Japan leads developed nations in numeracy and literacy

A study of 22 OECD nations has found that Japan leads the way in literacy and numeracy skills.

The results of the first OECD Survey of Adult Skills, published in OECD Skills Outlook 2013 on 8 October, were taken from tests of more than 150,000 people aged 16 to 65 in 22 OECD countries and two additional nations. Each country received a score based on the mean of the percentage of people performing at each of several competence levels.

Japan’s average scores were 296 for literacy and 280 for numeracy—well above the OECD average of 273 and 269, respectively. Spain was the worst performer in numeracy, with a score of 246, and Italy’s score of 251 was the lowest for literacy.