Survey of Adult Skills 2023 (PIAAC): National Report for England
10 December 2024
National Report for England available on gov.uk
The Survey of Adult Skills is part of the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) led by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), measuring literacy, numeracy and adaptive problem solving skills in adults aged 16-65.
This second cycle was carried out in 31 countries during 2022 and 2023 and updates the picture of adult skills from the first survey cycle, held in 2012.
In England, the 2023 survey was carried out on behalf of the Government by a consortium led by Verian in partnership with the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER).
Key Findings
- Young adults’ literacy and numeracy skills have improved significantly in the last decade.
- Adults in England scored above the OECD average in numeracy, literacy and problem solving, with a significant increase in numeracy scores since 2012.
- Within the G7 countries, England is second only to Japan in literacy and problem solving, and outperformed only by Japan and Germany in numeracy.
- There are an estimated 8.5 million working age adults in England with low proficiency in literacy, or numeracy, or both.
- Adults working in professional jobs – including science and engineering, health, and teaching – were found to have the highest levels of skills across literacy, numeracy and problem-solving, scoring well above the OECD average.
- Adults who read and write regularly in day-to-day life tend to have higher levels of literacy, numeracy and problem solving. This is consistent with results from 2012 and is reflected across participating countries.
- A higher proportion of adults read in their free time, compared to the OECD average. However, 21 per cent reported never reading books.
- While men and women scored comparably in literacy, men had higher scores in both numeracy (by 16 points on average) and problem solving (five points), which reflects similar patterns internationally.
- Non-economic outcomes, like levels of socio-emotional skills and life satisfaction, are similar to the OECD average, however, those with higher education levels were found to have better outcomes including better perceived health and life satisfaction, and more social trust.