The objective of this chapter is to provide an overview of the information-processing skills of adults aged between 16 and 65 years old assessed in the PIAAC survey, across participating countries and economic territories. It compares average proficiency across countries, as well as how these skills are distributed.
Across OECD countries that participated in PIAAC 2023, the average score achieved by adults aged 16-65 was 260 points in literacy, 263 points in numeracy, and 251 points in adaptive problem solving, on scales ranging from 0 to 500 points. In Ireland adults aged 16-65 achieved an average score of 263 in literacy, 260 in numeracy and 249 adaptive problem solving. The difference to the OECD mean score was statistically significant in all three domains in Ireland. Adults in Finland achieved the highest scores in literacy (296 points), numeracy (294 points), and adaptive problem solving (276 points, the same score achieved by adults in Japan).
Large portions of the adult population scored at Level 1 and below on the proficiency scales: 26% in literacy, 25% in numeracy, and 29% in adaptive problem solving, on average across OECD countries. In Ireland, the proportion of adults aged 16-65 that scored in the two lowest levels of proficiency was 21% in literacy, 25% in numeracy, and 28% in adaptive problem solving. Adults aged 16-24 had the highest proficiency across all domains and adults aged 55-65 displayed the lowest.
In Ireland, adults aged 16-65 achieved an average literacy proficiency of 263 points compared with the OECD average of 260 points and this was a statistically significant difference. This mean score places Ireland 13th out of 31 participating countries on literacy proficiency, and at the same level as Czechia and New Zealand.
Adults in Finland scored, on average, significantly higher (296 points) than the average of adults from all other participating countries and economies. Adults in Japan (289 points), Sweden (284 points), and Norway (281 points) also achieved high scores, above 280 on average. Adults from nine more countries performed significantly above the OECD average, ranging from Ireland’s 263 points to the Netherlands’ 279 points. In contrast, adults in 15 countries scored significantly below the OECD average, with scores ranging from 255 points in France to 218 points in Chile. See Figure 3.1 & Table 3.1.
Mean Score | |
Finland | 296 |
Japan | 289 |
Sweden | 284 |
Norway | 281 |
Netherlands | 279 |
Estonia | 276 |
Flemish Region (Belgium) | 275 |
Denmark | 273 |
England (UK) | 272 |
Canada | 271 |
Germany | 266 |
Switzerland | 266 |
IRELAND | 263 |
Czechia | 260 |
New Zealand | 260 |
OECD average | 260 |
United States | 258 |
France | 255 |
Singapore | 255 |
Austria | 254 |
Slovak Republic | 254 |
Croatia | 254 |
Korea (the Republic of) South Korea | 249 |
Hungary | 248 |
Latvia | 248 |
Spain | 247 |
Italy | 245 |
Israel | 244 |
Lithuania | 238 |
Poland | 236 |
Portugal | 235 |
Chile | 218 |
In Ireland, adults aged 16-65 achieved an average numeracy proficiency of 260 points which was statistically below the OECD average of 263 points. This mean score places Ireland 18th out of 31 participating countries on numeracy proficiency, and on a par with the Slovak Republic and France. Adults in Finland scored significantly higher (294 points) than adults from all other participating countries. In five other countries, average scores exceeded 280 points: Japan (291 points), Sweden, and Norway (both 285 points), the Netherlands (284 points), and Estonia (281). Nine more countries scored, on average, significantly above the OECD average, ranging from 279 points in the Flemish Region (Belgium) to Austria’s 267 points. Fourteen countries scored statistically significantly below the OECD average ranging from 260 points in Ireland to 214 points in Chile. See Figure 3.2 & Table 3.2.
Mean Score | |
Finland | 294 |
Japan | 291 |
Norway | 285 |
Sweden | 285 |
Netherlands | 284 |
Estonia | 281 |
Denmark | 279 |
Flemish Region (Belgium) | 279 |
Switzerland | 276 |
Singapore | 274 |
Germany | 273 |
Canada | 271 |
England (UK) | 268 |
Austria | 267 |
Czechia | 267 |
Latvia | 263 |
OECD average | 263 |
Slovak Republic | 261 |
IRELAND | 260 |
France | 257 |
New Zealand | 256 |
Hungary | 254 |
Croatia | 254 |
Korea (the Republic of) South Korea | 253 |
Spain | 250 |
United States | 249 |
Israel | 246 |
Lithuania | 246 |
Italy | 244 |
Poland | 239 |
Portugal | 238 |
Chile | 214 |
In Ireland, adults aged 16-65 achieved an average adaptive problem solving proficiency mean score of 249 points close to the OECD average of 251 points, this difference was not statistically significant. This mean score places Ireland 17th out of 31 participating countries on adaptive problem solving proficiency and in a group of countries including Czechia, France, New Zealand, the Slovak Republic, and the United States. Adults in Finland and Japan scored significantly higher, at 276 points on average. Sweden (273 points) and Norway (271 points) also achieved high scores, above 270 points. Another nine countries and economies scored above the OECD average, ranging from the Netherlands (average of 265 points) to Austria (average of 253 points). Average scores in Singapore (252 points), Czechia (250 points), Ireland and New Zealand (each 249 points) were not statistically different from the OECD average. In contrast, 14 countries scored below the OECD average, ranging from 248 points in France to 218 points in Chile. See Figure 3.3 & Table 3.3.
Mean Score | |
Finland | 276 |
Japan | 276 |
Sweden | 273 |
Norway | 271 |
Netherlands | 265 |
Denmark | 264 |
Estonia | 263 |
Flemish Region (Belgium) | 262 |
Germany | 261 |
Canada | 259 |
England (UK) | 259 |
Switzerland | 257 |
Austria | 253 |
Singapore | 252 |
OECD average | 251 |
Czechia | 250 |
IRELAND | 249 |
New Zealand | 249 |
France | 248 |
Slovak Republic | 247 |
United States | 247 |
Latvia | 244 |
Hungary | 241 |
Spain | 241 |
Korea (the Republic of) South Korea | 238 |
Israel | 236 |
Croatia | 235 |
Portugal | 233 |
Italy | 231 |
Lithuania | 230 |
Poland | 226 |
Chile | 218 |
To facilitate the interpretation of results from PIAAC 2023, the literacy, numeracy, and adaptive problem solving scales can be divided into proficiency levels. Literacy and numeracy each have proficiency below Level 1 and Levels 1 to 5, while adaptive problem solving does not have a Level 5. Detailed descriptions of the scales and the descriptions at each level are available in the background notes. The assessment tasks have varying levels of difficulty, and this difficulty can be expressed on the same scale used to measure the proficiency of respondents. Grouping adults in proficiency levels allows for describing what adults at these levels can do, based on the characteristics of those assessment tasks that are at that level of difficulty.
Literacy | |
Level | Range of Scale Scores |
---|---|
Below Level 1 | Less than 176 |
Level 1 | 176-225 |
Level 2 | 226-275 |
Level 3 | 276-325 |
Level 4 | 326-375 |
Level 5 | 376-500 |
Level Scale Score | Task Descriptions |
Level 1 – 176 to 225 points |
Adults at Level 1 are able to access a single piece of information in relatively short texts. They can understand the meaning of sentences or short texts, as well as the organization of a list or multiple sections within a single page. |
In Ireland, 21% of adults aged 16-65 scored at Level 1 or below in literacy which was less than the 26% of adults on average across participating OECD countries, and this was statistically significant. Chile is the country with the highest share (53%) of low-performing adults (i.e., those who scored at Level 1 or below), while Japan is the country where this share is lowest (10%). Regarding the two highest proficiency levels for literacy, 9% of Irish adults scored at Level 4 or Level 5 lower than the OECD average of 12% and this was statistically significant. Finland is the country where the share of adults scoring at Levels 4 and 5 was highest (at 35%), while Chile had the lowest share at 2%. See Figure 3.4 & Table 3.4.
X-axis label | Level 5 | Level 4 | Level 3 | Level 2 | Level 1 | Below Level 1 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Japan | 3 | 21 | 42 | 24 | 7 | 4 |
Sweden | 2 | 18 | 43 | 25 | 8 | 4 |
IRELAND | 1 | 8 | 32 | 38 | 16 | 5 |
Slovak Republic | 0 | 3 | 29 | 44 | 19 | 5 |
Canada | 1 | 13 | 37 | 30 | 13 | 6 |
Estonia | 2 | 16 | 35 | 26 | 15 | 6 |
Finland | 6 | 29 | 36 | 17 | 6 | 6 |
Netherlands | 2 | 17 | 40 | 25 | 10 | 6 |
Norway | 2 | 18 | 41 | 24 | 8 | 6 |
England (UK) | 1 | 13 | 37 | 32 | 12 | 6 |
Czechia | 1 | 9 | 32 | 34 | 18 | 7 |
Denmark | 1 | 14 | 40 | 27 | 10 | 7 |
Flemish Region (Belgium) | 2 | 16 | 38 | 26 | 11 | 7 |
Lithuania | 0 | 2 | 18 | 43 | 29 | 8 |
Spain | 0 | 4 | 24 | 40 | 23 | 8 |
Croatia | 1 | 7 | 28 | 37 | 19 | 8 |
Germany | 1 | 13 | 35 | 28 | 13 | 9 |
Hungary | 0 | 6 | 26 | 36 | 23 | 9 |
Korea (the Republic of) South Korea | 0 | 5 | 27 | 37 | 22 | 9 |
Latvia | 0 | 6 | 25 | 35 | 24 | 9 |
Switzerland | 1 | 13 | 36 | 28 | 13 | 9 |
OECD average | 1 | 11 | 31 | 31 | 17 | 9 |
France | 1 | 8 | 31 | 32 | 18 | 10 |
Italy | 0 | 5 | 24 | 35 | 25 | 10 |
New Zealand | 1 | 12 | 31 | 31 | 15 | 10 |
Austria | 1 | 9 | 30 | 32 | 18 | 11 |
Poland | 0 | 3 | 18 | 40 | 27 | 12 |
United States | 1 | 12 | 31 | 29 | 16 | 12 |
Singapore | 1 | 10 | 30 | 30 | 17 | 12 |
Israel | 0 | 7 | 25 | 32 | 22 | 14 |
Portugal | 0 | 4 | 20 | 34 | 27 | 15 |
Chile | 0 | 2 | 14 | 30 | 28 | 25 |
Numeracy | |
Level | Range of Scale Scores |
---|---|
Below Level 1 | Less than 176 |
Level 1 | 176-225 |
Level 2 | 226-275 |
Level 3 | 276-325 |
Level 4 | 326-375 |
Level 5 | 376-500 |
Level Scale Score | Task Descriptions |
Level 1 – 176 to 225 points |
Adults at Level 1 demonstrate number sense involving whole numbers, decimals, and common fractions and percentages. They can access, act on, and use mathematical information located in slightly more complex representations set in authentic contexts where the mathematical content is explicit and uses informal mathematical terminology with little text and minimal distracting information. Adults can devise simple strategies using one or two steps for determining the solution. |
In terms of the distribution of numeracy, Ireland is comparable to the OECD average, with one in four adults (25%) between 16 and 65 years old demonstrating skills at Level 1 or lower. The share of low-performing adults (Level 1 or below) is highest in Chile (56%) and lowest in Japan (10%). Regarding the two highest proficiency levels, on average, 9% of adults in Ireland scored at Level 4, and 1% scored at Level 5 compared to the OECD average of 12% at Level 4 and 2% at Level 5 and these were statistically significant differences. See Figure 3.5 & Table 3.5.
X-axis label | Level 5 | Level 4 | Level 3 | Level 2 | Level 1 | Below Level 1 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Japan | 3 | 21 | 41 | 24 | 7 | 3 |
Sweden | 3 | 20 | 40 | 26 | 8 | 4 |
Estonia | 3 | 18 | 37 | 27 | 12 | 4 |
Norway | 2 | 20 | 39 | 25 | 9 | 4 |
Slovak Republic | 0 | 7 | 32 | 39 | 17 | 5 |
Finland | 5 | 26 | 37 | 20 | 7 | 5 |
Canada | 2 | 13 | 34 | 30 | 15 | 6 |
Netherlands | 4 | 20 | 36 | 24 | 10 | 6 |
Czechia | 2 | 12 | 32 | 33 | 15 | 6 |
Latvia | 1 | 10 | 30 | 34 | 17 | 6 |
Flemish Region (Belgium) | 3 | 19 | 36 | 25 | 11 | 6 |
IRELAND | 1 | 9 | 29 | 36 | 18 | 7 |
Denmark | 2 | 19 | 37 | 25 | 10 | 7 |
England (UK) | 2 | 14 | 33 | 31 | 14 | 7 |
Lithuania | 0 | 4 | 21 | 42 | 25 | 7 |
Switzerland | 3 | 18 | 35 | 25 | 12 | 7 |
Austria | 2 | 13 | 32 | 30 | 15 | 8 |
Croatia | 0 | 6 | 29 | 38 | 19 | 8 |
Korea (the Republic of) South Korea | 0 | 6 | 28 | 38 | 20 | 8 |
Germany | 2 | 16 | 35 | 26 | 12 | 8 |
Singapore | 3 | 19 | 32 | 24 | 13 | 9 |
OECD average | 2 | 12 | 31 | 31 | 16 | 9 |
Spain | 0 | 6 | 26 | 38 | 22 | 9 |
Hungary | 1 | 8 | 27 | 35 | 20 | 9 |
France | 1 | 10 | 30 | 30 | 17 | 10 |
New Zealand | 1 | 10 | 29 | 32 | 17 | 11 |
Italy | 0 | 6 | 23 | 35 | 24 | 11 |
Poland | 0 | 4 | 21 | 37 | 26 | 12 |
Israel | 1 | 7 | 24 | 34 | 21 | 13 |
United States | 2 | 10 | 26 | 28 | 19 | 15 |
Portugal | 1 | 6 | 22 | 32 | 23 | 16 |
Chile | 0 | 2 | 14 | 29 | 29 | 27 |
Adaptive Problem Solving | |
Level | Range of Scale Scores |
---|---|
Below Level 1 | Less than 176 |
Level 1 | 176-225 |
Level 2 | 226-275 |
Level 3 | 276-325 |
Level 4 | 326-500 |
Level Scale Score | Task Descriptions |
Level 1 – 176 to 225 points |
Adults at this level are able to understand simple problems, develop and implement solutions to solve them. Problems contain a limited number of elements and little to no irrelevant information. Solutions at this level are simple and consist of a limited number of steps. Problems are embedded in a context that includes one or two sources of information and presents a single, explicitly defined goal. |
In adaptive problem solving, 6% of adults aged 16-65 in Ireland scored at below Level 1 compared to the OECD average of 8% and this was statistically significant. Chile is the country with the highest share of low-performing adults, an average of 56% while Japan is the country with the lowest share, an average of 11%. At the highest proficiency level in APS, 3% of adults in Ireland scored at Level 4 lower than the OECD average of 5% and this was statistically significant. Finland, on average, has the highest share of adults scoring at Level 4 (13%). See Figure 3.6 & Table 3.6.
X-axis label | Level 4 | Level 3 | Level 2 | Level 1 | Below level 1 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sweden | 9 | 42 | 35 | 11 | 3 |
Japan | 10 | 45 | 34 | 9 | 3 |
Slovak Republic | 1 | 20 | 53 | 23 | 3 |
Estonia | 7 | 35 | 36 | 17 | 4 |
Norway | 9 | 41 | 35 | 11 | 4 |
Finland | 13 | 44 | 29 | 9 | 5 |
Canada | 6 | 33 | 39 | 17 | 5 |
Netherlands | 8 | 37 | 36 | 13 | 6 |
IRELAND | 3 | 24 | 45 | 23 | 6 |
Czechia | 4 | 26 | 42 | 23 | 6 |
England (UK) | 6 | 34 | 40 | 15 | 6 |
Flemish Region (Belgium) | 8 | 35 | 36 | 15 | 6 |
Austria | 5 | 29 | 39 | 20 | 7 |
Germany | 8 | 35 | 35 | 15 | 7 |
Latvia | 3 | 22 | 40 | 27 | 7 |
Denmark | 9 | 37 | 34 | 13 | 7 |
Korea (the Republic of) South Korea | 1 | 17 | 45 | 30 | 8 |
OECD average | 5 | 27 | 38 | 22 | 8 |
Lithuania | 1 | 11 | 43 | 38 | 8 |
Spain | 2 | 19 | 44 | 27 | 8 |
Hungary | 3 | 20 | 40 | 29 | 8 |
Switzerland | 7 | 34 | 35 | 16 | 9 |
Singapore | 6 | 29 | 36 | 21 | 9 |
France | 4 | 27 | 39 | 21 | 9 |
Italy | 1 | 14 | 40 | 36 | 10 |
Croatia | 1 | 16 | 44 | 28 | 11 |
United States | 6 | 26 | 35 | 21 | 11 |
New Zealand | 7 | 27 | 36 | 18 | 11 |
Portugal | 2 | 16 | 41 | 30 | 12 |
Poland | 1 | 11 | 39 | 36 | 12 |
Israel | 3 | 20 | 37 | 27 | 13 |
Chile | 1 | 11 | 33 | 35 | 21 |
Learn about our data and confidentiality safeguards, and the steps we take to produce statistics that can be trusted by all.