The OECD’s Survey of Adult Skills (2023) assessed 160,000 adults aged 16-65 across 31 OECD countries, measuring skills in literacy, numeracy, and adaptive problem-solving.
The results show that Finland, Japan, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands were the best-performing OECD countries across the three domains measured in PIAAC. 11 countries scored below the OECD average in all three skill areas – Chile, Portugal, Poland*, Lithuania, Israel, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Korea, Croatia and France.
Some of the main findings from the report include that:
- Literacy and numeracy skills have declined or stagnated in most OECD countries compared to the previous study in 2013.
- Low-educated adults saw the sharpest declines, leading to a “widening gap in skills proficiency between highly and low-educated adults in the majority of the participating countries and economies”, the OECD said.
- Only Finland and Denmark improved adult literacy skills over the past decade.
- On numeracy, eight countries improved, led by Finland and Singapore.
- Across all countries surveyed, 1 in 5 adults are considered low performers, which the OECD said implies these adults “struggle with basic skills, such as reading simple texts or solving basic arithmetic and problems”.
- Skills disparities persist across gender, social background, and between native-born and foreign-born populations.
Commenting on the findings, the OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said that: “[t]his Survey underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive re-evaluation of how countries support the development of foundation skills. As technology reshapes many jobs, these skills are more important than ever to face the future of work. By investing in skills, governments will support a more resilient and inclusive workforce that helps sustain prosperity for all.”
Read more:
- OECD Survey of Adult Skills 2023. Main report, press release and companion report ‘Insights and Interpretations‘.