The Survey of Adult Skills assessed the literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving skills of over 166,000 adults in 24 countries. It found that: - Many adults lacked proficiency in key information-processing skills like literacy and numeracy. Young adults performed better than older adults but still lagged peers in other countries. - Immigrants in Spain had particularly poor skills in the Spanish language. - Higher skills proficiency was associated with better employment opportunities and wages as well as improved health and civic participation. - Data and reports from the survey are available online to provide insights into adult skills and opportunities for improvement.

1. Skilled for Life?
KEY FINDINGS FROM THE SURVEY OF ADULT SKILLS
Barcelona 7 November 2013
1
WILLIAM THORN
Senior Analyst, Directorate for Education and Skills

2. Survey of Adult Skills in brief
166 thousand adults…
Representing 724 million 16-65 year-olds in 24*
countries/economies
Took an internationally
agreed assessment…
in literacy, numeracy and
problem solving in technologyrich environments.
The assessment was administered either in
computer-based or paper-based versions.

3. Survey of Adult Skills in brief
Sample sizes ranged from..
a minimum of approximately 4 500 to a
maximum of nearly 27 300.
The survey collected background
information of adults for about 40 minutes.
Respondents with very low literacy
skills were directed to a test of basic
“reading component” skills.
The survey also collects a range of generic skills
such as collaborating with others and organising
one’s time, required of individuals in their work.

4. Survey of Adult Skills Skills
assessed
“Key information-processing skills”
The ability to...
Understand, evaluate, use and engage with written texts.
Literacy
In order to..
Achieve one’s goals, and to develop one’s knowledge and potential.
Literacy encompasses a range of skills from..
The decoding of written words and sentences
The comprehension, interpretation and evaluation of complex texts.
The ability to…
Access, use, interpret and communicate mathematical information and ideas
Numeracy
Problem Solving
In Technology-rich
Environments
4
In order to..
Engage in and manage the mathematical demands of a range of situations in adults.
Numeracy involves
Managing a situation or solving a problem in a real context, by responding to mathematical
content/information/ideas represented in multiple ways.
The ability to…
Use digital technology communication tools and networks to acquire and evaluate information,
communicate with others and perform practical tasks.
The assessment focuses on the abilities to…
Solve problems for personal, work and civic purposes by setting up appropriate goals and plans, and
accessing and making use of information through computers and computer networks.

5. Assessment design
5

6. Summary of proficiency in key information-processing skills
(16-65 year-olds)
Countries
Literacy
Numeracy
(mean score)
(mean score)
Problem solving in
technology-rich
environments
(% at level 2 or 3)
OECD
National entities
Significantly above the average
Not significantly different from
the average
Significantly below the average
Australia
Austria
Canada
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Korea
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Slovak Republic
Spain
Sweden
United States
280
268
38
269
275
32
273
265
37
274
276
33
271
278
39
276
273
28
288
282
42
262
254
m
270
272
36
267
256
25
250
247
m
296
288
35
273
263
30
284
280
42
278
278
41
267
260
19
274
276
26
252
246
m
279
279
44
270
253
31
275
280
35
272
262
35
273
269
34
Sub-national entities
Flanders (Belgium)
England/N. Ireland (UK)
Average

7. Summary of proficiency in key information-processing skills
(16-24 year-olds)
Literacy
Numeracy
(mean score)
(mean score)
Aus tralia
Aus tria
Canada
284
270
278
279
276
268
Czech Republic
281
278
Denm ark
276
273
Es tonia
287
279
Finland
France
Germ any
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Korea
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Slovak Republic
Spain
Sweden
United States
297
285
275
263
279
275
271
258
261
251
299
283
293
281
295
285
275
271
281
269
276
278
264
255
283
278
272
249
285
283
266
257
280
271
Countries
OECD
National entities
Significantly above the average
Not significantly different from
the average
Significantly below the average
Sub-national entities
Flanders (Belgium )
England/N. Ireland (UK)
Average

8. Proficiency in literacy among adults
Percent
45
40
35
30
25
Spain
20
Average
15
10
5
0
Below Level 1
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
Missing

9. 100
Japan
Slovak Republic
Czech Republic
Korea
Austria
Estonia
Italy
Northern Ireland (UK)
Average
Norway
Flanders (Belgium)
Denmark
Germany
Ireland
Poland
England/N. Ireland…
England (UK)
Netherlands
France
Australia
Spain
Finland
United States
Canada
Sweden
Differences in literacy proficiency between 5th and 95th
percentile
Score-point difference
170
160
150
140
130
120
110

10. What adults can do
Numeracy
Japan
Finland
Sweden
Denmark
Netherlands
Slovak Republic
Czech Republic
Norway
Estonia
Austria
Flanders (Belgium)
Russian Federation³
Germany
Average
Australia
Canada
Korea
Poland
England/N. Ireland (UK)
Ireland
France
Italy
United States
Spain
1,2
0,0
0,0
0,4
2,3
0,3
0,6
2,2
0,4
1,8
5,2
0,3
1,5
1,2
1,9
0,9
0,3
0,0
1,4
0,5
0,8
0,7
4,2
0,8
% 80
10
60
40
Level 2
Level 1
20
Below Level 1
0
20
Level 3
40
Level 4/5
60
No information
80

11. Proficiency in problem solving in technology-rich environments among
adults (excluding countries without scores)
Sweden
Finland
Netherlands
Norway
Denmark
Australia
Canada
Germany
England/N. Ireland (UK)
Japan
Flanders (Belgium)
Average
Czech Republic
Austria
United States
Korea
Estonia
Russian Federation³
Slovak Republic
Ireland
Poland
Percent
0,1
0,1
2,3
2,2
0,4
2,7
1,9
1,5
1,6
1,3
5,2
1,5
0,6
1,8
4,3
0,3
0,5
0,0
0,3
0,6
0,0
Percent
100
80
60
40
Level 1
Level 2
Opted out of the computer based assessment
No information
20
0
20
40
60
80
100
Below Level 1
Level 3
Failed ICT core or had no computer experience

12. 2.10a&b Proficiency in problem solving in technology-rich
environments among adults and young adults
Young adults (16-24 year-olds)
All adults (16-65 year-olds)
Sweden
Finland
Netherlands
Norway
Denmark
Australia
Canada
Germany
England/N. Ireland (UK)
Japan
Flanders (Belgium)
Average
Czech Republic
Austria
United States
Korea
Estonia
Slovak Republic
Ireland
Poland
70
50
Percent
30
10
Level 2
10
Level 3
30
50
70
Percent

13. Relationship between problem solving in technology-rich environments and
literacy, numeracy
Below
Level 1
Opted out of the
computer-based
assessment
Level 2
Level 3
Literacy
No
computer
experience
Failed ICT
core
Level 1
Numeracy
150
175
200
225
250
275
300
325
350
Score375

14. Literacy proficiency: score differences by educational
attainment
Score point difference
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
-10
14
Difference between tertiary and below upper secondary
Difference between tertiary and upper secondary

15. 5.6a (N) Mean numeracy proficiency in PISA and in the Survey of Adult Skills
Mean mathematics score in PISA 2003 and numeracy score in the Survey of Adult Skills 2012, 23-25 year-olds
PISA score
570
550
Korea
Canada
530
Australia
Denmark
510
Ireland
490
United States
Poland
Finland
Netherlands
Japan
Czech Republic
Sweden
Austria
Germany
Slovak Republic
Norway
Spain
Italy
470
450
220
230
240
250
260
270
280
290
300
310
320
Survey of Adult Skills score

16. 5.6a (L) Mean literacy proficiency in PISA and in the Survey of Adult Skills
Mean reading score in PISA 2000 and literacy score in the Survey of Adult Skills 2012, 26-28 year-olds
PISA score
570
550
Ireland
530
Finland
Canada
Australia Korea
Japan
Sweden
510
United States
Spain
490
Austria
Italy
Poland
Norway
Denmark
Czech Republic
Germany
470
450
260
270
280
290
300
310
Survey of Adult Skills score
320

17. Relationship between skills proficiency
and age
Score
325
300
275
250
225
200
15
20
25
Literacy - Average
30
35
40
45
Numeracy - Average
50
55
Literacy - Spain
60
Age
65

18. Literacy skills in younger
and older generations
Norway
Average 16-24 year-olds
US
Average 16-65 year-olds
Average 55-65 year-olds
UK
Germany
France
Finland
Spain
Korea
220
230
240
250
260
270
280
290
Score300

19. 5.7 (L) Participation rate in adult education by
literacy proficiency levels
Percent
All adult education and training
100
80
60
40
20
0
Below level 1
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4/5

20. Reading at work and literacy proficiency
Score
325
Average
Spain
300
275
250
225
Lowest practice
Highest practice
Reading at work

21. Reading outside work and literacy proficiency
Score
325
Average
Spain
300
275
250
225
Lowest practice
Highest practice
Reading outside work

22. 3.14 Literacy proficiency: score differences between
native- and foreign-born adults
Score point difference
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
-10
Unadjusted
Adjusted

23. Relationship between literacy proficiency and
socio-economic background among adults
Score
320
Steeper line indicates a sharper rise
in proficiency with parents’
education
300
280
260
240
Australia
Spain
Japan
United States
Average
220
Less than upper secondary
Upper secondary
Tertiary
Parents’ level of educational attainment

24. Use of skills at work
Most frequent use = 4
2,4
Average
2,2
Italy
Index of use
2
Japan
1,8
Spain
1,6
United States
1,4
Reading at work Writing at work
Least frequent use = 0
Numeracy at
work
ICT at work
Problem solving
at work

25. Use of skills at work
Most frequent use = 4
3,6
3,4
Average
3,2
3
Italy
Index of use
2,8
2,6
Japan
2,4
2,2
2
Spain
1,8
1,6
United States
1,4
Task discretion
Least frequent use = 0
Learning
Influencing
Co-operative Self-organising
Dexterity
Physical

26. 4.10 Mean ICT use at work and at home, by age group
16-24
1
1,2
2,4
1,4
1,6
55-65
1,8
2
2,2
2,4
2,4
England/N. Ireland (UK)
Australia
United States Netherlands
Estonia
Canada
Italy United States
Denmark
Flanders (Belgium)
Ireland
Czech Republic
Slovak Republic
Korea
Flanders (Belgium)
Spain
Czech Republic Australia
Norway
Slovak Republic
Poland
Netherlands Slovak Republic
Finland
England/N. Ireland (UK)
Estonia
Denmark
Italy
Canada
Norway
Flanders (Belgium)
Germany Austria Germany
Spain
Estonia
Poland
Sweden
Finland
Sweden
Ireland
Poland
Japan
England/N. Ireland (UK)
Czech Republic
Italy
Austria
Spain
2,2
2
ICT use at work
25-54
Korea
1,8
Japan
1,6
Korea
2,2
2
1,8
United States
Austria
Australia
Ireland
1,6
Germany
Canada
Netherlands
1,4
1,4
Denmark
Sweden
Norway
Finland
1,2
1,2
Japan
1
1
1
1,2
1,4
1,6
1,8
ICT use at home
2
2,2
2,4
2,6

27. Percentage of workers who are over or under qualified
over- or under-skilled in literacy
Sweden
Finland
Canada
Netherlands
Estonia
Poland
Denmark
Flanders…
England/N.…
Norway
United States
Australia
Japan
Average
Korea
Italy
Slovak…
Germany
Ireland
Czech…
Spain
Austria
Under-qualification
Over-qualification
%
40
%
30
20
10
0
0
Under-skilled
Over-skilled
5
10
15
20
%

28. 6.5 The effect of education and literacy on labour market
participation
2
1,8
1,6
1,4
1,2
1
0,8
Odds ratio
Years of education
Proficiency in literacy
Statistically significant
differences are marked in
a darker tone

29. 6.7 The effect of education and literacy on wages
% 30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Years of education
Proficiency in literacy

30. 6.13(L) Reported health and literacy proficiency
Odds ratio
5
Reference group: Level 4/5
4
3
2
1
0
Level 2
Level 1 or below
Statistically significant
differences are marked in
a darker tone

31. 6.11(L) Volunteering and literacy proficiency
Statistically significant
differences are marked in
a darker tone
Odds ratio
5
Reference group: Level 1 or below
4
3
2
1
0
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4/5

32. Key issues
• Low levels of proficiency in literacy and numeracy across the adult population
• Young adults perform considerable better than their older compatriots.
However, proficiency of young people is still low relative to that of their peers
in other participating countries.
• Immigrants have particularly poor skills in the languages of Spain
• Proficiency in literacy and numeracy matters:
•
Higher levels of literacy and numeracy are associated with better chances of
employment and higher wages as well as better ‘non-economic’ outcomes

33. Data products
Data Explorer
Public Use File (some countries have suppressed or coarsened data)
Background Questionnaire
Codebook
SAS and STATA tools
IEA Data Analyser
Technical Report
Education and Skills On-line (forthcoming)

34. Find Out More About PIAAC at:
www.oecd.org/site/piaac
All national and international
publications
Email
william.thorn@OECD.org
The complete micro-level database
Thank you