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How Many Brazilians Speak English? Answered by Locals

Ricardo Metring
Ricardo Metring
Updated September 21, 2022

English is the most widely spoken language in the world. Therefore, it is common for tourists to wonder whether the residents of a country speak English. Those who are thinking about traveling to Brazil often wonder how many Brazilians speak English. Check out the information in this article!

Brazil's population is around 212 million, making it the 6th most populous nation in the world (2024). However, only 3% to 5% of Brazilians speak English, making the number of English-speaking people here very low.

It's safe to say that only about 10 million Brazilians know how to speak English. Keep reading to learn more.

1% of Brazilians speak English fluently

According to a British Council survey, only 5% of Brazilians can speak English, and from these, only 1% can speak it fluently.

Even in largest cities such as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, there are few people who can speak a different language, which can make it a little difficult to communicate with foreigners.

However, in the major hotels, at the main tourist attractions and in places like airports and subways, there is information written in English. Moreover, in these places you can find employees who can speak English.

Foreigners will often find people who can speak English and who can help them during their stay, but be aware that this may not be the case in smaller cities.

A good trait about Brazilians is that they're welcoming of foreigners and will make an effort to understand you if they don't speak your language. Even if it's about reading a Google Translate question or pointing at restaurant menus.

Why don't Brazilians speak English?

There are a few reasons why English is not widely spoken in the country, the main ones being:

  • The quality of education in Brazil is low: The education in the country is precarious, about 30% of Brazilians are functionally illiterate, that means, they cannot clearly understand what they read in the local language.
  • The English language taught in private and public schools is not satisfactory: English is a subject that is part of the school curriculum in the country. However, the quality of English instruction is low and teachers do not go into grammar in depth or they do not make students practice conversation.
  • Most English courses are expensive and time consuming: There are language schools in the country, which are, most of the time, the best option for those who want to learn another language. However, they usually charge expensive tuition fees, which are not affordable for the majority of the population. In addition, these courses take a long time, some lasting more than four years, which causes many people to give up their studies before they learn to speak English.

However, this scenario may change as more and more young people are showing interest in learning a new language.

In addition, the increase in online courses, which have more affordable tuition fees, may also lead more people to start studying a new language.

What language is spoken in Brazil?

Brazil is the only country in Latin America in which people do not speak Spanish, but Portuguese. This is because Brazil was colonized by the Portuguese, and not by the Spanish, as was the case with its neighbors.

However, even with the geographical proximity, few Brazilians can speak Spanish. Generally, Brazilians only speak Portuguese.

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