Pakistan has secured a higher position than India in the latest global English proficiency rankings, drawing attention to the countries’ language skills. However, the results raise an interesting question: does a better score also mean a better accent?
The EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) 2025 places Pakistan seven positions ahead of India. While the ranking highlights differences in English skills, it does not determine which country has the more appealing accent.
What Does Grok Say About Pakistani and Indian Accents?
The debate over English accents has also reached social media, where users have compared the way Pakistanis and Indians speak English. However, Grok declined to declare either accent superior.
In a response to a similar question, the AI chatbot explained that accents “are subjective, not ranked by quality.”
It noted that Pakistani English often reflects Urdu’s rising and falling intonation, alongside some Persian and Arabic sound characteristics. In contrast, Indian English varies considerably because hundreds of regional languages influence its pronunciation. Grok also described Indian English as having “stronger syllable timing.”
“Preference depends entirely on the listener,” Grok concluded.
Meanwhile, several Pakistani users offered their own explanations. Some argued that India has developed a distinct local English accent. In Pakistan, they suggested, English remains more closely associated with the educated elite. One comment described this distinction by saying “the barrier is higher and so is the quality.”
Pakistan Scores Higher Than India in All Four Skills
The EF EPI 2025 ranks Pakistan 67th among 123 countries and regions, with a score of 493. India stands at 74th, scoring 484.
Pakistan’s result exceeds the global average of 488, while India’s score falls below it. Furthermore, India lost six points compared with the previous year, whereas Pakistan’s score remained unchanged.
Despite the difference, both countries fall within the index’s “Low Proficiency” category.
Pakistan also recorded higher scores across all four assessed language skills:
- Speaking: Pakistan 517, India 500
- Reading: Pakistan 512, India 494
- Writing: Pakistan 515, India 504
- Listening: Pakistan 470, India 457
Speaking showed the widest gap, with Pakistan scoring 17 points higher than India. However, this result measures speaking proficiency rather than accent quality.
Across South Asia, Pakistan also ranked ahead of Sri Lanka, which scored 486, and Bhutan, with 473. However, Nepal scored 514 and Bangladesh scored 506, placing both countries ahead of Pakistan.
What Do the Results Mean for Pakistani Professionals?
English proficiency can influence opportunities in several professional fields, including freelancing, call centres, IT exports and overseas employment. These sectors often connect Pakistani and Indian professionals with international clients.
The index also provides a breakdown of English proficiency across professional categories in Pakistan. IT professionals scored 504, while workers in operations recorded 515. Customer service employees received a score of 486.
Geographical differences also appear within Pakistan. Punjab leads the provincial results with 554 points, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 501. Sindh scored 491, while Balochistan recorded 489.
Among cities, Islamabad topped the list with 529 points, followed by Rawalpindi at 524. Lahore scored 498, while Karachi recorded 496, both close to the national average.
Meanwhile, professional organisations are also working to strengthen English language skills. The British Council and ICAP have partnered to improve English proficiency among future chartered accountants. Additionally, AI-powered tools, including Google Translate, are introducing features that help users improve their pronunciation.
How Does the EF English Proficiency Index Work?
The EF EPI 2025 draws on results from 2.2 million adults who took the free EF Standard English Test (EF SET) during 2024.
For the first time, this edition included speaking and writing results alongside reading and listening. However, those sections remained optional, and most participants completed only reading and listening assessments.
The test also relies on people voluntarily taking it online rather than a randomly selected population sample. Therefore, its results do not represent every adult in either country.
Nevertheless, the index remains the world’s largest ranking of adult English skills. Its findings indicate that participating Pakistani test takers performed better overall than their Indian counterparts. However, the scores cannot settle debates about which country’s English accent sounds better.
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