Ranked: The Best Countries at Reading
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Key Takeaways
- Asian education systems dominate global reading performance, led by Singapore.
- Only a handful of countries score well above the OECD average of 476.
Every three years, the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) evaluates how well 15-year-olds can apply reading skills to real-world situations.
This visualization ranks the top-performing countries based on their average reading scores. The data for this visualization comes from the OECD’s PISA 2022 results.
PISA measures reading proficiency in a student’s native or primary language of instruction, focusing on comprehension, interpretation, and evaluation of written texts. Top-performing systems typically score in the 550–560 range, while the OECD average is 476.
Singapore Leads by a Wide Margin
Singapore ranks first globally with an average reading score of 543, placing it comfortably ahead of all other countries. The city-state’s education system emphasizes structured literacy, teacher quality, and early intervention for struggling students. The country also leads the world in math performance.
Japan and Ireland follow at a distant second and third, both scoring 516.
| Rank | Country | Average PISA Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Singapore |
543 |
| 2 |  Japan |
516 |
| 3 |  Ireland |
516 |
| 4 |  Taiwan |
515 |
| 5 |  Korea |
515 |
| 6 |  Estonia |
511 |
| 7 |  Macao |
510 |
| 8 |  Canada |
507 |
| 9 |  United States |
504 |
| 10 |  New Zealand |
501 |
| 11 |  Hong Kong |
500 |
| 12 |  Australia |
498 |
| 13 |  United Kingdom |
494 |
| 14 |  Finland |
490 |
| 15 |  Poland |
489 |
| 16 |  Czech Republic |
489 |
| 17 |  Denmark |
489 |
| 18 |  Sweden |
487 |
| 19 |  Switzerland |
483 |
| 20 |  Italy |
482 |
| 21 |  Germany |
480 |
| 22 |  Austria |
480 |
| 23 |  Belgium |
479 |
| 24 |  Portugal |
477 |
| 25 |  Norway |
477 |
| — |  OECD average |
476 |
| 26 |  Latvia |
475 |
| 27 |  Croatia |
475 |
| 28 |  France |
474 |
| 29 |  Spain |
474 |
| 30 |  Israel |
474 |
Strong Showing from East Asia and Northern Europe
East Asian economies dominate the top of the ranking, with Taiwan, Korea, Macao, Hong Kong, and Japan all placing in the top 11. These systems often stress rigorous curricula, strong parental involvement, and consistent national standards.
Northern European countries such as Estonia and Finland also perform well, reflecting long-standing investments in equitable education and student well-being. Estonia’s score of 511 places it among the global elite despite its relatively small population.
English-Speaking Countries Cluster Near the Top
Several English-speaking countries also appear in the upper half of the ranking, including Canada, the United States, New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
Canada leads this group with a score of 507.
Notably, many large European economies, including Germany, France, Spain, and Italy, cluster around or just above the OECD average.
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