17 Hungary593High Proficiency
18 Philippines592High Proficiency
19 Greece591High Proficiency
20 Slovakia590High Proficiency
21 Kenya587High Proficiency
22 Estonia581High Proficiency
23 Bulgaria580High Proficiency
24 Lithuania579High Proficiency
25  Switzerland575High Proficiency
26 Latvia569High Proficiency
27 Czech Republic563High Proficiency
28 Malaysia562High Proficiency
29 Nigeria560High Proficiency
30 Argentina556High Proficiency
31 France551High Proficiency
32 Hong Kong545Moderate Proficiency
33 Spain540Moderate Proficiency
34 Lebanon536Moderate Proficiency
35 Italy535Moderate Proficiency
36 Moldova532Moderate Proficiency
37 South Korea529Moderate Proficiency
38 Belarus528Moderate Proficiency
39 Albania527Moderate Proficiency
40 Ukraine525Moderate Proficiency
41 Bolivia524Moderate Proficiency
42 Ghana523Moderate Proficiency
43 Cuba521Moderate Proficiency
44 Costa Rica520Moderate Proficiency
44 Dominican Republic520Moderate Proficiency
44 Paraguay520Moderate Proficiency
47 Chile516Moderate Proficiency
48 India515Moderate Proficiency
49 Mainland China513Moderate Proficiency
50 Georgia512Moderate Proficiency
51 Russia511Moderate Proficiency
52 Tunisia510Moderate Proficiency
53 Uruguay509Moderate Proficiency
54 El Salvador508Moderate Proficiency
55 Honduras506Moderate Proficiency
56 Peru505Moderate Proficiency
57 Macau504Moderate Proficiency
58 Iran501Moderate Proficiency
59 Armenia499Low Proficiency
60 Brazil497Low Proficiency
61 Guatemala493Low Proficiency
62   Nepal492Low Proficiency
63 Ethiopia491Low Proficiency
63 Pakistan491Low Proficiency
65 Bangladesh490Low Proficiency
66 Vietnam486Low Proficiency
67 Tanzania485Low Proficiency
68 Mozambique482Low Proficiency
69 United Arab Emirates480Low Proficiency
70 Turkey478Low Proficiency
71 Morocco477Low Proficiency
72 Bahrain476Low Proficiency
73 Panama475Low Proficiency
73 Venezuela475Low Proficiency
75 Algeria474Low Proficiency
76 Nicaragua470Low Proficiency
77 Madagascar469Low Proficiency
78 Japan468Low Proficiency
79 Qatar467Low Proficiency
80 Indonesia466Low Proficiency
81 Colombia465Low Proficiency
82 Sri Lanka464Low Proficiency
83 Mongolia461Low Proficiency
84 Kuwait458Low Proficiency
85 Egypt455Low Proficiency
86 Azerbaijan451Low Proficiency
87 Afghanistan448Very Low Proficiency
88 Uzbekistan447Very Low Proficiency
89 Syria445Very Low Proficiency
90 Ecuador440Very Low Proficiency
90 Jordan440Very Low Proficiency
92 Mexico436Very Low Proficiency
93 Myanmar429Very Low Proficiency
94 Angola428Very Low Proficiency
94 Cameroon428Very Low Proficiency
96 Kazakhstan426Very Low Proficiency
97 Cambodia423Very Low Proficiency
98 Sudan421Very Low Proficiency
99 Ivory Coast420Very Low Proficiency
100 Thailand419Very Low Proficiency
101 Kyrgyzstan418Very Low Proficiency
102 Oman417Very Low Proficiency
103 Tajikistan405Very Low Proficiency
104 Saudi Arabia404Very Low Proficiency
105 Haiti403Very Low Proficiency
106 Somalia401Very Low Proficiency
107 Iraq399Very Low Proficiency
108 Libya390Very Low Proficiency
109 Rwanda389Very Low Proficiency
110 Democratic Republic of Congo386Very Low Proficiency
111 South Sudan363Very Low Proficiency
112 Yemen360Very Low Proficiency
Ranking: EF English Proficiency Index

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”.

RoleAdvanced EnglishIntermediary EnglishBasic EnglishNo English
Manager | DirectorR$ 15042,21R$ 11466,7R$ 9397,94R$ 7265,31
Supervisor | Team LeaderR$ 7377,52R$ 6182,04R$ 4541,06R$ 3724,46
Specialist | GraduateR$ 6451,77R$ 5576,50R$ 4694,89R$ 4191,30
AnalystR$ 4301,67R$ 3944,09R$ 3518,26R$ 3154,56
Tech SpecialistR$ 3699,43R$ 3222,93R$ 3008,58R$ 2669,77
AssistantR$ 2198,40R$ 1824,93R$ 1636,74R$ 1500,07
Operational RolesR$ 2120,35R$ 1668,71R$ 1721,19R$ 1663,58
Data provided by Fluencypass

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.

CityScoreProficiency Band
 Amsterdam682Very High Proficiency
 Copenhagen668Very High Proficiency
 Helsinki659Very High Proficiency
 Vienna658Very High Proficiency
 Stockholm646Very High Proficiency
 Porto643Very High Proficiency
 Johannesburg641Very High Proficiency
 Lisbon638Very High Proficiency
 Zagreb635Very High Proficiency
 Oslo633Very High Proficiency
 Budapest628Very High Proficiency
 Berlin622Very High Proficiency
 Hamburg622Very High Proficiency
 Warsaw621Very High Proficiency
 Athens616Very High Proficiency
 Bucharest612Very High Proficiency
 Belgrade604Very High Proficiency
 Nairobi601Very High Proficiency
 Brussels598High Proficiency
 Davao City597High Proficiency
 Kuala Lumpur596High Proficiency
 Manila595High Proficiency
 Paris595High Proficiency
 Bratislava594High Proficiency
 Sofia591High Proficiency
 Prague590High Proficiency
 Chennai586High Proficiency
 Mumbai586High Proficiency
 Lyon580High Proficiency
 Bangalore579High Proficiency
 Lagos576High Proficiency
 Milan571High Proficiency
 Seoul571High Proficiency
 Barcelona569High Proficiency
 Madrid569High Proficiency
 Buenos Aires567High Proficiency
 Córdoba561High Proficiency
 San José553High Proficiency
 Rome552High Proficiency
 Santiago552High Proficiency
 Hanoi548Moderate Proficiency
 Hyderabad548Moderate Proficiency
 São Paulo546Moderate Proficiency
 Hong Kong545Moderate Proficiency
 Shanghai543Moderate Proficiency
 Minsk538Moderate Proficiency
 Saint Petersburg537Moderate Proficiency
 Moscow535Moderate Proficiency
 Santo Domingo535Moderate Proficiency
 Accra534Moderate Proficiency
 Lima532Moderate Proficiency
 Kyiv531Moderate Proficiency
 Guadalajara528Moderate Proficiency
 Havana534Moderate Proficiency
 Delhi524Moderate Proficiency
 Beijing523Moderate Proficiency
 Tbilisi523Moderate Proficiency
 Dar Es Salaam522Moderate Proficiency
 Surabaya522Moderate Proficiency
 Addis Ababa521Moderate Proficiency
 Taipei521Moderate Proficiency
 Tirana520Moderate Proficiency
 Brasília517Moderate Proficiency
 Tokyo516Moderate Proficiency
 Montevideo515Moderate Proficiency
 Shenzen515Moderate Proficiency
 Tunis515Moderate Proficiency
 Tehran514Moderate Proficiency
 Rio de Janeiro512Moderate Proficiency
 Bandung512Moderate Proficiency
 Dhaka512Moderate Proficiency
 Monterrey512Moderate Proficiency
 Dubai511Moderate Proficiency
 Karachi511Moderate Proficiency
 Kazan511Moderate Proficiency
 San Salvador510Moderate Proficiency
 Jakarta506Moderate Proficiency
 Chengdu505Moderate Proficiency
 Panama City505Moderate Proficiency
 Caracas504Moderate Proficiency
 Macau504Moderate Proficiency
 Guangzhou498Low Proficiency
 Wuhan498Low Proficiency
 Guatemala City497Low Proficiency
 Maputo493Low Proficiency
 Algiers492Low Proficiency
 Ankara489Low Proficiency
 Medellín489Low Proficiency
 Bogotá486Low Proficiency
 Casablanca482Low Proficiency
 Istanbul482Low Proficiency
 Cairo480Low Proficiency
 Ho Chi Minh City480Low Proficiency
 Quito480Low Proficiency
 Managua475Low Proficiency
 Mexico City475Low Proficiency
 Doha472Low Proficiency
 Bangkok471Low Proficiency
 Nur-Sultan470Low Proficiency
 Almaty466Low Proficiency
 Tijuana464Low Proficiency
 Amman460Low Proficiency
 Baku459Low Proficiency
 Cali458Low Proficiency
 Ulaanbaatar454Low Proficiency
 Damascus451Low Proficiency
 Tashkent446Very Low Proficiency
 Khartoum441Very Low Proficiency
 Yangon441Very Low Proficiency
 Kabul440Very Low Proficiency
 Bishkek437Very Low Proficiency
 Luanda436Very Low Proficiency
 Riyadh432Very Low Proficiency
 Baghdad431Very Low Proficiency
 Jeddah424Very Low Proficiency
 Mogadishu423Very Low Proficiency
 Abidjan421Very Low Proficiency
 Tripoli421Very Low Proficiency
 Yaoundé420Very Low Proficiency
 Dushanbe412Very Low Proficiency
 Kigali405Very Low Proficiency
 Kinshasa403Very Low Proficiency
 Juba375Very Low Proficiency
Ranking: EF English Proficiency Index

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.

StateProficiency Level
Distrito FederalModerate
Rio Grande do SulModerate
ParanáModerate
São PauloModerate
Santa CatarinaModerate
Mato Grosso do SulLow
Rio de JaneiroLow
Minas GeraisLow
CearáLow
MaranhãoLow
PernambucoLow
Espírito SantoLow
ParaíbaLow
ParáLow
Rio Grande do NorteVery Low
BahiaVery Low
GoiásVery Low
AmazonasVery Low
Mato GrossoVery 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/

O Globo: https://g1.globo.com/jornal-nacional/noticia/2022/03/14/brasileiros-fluentes-em-ingles-conseguem-ganhar-mais-que-o-dobro-no-inicio-da-carreira.ghtml

Portal R7: https://noticias.r7.com/educacao/brasil-tem-1-da-populacao-fluente-em-ingles-01062022

André

What’s up! I’m André, a Brazilian born and bred living in the South of Brazil in a little city called Guarapuava. I’m passionate about traveling and knowing different cultures and that’s why I love to share useful information about the Food, Travel, Facts, and Culture of my beloved country, Brazil.

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