Countries by Reading Skills

What Student Reading Skills Measures

Student Reading Skills is a comparative indicator tracked across countries by the OECD. It provides a quantitative basis for cross-national comparison, enabling researchers and policymakers to benchmark national performance on this dimension against global peers.

Why This Ranking Matters

Examining Student Reading Skills across all countries reveals patterns that might not be obvious at the national level. Regional clusters, outlier nations, and historical trajectories all become clearer when the full global picture is assembled in a single ranking.

Global Range

Values range from 408.67 (Colombia) to 516.01 (Ireland) — minimal difference across 38 countries.

Regional Patterns

European countries dominate this ranking, holding 14 of the top 20 positions. This strong regional concentration suggests shared economic, geographic, or policy factors that drive higher values across the continent.

Values are broadly distributed across countries, with the middle 50% ranging from 468.54 to 490.22. The overall spread from 408.67 to 516.01 reflects significant global variation.

Notable Outliers

The top of the ranking is competitive: Ireland and Japan are separated by only 0%, indicating that the leading positions could shift with updated data.

Continental Leaders

Europe

Ireland

516.01

Asia

Japan

515.85

North America

Canada

507.13

Oceania

New Zealand

500.85

South America

Chile

447.98