(A) Nations with average scores significantly higher than the United States;
(B) Nations with average scores not significantly different from the United States;
(C) Nations with average scores significantly lower than the United States.

Literacy Proficiency of Youth

Figure 1 presents country mean scores on the prose literacy scale for the youth population aged 16-25. The international average for the 21 countries is 277 points on a scale with a range from 0-500 points. It can readily be seen from the chart that the country average masks quite considerable variation between countries. Youth in Finland and Sweden score on average at 300 points or above, whereas youth in Chile and Poland score on average close to 250 points or below. The mean score for the U.S. youth population is 278 points, a difference from the overall country average that is not statistically significant. Canadian youth perform relatively better, with a mean score of 287 points, but the difference is within the standard error. In terms of their literacy ability, and taking measurement error into account, the U.S. youth population performs the same as youth in the United Kingdom, Italy, New Zealand, Ireland, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Germany, Canada and Belgium (Flanders). The literacy scores of American youth are consistent across the three scales.

LITERACY PROFICIENCY OF YOUTH POPULATION

Mean prose scores on a scale with range 0-500 points, population aged 16-25, 1992-1998

Legend:

Nations with mean scores significantly lower than the United States

Nations with mean scores not significantly different from the United States

Nations with mean scores significantly higher than the United States

COUNTRIES ARE RANKED BY THE STATISTICAL DIFFERENCE TO THE UNITED STATES.

Note: Statistical difference is significant at p < .05.
Source: International Adult Literacy Survey, 1994-1998; US National Adult Literacy Survey, 1992.