In the international skill assessment, the information processing skills of every third Latvian resident were assessed as either very low or below even that, according to results of Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) “Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies” (PIAAC).
The study measured three adult skills needed to process information – numeracy, literacy and adaptive problem solving.
The results of the study show that adults aged 16 to 34, as well as residents with a high level of education, show higher performance.
The literacy of the Latvian population aged 16 to 24 was scored with 262 points, but in the age group 25 to 34 – with 265 points. Meanwhile, the literacy of residents aged 45 to 54 years was scored with 242 points, while the lowest rating was in the age group 55 to 65 years – 224 points.
Residents with at least a Bachelor’s degree have a higher level of literacy, whereas residents with a basic education or an even lower level of education showed the lowest results – the difference between these groups is 47 points.
This link was identified in Latvia and other OECD member states, the report mentions. Nevertheless, results in Latvia across all education groups are statistically significantly below the average results in OECD member states. The biggest difference is observed between residents with secondary or secondary vocational education – results of Latvian adults are 20 points lower than average in OECD member states.
Similarly, higher results in literacy were shown by the employed population. Results of the economically inactive and unemployed groups do not differ statistically significantly.
34% of adults have low literacy skills – they are able to understand simple sentences, short texts, and organized lists when the information is clearly indicated. Meanwhile, only 6% of Latvian adults have a high level of literacy. This is twice as low as the OECD average.
Residents of Latvia showed higher results in the numeracy test. Similarly to results of the previous two skill tests, younger respondents showed higher results in numeracy.
For example, the numeracy of residents aged 25 to 34 years was scored with 276 points, and in the age group 45 to 54 – at 257 points. The lowest results were shown by residents aged 55 to 65 years, whose performance was evaluated with 244 points.
There is also a difference in performance between the population with a high and low level of education. The numeracy of the population with higher education was evaluated with 286 points, which is 52 points higher than the population with a low level of education.
In turn, the performance difference between the employed and the unemployed residents is 17 to 22 points. The lowest numeracy skills are for the economically inactive population – 247 points.
When it comes to numeracy, men’s score is seven points higher than women. A similar relationship is observed not only in Latvia, but also in other OECD member countries, according to the report.
24% of Latvians have low numeracy skills – they are able to perform basic calculations with whole numbers or money, understand decimals and find separate information in tables or charts, but may have difficulties with tasks that require several steps. Those whose skills are below the first or lowest level are able to count and subtract small numbers. Meanwhile, 14% of the population are highly skilled in numeracy.
Similar to the average in all OECD countries, in Latvia, adults with the highest levels of numeracy have significantly better employment opportunities than adults with low scores, according to the report.
The study also looked at the ability of residents to track causal relationships and find solutions to problems they have not encountered before. The population aged 16 to 34 showed higher adaptive problem-solving skills, while the respondents aged 45 to 65 showed lower performance.
35% of adults have low adaptive problem-solving skills. They are able to solve simple problems with a few variables and a small amount of irrelevant information that does not change as we move towards a solution. Adults whose skills are below the first level understand very simple problems that are usually solved in one action.
Only 3% of adults got the highest level on this test. They have a deeper understanding of the problems, and can also adapt to unexpected changes, even if it requires a serious reassessment of the problem.
The OECD “Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies” analysed the skill level of the population and its use at work and in everyday life, including in relation to acquired education, further education, job responsibilities and social activity. Latvia participated in the study for the first time.
International Assessment of Adult Competencies in Latvia revealed lower results in literacy and adaptive problem solving. However, the level of numeracy among Latvian residents is on average level among OECD member states, according to the first results of the study.
6 563 Latvian residents aged between 16 and 65 years participated in the study.