Does China Really Have More English Speakers Than the US?

You've probably heard this one before: "More people in China speak English than in the United States." It sounds plausible—China has over a billion people, so even a small percentage would be huge, right? Wrong. This widely repeated "fact" is actually a myth that confuses two very different things: learning English and speaking English.

The Numbers Don't Lie

The United States has approximately 283-297 million English speakers, including both native speakers and proficient non-native speakers. That's about 85% of the total U.S. population.

China? Only 10-25 million people speak English proficiently. In a country of 1.4 billion people, that's less than 2% of the population. The U.S. has roughly 12-35 times more English speakers than China, despite having less than a quarter of China's total population.

So Where Did This Myth Come From?

English learners are not the same as English speakers. China does have an estimated 300-400 million people studying English—more English learners than any other country on Earth. That's where the confusion begins.

But taking English classes in school doesn't mean you can actually speak the language. China ranked #91 out of 116 countries for English proficiency in 2024, placing it in the "low proficiency" category. The average English level in China is equivalent to a B1 intermediate level—think basic conversation, not fluency.

Regional Exceptions

Not all of China struggles equally with English. Major cities fare better:

• Shanghai: About 12% speak English with reasonable fluency
• Beijing: Roughly 9% can hold a conversation in English
• Hong Kong: Over 40% speak English as a second language (a legacy of British colonial rule)

Even in these English-friendly hotspots, the numbers pale in comparison to the United States, where English proficiency is nearly universal.

Why This Matters

This myth persists because it taps into anxieties about China's rising global influence. It sounds like a wake-up call: "China is beating us at our own language!" But the reality is more nuanced. China is investing heavily in English education, recognizing its importance for international business and diplomacy. However, classroom learning doesn't automatically translate to real-world proficiency.

The confusion between learners and speakers also highlights how statistics can be misleading when taken out of context. Yes, 300 million English learners is an impressive number—until you realize that's still only about 21% of China's population, and most of them aren't anywhere near fluent.

Bottom line: The United States remains the world's largest English-speaking country by a massive margin. China has the most people trying to learn English, but that's a very different achievement.