<![CDATA[This study aims to map the English proficiency index across ASEAN member countries and analyze the structural factors causing competency gaps between 2021 and 2025. Employing a descriptive-comparative method with a literature review approach, this study analyzes secondary data from the EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) of eight Southeast Asian countries selected via purposive sampling. The results demonstrate a sharp macroeconomic polarization in linguistic competency. Malaysia and Philippines secure the top tier within the "High Proficiency" cluster (scores >550), driven by long-standing institutional integrations. Conversely, Indonesia experiences chronic educational inertia, remaining stagnant in the "Low Proficiency" cluster with a weak Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 0.27% (scoring 466 to 471). This wide gap (up to 110 points against Malaysia in 2025) imposes a substantial opportunity cost on Indonesia's macroeconomy, decreasing the marginal productivity of human capital, restricting cross-border digital trade, and weakening regional competitiveness. Strategic curricula restructuring towards standardized communicative methods (CEFR) is urgently required to resolve this structural barrier]]>
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