Survey of Adult Skills 2023 (PIAAC): Young people thematic report
24 March 2026
The Survey of Adult Skills is part of the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) led by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), measuring literacy, numeracy and adaptive problem solving skills in adults aged 16-65.
A second cycle was carried out in 31 countries during 2022 and 2023, updating the picture of adult skills from the first survey cycle, held in 2012.
This thematic report on young people’s skills draws on the 2023 survey to compare the youngest adults (aged 16-24) in 2012 and 2023, highlighting the key differences that may have contributed to their improved performance. It also follows the 2012 birth cohort, now aged 25-34, to understand what has driven their skills gains over time.
Key Findings
- 16-24-year-olds have made significant progress since 2012, reversing a position that once placed them among the lowest performers internationally.
- Women have made significant gains in both literacy and numeracy, while men have significant improvement in numeracy only.
- Young adults today, and their parents, are more likely to be educated to higher levels, reflecting reforms such as raising the school leaving age to 18.
- Young people with the lowest qualifications have not fallen further behind
- Background factors such as gender and socioeconomic status now play a smaller role in shaping skills outcomes than they did in 2012.
- The cohort aged 16-24 in 2012 have made larger gains through their 20s than their peers in most of the other countries surveyed.