Canadian Adults Score Above OECD Average in Key Skills Assessment
The 2022 Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) evaluated the literacy, numeracy, and adaptive problem-solving skills of Canadians aged 16 to 65. The results indicate that Canadians scored above the average of the 27 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries involved in the assessment.
The survey, conducted in 2022 and 2023, allows for a comparison of skills over the last decade. It shows a slight increase in the average numeracy score in Canada since 2012, while literacy scores remained stable. Adaptive problem-solving skills were assessed for the first time in 2022.
In all three domains, Canada ranked in the top 10 among participating OECD countries. The average scores for Canadians were 271 in literacy, 271 in numeracy, and 259 in adaptive problem solving, compared to OECD averages of 259, 262, and 250, respectively.