Measuring Adult Skills in Germany
The foundational skills of adults in Germany are above the international average and have remained stable since 2013, according to the latest PIAAC study by the OECD.
The study assessed key skills in literacy, numeracy, and adaptive problem-solving. Overall, the results show that the average skill levels of German adults have not changed significantly compared to the first cycle of the PIAAC study conducted around a decade ago. In all three areas, German adults demonstrate significantly higher skill levels than the average across the participating OECD member countries.
“Unlike international studies focusing on school-aged populations, the skills of adults in Germany have not declined on average over the past decade but have remained stable,” explains the study’s lead researcher, Prof. Dr. Beatrice Rammstedt, who holds the Chair of Psychological Assessment, Survey Design, and Methodology at the University of Mannheim and serves as vice president of GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences. GESIS was commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research with the national project management of PIAAC.
Notably, the proportion of individuals with high levels of literacy and numeracy has increased compared to ten years ago. However, the study also reveals a concerning trend: the bottom 10% of the population in terms of performance display exceptionally low literacy skills by international standards. These individuals are only capable of reading individual sentences or very short, simple texts.
This challenge is particularly pronounced among individuals with lower educational attainment. Two-thirds of those with no more than a basic secondary school qualification possess only limited literacy and numeracy skills.
The role of social background
The study further highlights the significant impact of social background on skill levels. Children whose parents have a low level of education are at a higher risk of having lower skills themselves—even in adulthood. This pattern is particularly pronounced in Germany compared to other countries and has become even more evident over the past decade.
The OECD’s Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), conducted for the second time in 2023 after a ten-year interval, surveyed over 160,000 randomly selected individuals aged 16 to 65 across 31 countries. Approximately 4,800 participants were from Germany.
Text: Editorial Team / April 2025