Updated: October 24, 2026 What changed?

October 24, 2026 PIRLS 2026 was updated to note U.S. absence from the current participant list and the 7 December 2027 release date.

PIRLS Reading

U.S. PIRLS Reading Scores, Results and Trends

U.S. PIRLS results measure reading achievement in an international setting. The latest published U.S. score is 548 from PIRLS 2021, while the directly comparable U.S. fourth-grade trend covers the 2001 through 2016 cycles.

Assessment: PIRLS Latest published cycle: 2021 Subject: Reading Latest U.S. population: Grade 5 Organizations: NCES / IEA

U.S. PIRLS Reading Snapshot

Latest U.S. score

548

PIRLS 2021 reading score for U.S. fifth-graders.

Previous fourth-grade cycle

549

U.S. average reading score in PIRLS 2016.

Highest U.S. fourth-grade cycle

556

Reported in PIRLS 2011 among the 2001–2016 U.S. cycles.

PIRLS scale centerpoint

500

Reference point on the PIRLS reading achievement scale.

Latest Published U.S. PIRLS Result: 2021

The United States reported an average reading score of 548 in PIRLS 2021. The U.S. administration differed from earlier cycles because testing was delayed from spring to fall 2021 during the COVID-19 period. The sampled cohort had entered fifth grade by the time testing occurred.

Assessment cycle 2021

U.S. tested grade Grade 5

Average reading score 548

Administration Fall 2021

Reported U.S. assessment basis Paper-bridge study

Overall weighted participation rate 64%

Among the 32 education systems reporting paper results used in the NCES comparison, the U.S. average was higher than 24 systems and lower than three. Five additional systems had averages that were not measurably different from the U.S. average.

2021 should not be appended to the earlier U.S. fourth-grade trend as if the population were unchanged. NCES states that prior PIRLS results are not directly comparable with the U.S. 2021 fifth-grade result because earlier U.S. administrations assessed fourth-graders. The United States also reported its paper-bridge score rather than its digital achievement result because of concerns about linking the digital and paper scales.

U.S. Fourth-Grade PIRLS Reading Scores, 2001–2016

Comparable U.S. fourth-grade PIRLS cycles before the delayed 2021 administration.

PIRLS achievement is reported on a 0–1,000 scale. The chart begins at the 500 scale centerpoint and excludes the U.S. 2021 fifth-grade result.

NCES PIRLS 2016 results and NCES PIRLS 2021 U.S. results.

U.S. PIRLS Reading Score Data

Search table

			Trend Context
2001	542	Grade 4	First PIRLS cycle.
2006	540	Grade 4	Second U.S. PIRLS cycle.
2011	556	Grade 4	Higher than the U.S. scores reported in 2001 and 2006.
2016	549	Grade 4	NCES reported no measurable change from 2001 to 2016.

The Fourth-Grade Trend Was Stable Across the Full 2001–2016 Period

The four comparable U.S. fourth-grade cycles do not show a steady upward or downward path. Scores moved from 542 in 2001 to 540 in 2006, reached 556 in 2011, and returned to 549 in 2016.
NCES reported no measurable difference between the 2001 and 2016 U.S. averages. The movement inside that period matters, however: the 2011 average was higher than the 2016 result.
The 2021 score of 548 describes a different U.S. testing situation. Because the cohort was assessed after entering fifth grade and the reported score came from the paper-bridge study, treating 548 as the next point on the fourth-grade line would overstate comparability.

PIRLS International Reading Benchmarks

PIRLS also reports the share of students reaching four international achievement benchmarks. These cut scores describe progressively more demanding reading performance and are different from the average scale score used in the trend chart.

		Reporting Meaning
Advanced	625	Students reaching the highest PIRLS international benchmark.
High	550	Students reaching the High benchmark or above.
Intermediate	475	Students reaching the Intermediate benchmark or above.
Low	400	Students reaching the Low benchmark or above.

The benchmark percentages are cumulative when reported as “at or above.” A student reaching the Advanced benchmark has also reached the High, Intermediate, and Low benchmarks.

PIRLS 2026 Is Underway Without U.S. Participation on the Current List

PIRLS 2026 is the sixth international assessment cycle. IEA’s current participant list includes 64 education systems and does not list the United States. PIRLS 2021 therefore remains the latest U.S. PIRLS achievement result, and under the current participation list no U.S. PIRLS 2026 score is expected.

IEA has scheduled publication of the PIRLS 2026 international results for 7 December 2027. The public-use international database and documentation are scheduled for February 2028.

Data Sources, Measurement and Comparability

Assessment Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), coordinated by IEA and administered in the United States by NCES.

Primary measure Average reading achievement score on the PIRLS 0–1,000 scale.

Usual target population Students in the fourth year of formal schooling, generally fourth grade in the United States.

2021 U.S. population Fifth-graders tested in fall 2021 after the administration was delayed by approximately six months.

2021 U.S. reporting basis The United States administered digitalPIRLS but reported achievement from its paper-bridge study because of psychometric concerns about linking paper and digital scores.

Trend treatment The 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016 U.S. fourth-grade results form the comparable historical series shown on this page. The 2021 fifth-grade result is reported separately.

Official PIRLS Resources

Average score differences should be interpreted using the sampling uncertainty and comparison tests reported by NCES or IEA rather than by score order alone. The 2021 U.S. result also carries population, timing, participation-rate, and assessment-mode considerations that limit direct comparisons with earlier U.S. cycles.