Share of children achieving minimum proficiency in reading and math at each education level in Italy
Italy: Share of children achieving minimum proficiency in reading and math at each education level was 60.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share of children achieving minimum proficiency in reading and math at each education level in Italy, 1995–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Italy recorded 60.9% for share of children achieving minimum proficiency in reading and math at each education level in 2023.
The figure is down 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children achieving minimum proficiency in reading and math at each education level in Italy peaked at 62.6% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 49.4%, in 1995.
That places Italy 32nd out of 51 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Share of children achieving minimum proficiency in reading and math at each education level in Italy, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 49.4% | — |
| 1999 | 51.2% | +3.6% |
| 2003 | 54.1% | +5.6% |
| 2007 | 52.5% | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 62.6% | +19.4% |
| 2015 | 61.5% | -1.9% |
| 2019 | 61.7% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 60.9% | -1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 50.3% | 49.4% | 51.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 53.3% | 52.5% | 54.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 61.9% | 61.5% | 62.6% | 3 |
| 2020s | 60.9% | 60.9% | 60.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Italy
More education data for Italy
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 3.33 % change on previous year (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 235,443 (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 15,518 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.25 million (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 3.71 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 967,192 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 2.84 % change on previous year (2023)
- Theoretical duration of primary education (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children achieving minimum proficiency in reading and math at each education level in Italy?
- Share of children achieving minimum proficiency in reading and math at each education level in Italy was 60.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children achieving minimum proficiency in reading and math at each education level recorded in Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 62.6% in 2011.
- What is the lowest share of children achieving minimum proficiency in reading and math at each education level recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.4% in 1995.
- How does Italy rank for share of children achieving minimum proficiency in reading and math at each education level?
- Italy ranks 32nd out of 51 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of children achieving minimum proficiency in reading and math at each education level rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Italy data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children achieving minimum proficiency in reading and math at each education level. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of children who achieve minimum math proficiency by the end of lower secondary education. This data accounts for school completion rates to estimate skills for all children, not just those in school.