Share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education was 79.9% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2000–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is 79.9%, measured in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.
The figure is down 4.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 87.1% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 79.9%, in 2022.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 11th out of 59 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
Share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 87.1% | — |
| 2003 | 85.1% | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 81.0% | -4.8% |
| 2009 | 81.6% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 83.4% | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 82.1% | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 82.7% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 79.9% | -3.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 83.7% | 81.0% | 87.1% | 4 |
| 2010s | 82.7% | 82.1% | 83.4% | 3 |
| 2020s | 79.9% | 79.9% | 79.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More education data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2012)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 830,495 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 790,556 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.40 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.86 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.0111 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.071 units per person (2023)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 79.9% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 87.1% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 79.9% in 2022.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 11th out of 59 countries with data for 2022.
- Is share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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 students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Share of students who achieve minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education. This data includes only students enrolled in school.