Study: Estonian Adults Among the Best in the World in Skills, Especially in Younger Generations
The latest results from The Survey of Adult Skills PIAAC highlight that Estonian adults perform exceptionally well in key skills, with the share of highly skilled individuals increasing since the last survey. At the same time, socioeconomic gaps have widened, and the proportion of low-skilled adults has grown. Estonia ranks 6th globally in overall skills, following Finland, Japan, Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands.
Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas stated that the survey results suggest we are moving in the right direction with our education reforms. “People with lower education levels tend to have weaker skills and lower life satisfaction. Extending compulsory education, as we recently initiated, is clearly the right direction in light of these results. The survey also shows that Russian-speaking residents face challenges in the labor market due to lower skills, often caused by insufficient proficiency in Estonian. Transitioning to Estonian-language education is crucial, and we need to do more to offer both professional and language training to adults in regions like Ida-Virumaa,” she said.
PIAAC assesses the functional literacy, numeracy, and adaptive problem-solving skills of adults aged 16–65. Conducted by Statistics Estonia at the request of the Ministry of Education and Research, it provides an extensive dataset on skills, education, work life, socio-emotional characteristics, and well-being.
Statistics Estonia analyst Mari Liis Räis highlighted the unique methodology of the survey, where respondents’ skills were assessed through real-life tasks in addition to a questionnaire. “We are deeply grateful to everyone who took part—thanks to their input, we’ve gathered a wealth of data that will be an invaluable resource for researchers and policymakers working in education, labor, psychology, and social issues,” said Räis.
Estonia’s Results in Context
- Estonians scored an average of 276 in literacy, 281 in numeracy, and 263 in problem-solving, placing the country 6th globally.
- Young adults (25–34 years old) excel, ranking 2nd in numeracy worldwide and 3rd in literacy, following Finland and Japan.
- The share of highly skilled adults has grown over the past decade — up 7% in literacy and 10% in numeracy—and is higher than the OECD average.
- Despite improvements, the proportion of adults with low literacy skills has also increased, though it remains well below the OECD average. The share of adults with low results across all three skills is 12% in Estonia, compared to 18% across the OECD.
Socioeconomic and Regional Disparities
- Skills vary significantly by age, education level, and region. For example, the literacy gap between 25–34-year-olds and 55–65-year-olds is 62 points. The gap in numeracy is also substantial at 49 points, having grown by 25 points since the previous survey.
- Regionally, the lowest scores are in Ida-Virumaa (238-244), while Northern Estonia leads in performance (289-292). Across all regions, Russian speakers score lower than Estonian speakers
Broader Impacts
- Low-skilled adults are more likely to feel alienated from political processes and struggle with complex digital information.
- Highly skilled individuals report greater life satisfaction, better health, and higher civic engagement.
- A quarter of Estonian adults feel overqualified for their jobs (compared to the OECD average of 23%), while 42% work in positions unrelated to their field of study. Skills shortages are most evident in IT and foreign languages.
Background Information
- PIAAC (Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies) is the world’s largest survey on adult skills, focusing on the core competencies of individuals aged 16–65 to inform policymaking, including improving adults’ everyday competencies and meeting evolving labor market needs. What makes PIAAC unique is that participants’ skills are measured by having them solve realistic tasks, complemented by a detailed background questionnaire that provides information about their education and workplace requirements.
- The first PIAAC survey was conducted in three phases from 2011 to 2018, while the second survey wave took place between 2022 and 2023. In the first survey, respondents could solve tasks either on a computer or on paper. Over the past decade, the widespread use of smartphones and tablets led PIAAC to move the task-solving entirely onto tablets. Consequently, the question is no longer whether people can use digital devices, but how well they utilize them in everyday life.
- As part of the second PIAAC survey, residents in 31 OECD and partner countries were interviewed. In Estonia, 6,665 people took part, and both the questionnaire and tasks were available in Estonian and Russian. Additionally, this survey wave offered a short screening questionnaire for those facing language barriers.
- In Estonia, the survey was organized by the Ministry of Education and Research, and the data collection was carried out by Statistics Estonia. The results were released simultaneously in all participating countries on December 10.