Portugal fares poorly in OECD ranking of adult skills
The literacy and numeracy skills of Portuguese adults are near the bottom of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's ranking.
What?
Portugal’s adult population exhibits alarmingly low proficiency in literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving, according to the Survey of Adults Skills 2024 from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The findings, part of the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), place Portugal second-to-last among 31 participating countries, ahead only of Chile.
The report, released this week, reveals a bleak picture of Portuguese adults’ skills. On average, adults in Portugal scored 235 points in literacy, 238 in numeracy, and 233 in adaptive problem-solving—each far below the OECD average on a 500-point scale.
Notably, adults in Portugal with higher education levels displayed lower literacy skills than those with only secondary education in Finland, one of the top-performing nations.
Age analysis
The data shows that Portuguese adults’ skills in literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving begin to decline as early as age 25, whereas in the OECD average, these skills tend to develop and reach higher levels of proficiency until age 34.
In Portugal, young adults aged 16 to 24 are the most proficient age group, demonstrating the highest abilities in the three areas analyzed. Their skills decline significantly, reaching their lowest levels among older adults aged 55 to 65.
However, what is striking is that, unlike other countries — even in Europe — this proficiency drops considerably as early as the 25-to-34 age group, falling further behind the same age group in the OECD average.
Key Scores:
Literacy:
42% of Portuguese adults scored at or below Level 1 (on a scale of 0 to 5), significantly higher than the OECD average of 26%. These individuals can handle only basic texts and instructions. At the high end, only 4% reached Level 4 or 5, compared to the OECD average of 12%.Numeracy:
Similarly, 40% of Portuguese adults scored at or below Level 1 in numeracy (OECD average: 25%). These adults struggle with basic calculations and interpreting simple tables or graphs. Only 7% reached the highest levels (4 or 5), compared to 14% across the OECD.Problem-Solving:
In adaptive problem-solving, 42% of Portuguese adults scored at or below Level 1 (OECD average: 29%). Just 2% achieved the highest proficiency levels (Level 4), against the OECD average of 5%.
Higher Earnings
Another conclusion of the study is the impact of these skills on the job market. Adults who achieve higher levels of proficiency, especially in numeracy, "have significantly better job opportunities than those who reach only level 1 or below," the report notes.
However, these employment differences are also observed among individuals with similar levels of education. Those who completed higher education in fields such as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) exhibit higher proficiency levels compared to those who studied other disciplines.
The report also highlights some gender differences: while Portuguese women demonstrated an average proficiency three points higher than men in literacy, men scored higher (by seven points) in problem-solving and numeracy — with the gap reaching ten points in numeracy.
Comparative Performance
While Portugal lagged in all three domains, top performers like Finland, Japan, and the Netherlands achieved significantly higher scores.
For instance, Finnish adults averaged 296 points in literacy and 294 in numeracy, well above the OECD averages of 260 and 263, respectively.
This report joins earlier OECD studies, including PISA and TIMSS, in highlighting weaknesses in Portugal’s education system. PIAAC data also underscore systemic issues: 30% of Portuguese adults performed at the lowest levels across all domains, compared to an OECD average of 18%.
Mismatch between education and employment
The study also revealed that 41% of Portuguese workers aged 16 to 65 feel mismatched in their jobs, as they work outside the fields they studied.
Additionally, 14% of workers report being overqualified for their roles, earning salaries 17% lower on average than peers in well-matched positions. Conversely, another 14% feel underqualified, citing a lack of skills in areas like IT or software (35%) and organizational or project management (32%).
The survey, which sampled 3,160 adults representing Portugal’s 6.6 million adult population, also found stark differences in employability among individuals with similar education levels.
Those with stronger math skills, for instance, earn 9% higher wages on average. Notably, 40% of adults in Portugal demonstrate only basic literacy and numeracy skills, underscoring broader challenges in aligning education and workforce demands.
A Call for Change
The findings emphasize the need for comprehensive reforms in Portugal’s education and training systems.
They reveal the persistent challenges of equipping adults with the skills necessary to navigate an increasingly complex and globalized world.
The PIAAC study surveyed 160,000 adults aged 16 to 65 across 31 countries, representing over 670 million people.
Its results underline the importance of fundamental skills in literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving for personal and professional success in modern society.