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Latest available · compiled 2023

Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Primary, 2023 compilation

Each country’s newest reading as of 2023; every row carries its own year · stored as published, never rewritten

Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Primary, 2023 compilation covers 122 countries on 3 measures. Canada is highest, at 98.7773; Laos is lowest, at 2.0000. The middle country reads 58.5980. 7 readings are more than ten years older than the file and are listed but not compared.

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Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Primary · Latest available · compiled 2023

HighestCanada

98.7773

LowestLaos

2.0000

Shaded by value in five groups of equal size, darkest at the better end. A higher value is the better result.

01Values only

The table

Every country and every column of Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Primary, 2023 compilation, as published. The file carries values only, so no position is shown. “=” marks a shared position.

Showing 25 of 122 countries · select a heading to sort

Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Primary, 2023 compilation: every country, as published by UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS).
CanadaCANNorthern America · 2021 reading98.777399.0798.492021Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4. The results correspond only to Quebec
LuxembourgLUXWestern Europe · 2006 reading, too old to compare98.772199.1598.432006Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4
RussiaRUSEastern Europe · 2021 reading98.362198.7697.982021Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4
Hong KongHKGEastern Asia · 2021 reading98.279998.7997.762021Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4
CroatiaHRVSouthern Europe · 2021 reading98.077398.3697.822021Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4
PolandPOLEastern Europe · 2021 reading97.210298.0696.462021Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4
ItalyITASouthern Europe · 2021 reading97.182797.4396.942021Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4
LithuaniaLTUNorthern Europe · 2021 reading97.110598.2895.952021Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4
United KingdomGBRNorthern Europe · 2021 reading97.031197.7896.232021Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4. The results correspond only to England
SingaporeSGPSouth-eastern Asia · 2021 reading96.659897.9395.462021Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4
FinlandFINNorthern Europe · 2021 reading96.483197.5695.422021Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4
NetherlandsNLDWestern Europe · 2021 reading96.445697.3895.492021Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4
CzechiaCZEEastern Europe · 2021 reading96.011396.5095.542021Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4
AustriaAUTWestern Europe · 2021 reading95.923396.4895.392021Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4
MacauMACEastern Asia · 2021 reading95.918096.4795.362021Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4
SwedenSWENorthern Europe · 2021 reading95.276596.3894.192021Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4
SpainESPSouthern Europe · 2021 reading95.230695.5594.952021Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4
GreeceGRCSouthern Europe · 2001 reading, too old to compare94.507097.1492.082001Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4
United StatesUSANorthern America · 2021 reading94.506695.2693.742021Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4
SloveniaSVNSouthern Europe · 2021 reading94.376496.4692.382021Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4
BelgiumBELWestern Europe · 2021 reading94.311095.5493.152021Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4. The results correspond only to Belgium (Flemish)
LatviaLVANorthern Europe · 2021 reading94.287996.0892.562021Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4
PortugalPRTSouthern Europe · 2021 reading94.177695.5992.872021Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4
HungaryHUNEastern Europe · 2021 reading94.132595.4992.772021Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4
FranceFRAWestern Europe · 2021 reading93.862695.1492.582021Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students achieving at least low International Benchmark. Grade 4

02In Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Primary, 2023 compilation

At either end

The 5 countries at each end of the headline, then the highest and lowest on each other measure. Readings too old to compare take no part.

Highest

  1. Canada98.7773
  2. Russia98.3621
  3. Hong Kong98.2799
  4. Croatia98.0773
  5. Poland97.2102

Lowest

  1. Laos2.0000
  2. Burundi4.5000
  3. Madagascar6.3000
  4. Chad7.6000
  5. DR Congo9.2000

A higher value is the better result. The middle country reads 58.5980. “Shared” marks a value another country also holds.

Each measure’s ends

  • Female

    HighestCanada99.07

    LowestLaos3.00

    Middle country: 65.90

  • Male

    HighestCanada98.49

    LowestLaos2.00

    Middle country: 56.90

03Caveats

Read before you use

What this edition’s numbers are and are not, worked out from the file itself.

The site’s method

  • Readings from many years

    Each country’s newest reading as of 2023, from 2001 to 2023. 7 are more than ten years older than the file: listed and marked, but left out of the ends and the changes.

  • 121 distinct values among 122

    Values are stored exactly as published, to 14 decimals. 2 countries share 11.0000. Countries sharing a value share a position too.

  • Which end is better

    A higher value is the better result.

  • 24 empty cells

    An empty cell means the publisher gave no figure. It is never a zero.

04The files

Download and cite

The table as a file, digit for digit, what this site changed, and a citation for this edition.

Licence in full

What this site changed: Reshaped into one row per country: regional and income-group totals are left out, only the columns listed are kept, each row gets its ISO 3166 code, and some country names are brought to one spelling. No value is recalculated, rescaled or rounded.

Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0. Share, adapt and use commercially with credit — and anything you publish that adapts it must carry the same licence.

Cite this edition

UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) (2023). Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Primary, 2023 compilation [data set]. As held by Nations Inquiry, https://nationsinquiry.com/datasets/reading-proficiency-primary/2023

051 held

Other editions

06Questions

Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Primary, 2023 compilation: questions and answers

Which country has the highest reading proficiency at the end of primary in Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Primary, 2023 compilation?

Canada, at 98.7773, of the 122 countries in the file.

How many countries does Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Primary, 2023 compilation cover?

122.

Where can I download Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Primary, 2023 compilation?

On this page, as a CSV file holding every value exactly as published, or from the publisher’s own site, linked below.

Is Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Primary, 2023 compilation the newest?

Yes, as of 2026-09-29, when it was read from the publisher.

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