2025-11-30 13:25
publication
2025-11-30 13:25
Although 63 percent micro, small and medium-sized entrepreneurs in Poland know at least one foreign language, every third person does not have such skills – according to a study by the European Leasing Fund (EFL). The situation is worst in the smallest companies, where only 37% speak a foreign language.
According to the EFL study “Education or experience? What helps in business. Under the microscope”, in medium-sized companies the percentage of people who speak a foreign language is higher and amounts to 92%. In small companies, 71% of people declare knowledge of foreign languages. respondents, which – according to the authors – suggests that the development of language competences increases with, among others, scale of the organization.
The most popular remains Englishwhich is used by 43 percent. SME business owners, and the next one is german (21%). French and Spanish are of marginal importance.
The research results also vary in terms of industry, a the knowledge of foreign languages is most often declared by the production sector (84%) and transport (75%).. In the case of service and trade companies, this percentage was 68 percent, and in construction companies – 53 percent. “Agriculture ranks lowest: only 29 percent of farmers know any foreign language, which makes this industry the most targeted at the local market in the entire SME sector,” the authors said.
Advertisement
The study was carried out in July this year by the ICAN Institute with owners, co-owners and people responsible for finance in the SME segment of companies from all over the country. A total of 600 interviews were conducted: 247 interviews with representatives of micro companies, 186 interviews with representatives of small companies and 167 interviews with representatives of medium-sized companies. The surveyed companies represented six industries: construction, trade, production, agriculture, transport and services.
Since 2001, EFL has been part of the Crédit Agricole Group. (PAP)
jls/ mrr/
