Literacy, math, and problem-solving: Which EU countries score better?

A new OECD study shows that adults in Finland achieved the highest scores in literacy and numeracy, as well as in adaptive problem-solving.  

Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands followed closely behind Finland, securing top scores in these areas.

On the other hand, Portugal, Poland, Italy, and Lithuania ranked among the lowest-scoring EU countries, falling below the OECD average in all three skill areas.

On a scale from zero to 500 points, Poland scored 226 points in adaptive problem-solving, followed by Lithuania at 230, Italy at 231 and Portugal at 233. 

“Despite significant efforts by governments and social partners to strengthen education and adult training systems over the past decade, the survey reveals a starkly uneven skills landscape, with increasing numbers of people ill-prepared for the future,” said Andreas Schleicher, OECD director for education and skills, and Stefano Scarpetta, OECD director for employment, labour and social affairs.

The study, which surveyed 160,000 adults across 31 countries, found that individuals between the ages of 55 and 65 generally exhibit lower proficiency than younger adults in all assessed domains. The best results were seen among younger adults aged 25 to 34.

Adults with highly educated parents tend to have better literacy skills compared to those with less educated parents.

However, the skill gap between adults from different socio-economic backgrounds is smallest in Spain, with parents’ education only accounting for a seven-score-point difference between adults with low and highly educated parents.  

“Adults with higher numeracy skills, for example, are more likely to be employed, earn a higher wage, and report better health and life satisfaction than those with lower numeracy skills,” said Schleicher and Scarpetta.

“In some countries, adults with high numeracy skills are considerably more likely to feel they can understand and influence political affairs.”