How the U.S. Fourth-Grade Cohort Compared Internationally in PIRLS 2021
The United States reported an average PIRLS 2021 reading score of 548. The U.S. fourth-grade cohort was tested after the summer at the beginning of fifth grade, rather than at the end of fourth grade, so comparisons with countries tested on the original schedule require care.
U.S. PIRLS 2021 Reading Statistics
The raw mean-score order and the NCES statistical comparison answer different questions because assessment mode and testing schedules differed across education systems.
Highest Reported PIRLS 2021 Country Averages
The chart shows the 20 highest reported country means from the complete 57-country table. The United States appears at 548.
Top 20 Country Mean Scores
PIRLS overall reading scale, 0β1,000
Country averages are ordered numerically. Fourteen countries, including the United States, delayed testing until the fourth-grade cohort had entered fifth grade.
Raw Order and Statistical Comparison Are Not the Same
- Ten countries reported numerical averages above the U.S. mean of 548 in the all-country IEA table.
- NCES restricted its U.S. paper-score comparison to 32 other education systems with comparable paper results; only three had averages statistically above the United States in that comparison.
- The delayed U.S. assessment means the 2021 score should not be treated as a directly comparable fifth trend point beside earlier U.S. fourth-grade results.
PIRLS 2021 Reading Scores for All 57 Participating Countries
Countries are initially ordered by reported mean reading score. βGap vs U.S.β is the arithmetic difference from the U.S. mean of 548 and is not a statistical test.
| Order | Country | Mean | SE | Gap vs U.S. | Timing | IEA Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore | 587 | 3.1 | +39 | End of Grade 4 | Coverage note 3 |
| 2 | Ireland | 577 | 2.5 | +29 | Delayed to beginning of Grade 5 | β |
| 3 | Hong Kong SAR | 573 | 2.7 | +25 | End of Grade 4 | Coverage note 2; sampling note β |
| 4 | Russian Federation | 567 | 3.6 | +19 | End of Grade 4 | β |
| 5 | Northern Ireland | 566 | 2.5 | +18 | Delayed to beginning of Grade 5 | Coverage note 2; sampling note β |
| 6 | England | 558 | 2.5 | +10 | One year later, end of Grade 4 | β |
| 7 | Croatia | 557 | 2.5 | +9 | Delayed to beginning of Grade 5 | Sampling note β |
| 8 | Lithuania | 552 | 2.3 | +4 | Delayed to beginning of Grade 5 | β |
| 9 | Finland | 549 | 2.4 | +1 | End of Grade 4 | β |
| 10 | Poland | 549 | 2.2 | +1 | End of Grade 4 | β |
| 11 | United States | 548 | 6.8 | 0 | Delayed to beginning of Grade 5 | Coverage note 2; participation note β‘ |
| 12 | Chinese Taipei | 544 | 2.2 | -4 | End of Grade 4 | β |
| 13 | Sweden | 544 | 2.1 | -4 | End of Grade 4 | Coverage note 2 |
| 14 | Australia | 540 | 2.2 | -8 | One year later, end of Grade 4 | β |
| 15 | Bulgaria | 540 | 3.0 | -8 | End of Grade 4 | β |
| 16 | Czech Republic | 540 | 2.3 | -8 | End of Grade 4 | β |
| 17 | Hungary | 539 | 3.4 | -9 | Delayed to beginning of Grade 5 | β |
| 18 | Denmark | 539 | 2.2 | -9 | End of Grade 4 | Coverage note 2; sampling note β |
| 19 | Norway (5) | 539 | 2.0 | -9 | End of school year | β |
| 20 | Italy | 537 | 2.2 | -11 | End of Grade 4 | Coverage note 2 |
| 21 | Macao SAR | 536 | 1.3 | -12 | End of Grade 4 | β |
| 22 | Austria | 530 | 2.2 | -18 | End of Grade 4 | β |
| 23 | Slovak Republic | 529 | 2.7 | -19 | End of Grade 4 | Sampling note β |
| 24 | Latvia | 528 | 2.6 | -20 | Delayed to beginning of Grade 5 | β |
| 25 | Netherlands | 527 | 2.5 | -21 | End of Grade 4 | Participation note β‘ |
| 26 | Germany | 524 | 2.1 | -24 | End of Grade 4 | β |
| 27 | New Zealand | 521 | 2.3 | -27 | End of Grade 4 | Sampling note β |
| 28 | Spain | 521 | 2.2 | -27 | End of Grade 4 | β |
| 29 | Portugal | 520 | 2.3 | -28 | End of Grade 4 | Coverage note 2 |
| 30 | Slovenia | 520 | 1.9 | -28 | End of Grade 4 | β |
| 31 | Malta | 515 | 2.7 | -33 | End of Grade 4 | β |
| 32 | France | 514 | 2.5 | -34 | End of Grade 4 | β |
| 33 | Serbia | 514 | 2.8 | -34 | End of Grade 4 | Coverage note 3 |
| 34 | Albania | 513 | 3.1 | -35 | End of Grade 4 | Coverage note 2; reduced comparability noted by IEA |
| 35 | Cyprus | 511 | 2.9 | -37 | End of Grade 4 | β |
| 36 | Belgium (Flemish) | 511 | 2.3 | -37 | End of Grade 4 | β |
| 37 | Israel | 510 | 2.2 | -38 | One year later, end of Grade 4 | Coverage note 3 |
| 38 | Kazakhstan | 504 | 2.7 | -44 | Delayed to beginning of Grade 5 | β |
| 39 | TΓΌrkiye | 496 | 3.4 | -52 | End of Grade 4 | Coverage note 2 |
| 40 | Belgium (French) | 494 | 2.7 | -54 | End of Grade 4 | Coverage note 2 |
| 41 | Georgia | 494 | 2.6 | -54 | Delayed to beginning of Grade 5 | Coverage note 1 |
| 42 | Montenegro | 487 | 1.6 | -61 | End of Grade 4 | Coverage note 3 |
| 43 | Qatar | 485 | 3.7 | -63 | Delayed to beginning of Grade 5 | β |
| 44 | United Arab Emirates | 483 | 1.8 | -65 | Delayed to beginning of Grade 5 | β |
| 45 | Bahrain | 458 | 2.9 | -90 | Delayed to beginning of Grade 5 | β |
| 46 | Saudi Arabia | 449 | 3.6 | -99 | Delayed to beginning of Grade 5 | Coverage note 3 |
| 47 | North Macedonia | 442 | 5.3 | -106 | End of Grade 4 | β |
| 48 | Azerbaijan | 440 | 3.6 | -108 | End of Grade 4 | β |
| 49 | Uzbekistan | 437 | 2.9 | -111 | End of Grade 4 | β |
| 50 | Oman | 429 | 3.7 | -119 | End of Grade 4 | β |
| 51 | Kosovo | 421 | 3.1 | -127 | End of Grade 4 | Coverage note 2 |
| 52 | Brazil | 419 | 5.3 | -129 | One year later, end of Grade 4 | Coverage note 2; sampling note β |
| 53 | Iran, Islamic Rep. of | 413 | 4.9 | -135 | One year later, end of Grade 4 | β |
| 54 | Jordan | 381 | 5.4 | -167 | End of Grade 4 | β |
| 55 | Egypt | 378 | 5.4 | -170 | End of Grade 4 | Coverage note 2; reliability reservation Ξ¨ |
| 56 | Morocco | 372 | 4.5 | -176 | Delayed to beginning of Grade 5 | β |
| 57 | South Africa | 288 | 4.4 | -260 | One year later, end of Grade 4 | Reliability reservation Π |
NCES Comparison Using Paper-Assessment Results
NCES used the U.S. paper-bridge score and compared it with the 32 other education systems reporting paper results. This is the more appropriate source for interpreting whether observed score differences from the United States were statistically distinguishable.
Why the U.S. Can Be 11th in Raw Score Order but Only Three Systems Are Statistically Higher
- A numerical ordering treats every one-point difference as a position change, even when sampling uncertainty makes two averages statistically indistinguishable.
- The IEA all-country table also combines different assessment schedules and modes, while NCES narrowed its U.S. comparison to paper-based results.
- The U.S. estimate has a standard error of 6.8 in the IEA table, wider than the standard errors reported for many countries near the U.S. mean.
U.S. Performance at the PIRLS International Benchmarks
PIRLS reports the share of students reaching four cumulative score thresholds. The comparison below uses the international median reported in the PIRLS 2021 results.
U.S. Benchmark Attainment vs International Median
Percentage of students reaching each benchmark or higher
The U.S. percentage exceeded the international median at all four PIRLS thresholds, with the widest percentage-point gap at the High benchmark.
| Benchmark | Cut Score | U.S. | Intl. Median | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced | 625 | 18% | 7% | +11 pp |
| High | 550 | 52% | 36% | +16 pp |
| Intermediate | 475 | 81% | 75% | +6 pp |
| Low | 400 | 95% | 94% | +1 pp |
PIRLS 2021 Benchmarking Participants
IEA reported eight subnational or separate benchmarking participants in addition to the 57 participating countries. These entities are not included in the 57-country raw score order.
| Order | Benchmark Participant | Mean | SE | Gap vs U.S. | Timing | IEA Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moscow City, Russian Federation | 598 | 2.1 | +50 | End of Grade 4 | β |
| 2 | Dubai, UAE | 552 | 1.5 | +4 | Delayed to beginning of Grade 5 | Coverage note 2 |
| 3 | Quebec, Canada | 551 | 2.7 | +3 | Delayed to beginning of Grade 5 | Participation note β‘ |
| 4 | Alberta, Canada | 539 | 3.6 | -9 | End of Grade 4 | Coverage note 3; participation note β‘ |
| 5 | British Columbia, Canada | 535 | 3.5 | -13 | End of Grade 4 | Coverage note 2 |
| 6 | Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada | 523 | 3.2 | -25 | End of Grade 4 | Coverage note 2 |
| 7 | Abu Dhabi, UAE | 440 | 3.5 | -108 | Delayed to beginning of Grade 5 | β |
| 8 | South Africa (6) | 384 | 4.5 | -164 | One year later, Grade 6 | β |
What the U.S. International Comparison Shows
The reported mean, statistical comparison, benchmark profile, and testing schedule should be read together rather than reduced to a single rank.
U.S. Performance Was Above the Scale Centerpoint
The U.S. mean of 548 was 48 points above the PIRLS scale centerpoint of 500, which has remained fixed since the scale was established in 2001.
Near-Neighbour Scores Were Closely Packed
Finland and Poland reported 549, the United States 548, and Chinese Taipei and Sweden 544. Raw score ordering therefore creates several position changes within a narrow score range.
Higher Benchmarks Showed the Larger U.S. Advantage
The U.S. exceeded the international median by 16 percentage points at the High benchmark and 11 points at Advanced, compared with a one-point difference at Low.
2021 Is an Unusual U.S. Trend Year
The United States tested the intended fourth-grade cohort in fall 2021 after the students had entered fifth grade. Earlier U.S. PIRLS cycles assessed fourth-graders, limiting direct trend interpretation.
Data Sources and Measurement
International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, PIRLS 2021 International Results in Reading, especially Exhibit 1.3 for country means and Exhibit 4.2 for international benchmarks.
National Center for Education Statistics, PIRLS 2021 U.S. Highlights. NCES reports the U.S. paper-bridge score and the comparison with education systems reporting paper results.
NCES PIRLS 2021 Methodology and Technical Notes, including assessment mode, delayed testing, participation, coverage, international benchmarks, and U.S. bridge-study information.
PIRLS 2021. International results were released in 2023.
Average PIRLS reading scale score. The achievement scale ranges from 0 to 1,000 and has a fixed centerpoint of 500.
57 participating countries plus eight benchmarking participants. Benchmarking participants are shown separately and are not included in the 57-country raw mean-score order.
U.S. assessment timing: PIRLS was scheduled for U.S. fourth-graders in spring 2021. Pandemic disruption delayed U.S. data collection until fall 2021, when the intended fourth-grade cohort had entered fifth grade. The United States was one of 14 countries with this delayed schedule.
U.S. assessment mode: The United States administered digital PIRLS and a paper bridge assessment. The United States chose to report the paper-bridge achievement score because of concerns about linking the digital and paper achievement results.
Score ordering: The βOrderβ column is a descriptive sort of published country means. It should not be read as a formal statistical ranking. Small numerical differences can fall within sampling uncertainty.
Standard errors: SE values are published standard errors from the IEA country table. Reported means are rounded; arithmetic gaps on this page therefore use the displayed rounded values.
IEA annotations: Coverage notes 1β3 and the β and β‘ marks identify population-coverage or sampling-participation conditions defined by IEA. Ξ¨ identifies a reliability reservation where more than 15 percent but no more than 25 percent of students had achievement too low for estimation. Π identifies the stronger reliability reservation where that percentage exceeded 25 percent. IEA also reported reduced comparability for Albania.
Trend limitation: Earlier U.S. PIRLS scoresβ542 in 2001, 540 in 2006, 556 in 2011, and 549 in 2016βwere based on fourth-graders. NCES cautions against directly comparing those results with the 2021 U.S. score of 548 because the 2021 U.S. cohort was tested in fifth grade after the delay.