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Latest available · compiled 2023

Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Lower Secondary, 2023 compilation

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

This is the share of students at the end of lower secondary school — around age 15 — who reach at least a minimum level in mathematics, SDG indicator 4.1.1. The readings come from the OECD’s PISA survey and, for some countries, the TIMSS study of eighth-graders.

Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Lower Secondary, 2023 compilation covers 103 countries on 3 measures. Japan is highest, at 91.730; Côte d’Ivoire is lowest, at 0.730. The middle country reads 49.654. 5 readings are more than ten years older than the file and are listed but not compared.

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Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Lower Secondary · Latest available · compiled 2023

HighestJapan

91.730

LowestCôte d’Ivoire

0.730

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

01Values only

The table

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

Showing 25 of 103 countries · select a heading to sort

Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Lower Secondary, 2023 compilation: every country, as published by UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS).
JapanJPNEastern Asia · 2023 reading91.73091.4891.972023Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Students achieving at least Intermediate International Benchmark. Grade 8
MacauMACEastern Asia · 2022 reading91.56091.6191.482022Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Students achieving at least proficiency Level 2. Modal grade for PISA: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888934038799
SingaporeSGPSouth-eastern Asia · 2023 reading89.34089.3789.302023Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Students achieving at least Intermediate International Benchmark. TIMSS over PISA was chosen by the country. Grade 8
Hong KongHKGEastern Asia · 2022 reading86.16087.7084.802022Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Students achieving at least proficiency Level 2. Modal grade for PISA: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888934038799
LiechtensteinLIEWestern Europe · 2012 reading, too old to compare85.922——2012Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Students achieving at least proficiency Level 2. Modal grade for PISA: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888934038799
EstoniaESTNorthern Europe · 2022 reading85.03085.2684.822022Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Students achieving at least proficiency Level 2. Modal grade for PISA: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888934038799
South KoreaKOREastern Asia · 2022 reading83.78085.4382.292022Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Students achieving at least proficiency Level 2. Modal grade for PISA: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888934038799
IrelandIRLNorthern Europe · 2022 reading80.97080.4481.482022Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Students achieving at least proficiency Level 2. Modal grade for PISA: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888934038799
SwitzerlandCHEWestern Europe · 2022 reading80.55080.0281.062022Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Students achieving at least proficiency Level 2. Modal grade for PISA: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888934038799
DenmarkDNKNorthern Europe · 2022 reading79.55078.9180.212022Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Students achieving at least proficiency Level 2. Modal grade for PISA: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888934038799
CanadaCANNorthern America · 2022 reading78.37078.0378.732022Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Students achieving at least proficiency Level 2. Modal grade for PISA: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888934038799
RussiaRUSEastern Europe · 2018 reading78.35778.4878.232018Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Students achieving at least proficiency Level 2. Modal grade for PISA: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888934038799
LatviaLVANorthern Europe · 2022 reading77.84077.6778.022022Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Students achieving at least proficiency Level 2. Modal grade for PISA: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888934038799
PolandPOLEastern Europe · 2022 reading77.00077.8176.202022Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Students achieving at least proficiency Level 2. Modal grade for PISA: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888934038799
United KingdomGBRNorthern Europe · 2022 reading75.67074.4176.872022Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Students achieving at least proficiency Level 2. Modal grade for PISA: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888934038799
SloveniaSVNSouthern Europe · 2022 reading75.41077.3373.592022Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Students achieving at least proficiency Level 2. Modal grade for PISA: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888934038799
FinlandFINNorthern Europe · 2022 reading75.15077.8272.572022Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Students achieving at least proficiency Level 2. Modal grade for PISA: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888934038799
AustriaAUTWestern Europe · 2022 reading75.14072.8877.312022Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Students achieving at least proficiency Level 2. Modal grade for PISA: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888934038799
BelgiumBELWestern Europe · 2022 reading75.05075.2274.882022Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Students achieving at least proficiency Level 2. Modal grade for PISA: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888934038799
CzechiaCZEEastern Europe · 2022 reading74.48074.7974.172022Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Students achieving at least proficiency Level 2. Modal grade for PISA: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888934038799
AustraliaAUSAustralia and New Zealand · 2022 reading73.65073.2474.022022Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Students achieving at least proficiency Level 2. Modal grade for PISA: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888934038799
LuxembourgLUXWestern Europe · 2018 reading72.78271.8373.702018Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Students achieving at least proficiency Level 2. Modal grade for PISA: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888934038799
SwedenSWENorthern Europe · 2022 reading72.78073.8771.722022Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Students achieving at least proficiency Level 2. Modal grade for PISA: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888934038799
SpainESPSouthern Europe · 2022 reading72.70071.9173.452022Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Students achieving at least proficiency Level 2. Modal grade for PISA: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888934038799
NetherlandsNLDWestern Europe · 2022 reading72.65072.1073.152022Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Students achieving at least proficiency Level 2. Modal grade for PISA: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888934038799

02In Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Lower Secondary, 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. Japan91.730
  2. Macau91.560
  3. Singapore89.340
  4. Hong Kong86.160
  5. Estonia85.030

Lowest

  1. Côte d’Ivoire0.730
  2. Zambia2.298
  3. Dominican Republic7.560
  4. Senegal7.708
  5. El Salvador10.650

A higher value is the better result. The middle country reads 49.654. “Shared” marks a value another country also holds.

Each measure’s ends

03Caveats

Read before you use

How values are stored

  • Readings from many years

    Each country’s newest reading as of 2023, from 2009 to 2023. 5 are more than ten years older than the file: listed and marked, but left out of the ends and the changes.

  • 8 empty cells

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

04The files

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Licence in full

What this site changed: Reshaped to one row per country, with its ISO code; no value recalculated, rescaled or rounded. In full

Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · what it allows, in plain words

Cite this edition

UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) (2023). Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Lower Secondary, 2023 compilation [data set]. As held by Nations Inquiry, https://nationsinquiry.com/datasets/maths-proficiency-lower-secondary/2023

051 held

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