United States
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United States
Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2023)
  • In the United States, adults aged 16-65 scored, on average, 258 points in literacy ( close to the OECD average), 249 points in numeracy (below the OECD average), and 247 points in adaptive problem solving ( below the OECD average).
  • In literacy, 28% of adults ( OECD average: 26%) scored at Level 1 or below, meaning they have low literacy proficiency. At the other end of the spectrum, 13% of adults ( OECD average: 12%) scored at Levels 4 or 5 in literacy and are high performers. These adults can comprehend and evaluate long, dense texts across several pages, grasp complex or hidden meanings, and use prior knowledge to understand texts and complete.
  • In numeracy, 34% of adults ( OECD average: 25%) scored at or below Level 1 proficiency. At Level 1, they can do basic maths with whole numbers or money, understand decimals, and find single pieces of information in tables or charts, but may struggle with tasks needing multiple steps (e.g. solving a proportion). Those below Level 1 can add and subtract small numbers. Adults at Levels 4 or 5 are top performers ( 12% in the United States, 14% on average across OECD countries and economies). They can calculate and understand rates and ratios, interpret complex graphs, and critically evaluate statistical claims.
  • In adaptive problem solving, 32% of adults ( OECD average: 29%) scored at or below Level 1 proficiency. Adults at Level 1 can solve simple problems with few variables and little irrelevant information, which do not change as they make progress towards the solution. They struggle with multi-step problems, or those needing monitoring of multiple variables. Some 6% of adults ( OECD average: 5%) scored at Level 4. They have a deeper understanding of problems, and can adapt to unexpected changes, even if they require a major re-evaluation of the problem.
    • | Country note | Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) | Survey of Adult Skills 2023: Do Adults Have the Skills They Need to Thrive in a Changing World? | The Survey of Adult Skills - Reader's Companion | Understanding Skill Gaps in Firms: Results of the PIAAC Employer Module | Survey of Adult Skills 2023 Data Analysis Manual |

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    The following list displays indicators for which your selected country shows the highest and lowest values among countries. The list can be sorted by level of education or by age group. All rankings are calculated including available data from OECD and partner countries. Find out more about the methodology here.

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    Numeracy

    The percentage of adults scoring at or below level 1 in numeracy is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (34.2 %, rank 5/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Skills differences between age groups

    The mean numeracy score for young adults (16-24 year-olds) is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (248 PIAAC Score, rank 29/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Skills differences by level of education

    The mean score in adaptive problem solving for adults with below upper secondary education is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (188 PIAAC Score, rank 30/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The mean literacy score for adults without upper secondary education is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (183 PIAAC Score, rank 29/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The mean numeracy score for adults without upper secondary education is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (170 PIAAC Score, rank 30/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The mean numeracy score for adults with an upper secondary education is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (227 PIAAC Score, rank 29/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Skills by immigrant and language background

    The mean literacy score for native-born adults of foreign-born parents is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (248 PIAAC Score, rank 20/24 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The mean numeracy score for native-born adults of foreign-born parents is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (235 PIAAC Score, rank 22/24 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Skills by parents' educational attainment

    The mean literacy score for adults whose parents had not attained upper secondary education is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (214 PIAAC Score, rank 27/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The mean numeracy score for adults whose parents had not attained upper secondary education is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (203 PIAAC Score, rank 30/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The mean numeracy score with at least one parent with upper secondary education is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (243 PIAAC Score, rank 28/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Adults' skills

    The change in mean literacy score, adjusted for demographic changes, in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) from 2012 to 2023 is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (-10 PIAAC Score, rank 18/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The change in mean numeracy score, adjusted for demographic changes, in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) from 2012 to 2023 is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (-6 PIAAC Score, rank 18/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries

    The ratio of pre-primary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.54 Ratio, rank 18/18 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of primary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.54 Ratio, rank 19/19 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of lower secondary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.56 Ratio, rank 19/19 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of upper secondary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.57 Ratio, rank 20/20 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average actual pre-primary teacher's salary among teachers aged between 25-64 is one of the highest per hour of net teaching time among OECD and partner countries with available data. (66325 USD Equivalent, rank 5/28 , 2023) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, a pre-primary teacher with typical qualification can expect to have one of the highest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (75635 USD Equivalent, rank 4/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of lower secondary female teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year women workers with tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.76 Ratio, rank 26/26 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of lower secondary male teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year men workers with tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.58 Ratio, rank 25/26 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The salaries of 25-34 year-old general lower-secondary teachers relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education is low in United States. (0.7 Ratio, rank 25/27 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The salaries of 55-64 year-old general lower-secondary teachers relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education is low in United States. (0.66 Ratio, rank 24/27 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Principals' salaries

    Lower-secondary 25-64 year-old school heads' salaries relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education is low in United States. (0.88 Ratio, rank 17/17 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average actual salaries of 25-64 year-old primary school heads is one of the highest in United States. (117560 USD Equivalent, rank 5/28 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Ratio of student to teaching staff

    In United States, the number of students per teacher in all public secondary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (15.7 Ratio, rank 4/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In United States, the number of students per teacher in private institutions tertiary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (11.1 Ratio, rank 32/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Organisation of the education system

    The total compulsory instruction time for primary students in United States is one of the longest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (5847 Hours, rank 5/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Classes in lower secondary private institutions are comparatively small in United States. (15 Students, rank 30/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In independent private institutions at lower secondary level, classes are one of the smallest in United States among OECD and partner countries with available data. (15 Students, rank 16/20 , 2023) Download Indicator


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    General findings
    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
      In the 2023 Survey of Adult Skills, literacy is defined as "accessing, understanding, evaluating, and reflecting on written texts in order to achieve one's goals, to develop one's knowledge and potential, and to participate in society" (Rouet et al., 2021). Proficiency in literacy is crucial for adults across their personal, social and professional spheres, given the prevalence of written communication in various aspects of life. Throughout the day, adults engage in a diverse range of reading activities, spanning from delving into extensive pieces of continuous text to swiftly scanning pages for pertinent information. Examples include reading emails, leaflets, timetables and instruction manuals.
    
                            
    
                            
    
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      In the 2023 Survey of Adult Skills, numeracy encompasses "accessing, using, and reasoning critically with mathematical content, information and ideas represented in multiple ways in order to engage in and manage the mathematical demands of a range of situations in adult life" (Tout et al., 2021). The skills and knowledge needed for work and civic participation, and in more personal spheres of life, have changed. Individuals are presented with ever-increasing amounts of information of a quantitative or mathematical nature through online or technology-based resources, which have to be located, selected or filtered, interpreted, and at times questioned and doubted, and analysed for their relevance to the responses needed.
    
                            
    
                            
    
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      The first cycle of the Survey of Adult Skills measured problem solving in technology-rich environments. This is defined as the ability to use digital technology, communication tools and networks to acquire and evaluate information, communicate with others and perform practical tasks. The survey assessed adults' ability to solve problems by establishing appropriate goals and plans, and accessing and using information through computers and computer networks.


      
In the 2023 Survey of Adult Skills, problem solving in technology-rich environments was replaced by adaptive problem solving (APS). This involves "the capacity to achieve one’s goals in a dynamic situation in which a method for solution is not immediately available. It requires engaging in cognitive and metacognitive processes to define the problem, search for information, and apply a solution in a variety of information environments and contexts" (Greiff et al., 2021).


      
APS has three important features. First, it emphasises individuals’ capacity to flexibly and dynamically adapt their problem-solving strategies to a dynamically changing environment. Second, it tests their ability to identify and select among a range of available physical, social and digital resources. Third, individuals need to monitor and reflect on their progress in solving problems, through metacognitive processes.
    
                            
    
                            
    
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            Diagram of funding flows - United States
            
    
            
    
        
    


        
		
    
            
    
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            Note: These values should be interpreted with care since they are influenced by countries' specific contexts and trade-offs. In education, there is often no simple
            most- or least-efficient model. For instance, the share of private expenditure in education must be read against other measures designed to mitigate inequities, 
			such as loans and grants; longer learning time is an opportunity to convey more and better content to students, but may hinder investments in other important
            areas. If you want further information on the nature of different variables, please take the time to read the analysis and contextual information, available at the website
            for each publication.
    
            All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/members-partners.html
            

    
			Reference years displayed in the Education GPS correspond to the most common year of reference among countries for which data is available on each variable. Data for the latest available year is preferred and some 
			countries may have provided data refering to a more recent or late year. To know more about possible exceptions on data please click on the "Download Indicator" link on each variable. When a year of reference corresponds to a school year encompassing two years, the reference reads as follows: 2026 for school year 2025/2026.
			

    
	    *TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. 
		This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS averages.
		Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and 
		Annex 3 
		of EAG 2024 for more details about the data collections.
            

    
            For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.