Japan has reached its lowest-ever ranking on the Education First (EF) English Proficiency Index for 2024. This index measures English skills in countries where English is not the main language. Japan ranked 92 out of 116 countries, scoring 454 points, which is in the "Low proficiency" band. In comparison, the Netherlands is ranked first, and Singapore is the top Asian country at third place.

A representative from EF in Japan said, "It's not that Japan's English ability is declining, but rather that Japan is not keeping pace with the progress made in other countries." Younger Japanese people, aged 18-25, scored lower than older people. Some reasons for Japan's low ranking include a focus on grammar over speaking and less motivation to learn English.