Share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in United States of America
United States of America: Share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education was 79.9% in 2022. ▬ Flat
Share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in United States of America, 2000–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in United States of America stood at 79.9%. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it 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 States of America peaked at 83.4% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 79.9%, in 2022.
That places United States of America 10th 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 States of America, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 82.1% | — |
| 2003 | 80.6% | -1.8% |
| 2009 | 82.4% | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 83.4% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 81.0% | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 80.7% | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 79.9% | -1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 81.7% | 80.6% | 82.4% | 3 |
| 2010s | 81.7% | 80.7% | 83.4% | 3 |
| 2020s | 79.9% | 79.9% | 79.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near United States of America
- 7 Hong Kong, China 82.5% compare
- 8 Canada 81.8% compare
- 9 Denmark 81.0% compare
- 11 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 79.9% compare
- 12 New Zealand 79.3% compare
- 13 Australia 78.8% compare
More education data for United States of America
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 419,732 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 4.34 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 4.14 million (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 25.35 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 23.83 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.33 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0708 units per person (2023)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in United States of America?
- Share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in United States of America 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 States of America?
- The highest recorded value was 83.4% in 2012.
- What is the lowest share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education recorded in United States of America?
- The lowest recorded value was 79.9% in 2022.
- How does United States of America rank for share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education?
- United States of America ranks 10th 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 States of America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United States of America 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.
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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.