Reading Skills, Arithmetic Skills And Problem-Solving Using It In Denmark

PIAAC is the extensive Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies. The objective is to describe the skills of 16-65 year-olds and how they use these at work and in their leisure time. The report describes which groups of the population have good or weaker skills and how these skills are related to participation in educational activities, employment, pay, participation in voluntary work, and much more.
The study was initiated by the OECD and 24 countries are currently taking part in the PIAAC. Therefore skills in Denmark are also being compared with other countries. The study shows that more than half a million adult Danes find it hard to understand and use texts. Among the weaker readers there is an over-representation of people with short-cycle educational qualifications, the elderly, the unemployed and immigrants. The weaker readers also include many other groups in society.
Compared with other countries, Denmark is below the average with regard to reading skills. Japan scores highest, while Norway and Sweden are also above the average. Denmark is at the same level as the UK, Germany, the US and Austria. Arithmatic skills in Denmark are above the average, while Denmark is in the middle for problem solving using IT.
The survey is being financed and made possible by a collaboration between the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Employment, the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Business and Growth as well as the Ministry of Social Affairs, Children and Integration.
In addition to the main report on the PIAAC survey, SFI is publishing a summary report and a brief and clear leaflet on the results of the survey.