The Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) Survey: Numeracy Skills and Education in New Zealand & Australia

Numeracy levels in New Zealand and Australia

In Figure 1 below, the distribution of numeracy levels in New Zealand are compared with those in Australia. In Figure 2, the distribution of numeracy levels by education level in New Zealand are compared with those in Australia.

Based on their performance in the ALL survey’s numeracy test, respondents were assigned one of five “cognitive levels”. The following list provides descriptions of typical tasks associated with each cognitive level.

Level 1: Tasks require the ability to perform simple one-step calculations.

Level 2: Tasks demand the capacity to execute one- or two-step calculations and estimations.

Level 3: Typical tasks involve the facility to manipulate mathematical symbols, perhaps in several stages.

Level 4: A task might demand the completion of multiple-step calculations requiring some reasoning.

Level 5: Tasks incorporate the capability to understand and use abstract mathematical ideas with justification.

Figure 1: Numeracy Levels in New Zealand and Australia

Note:

1. Levels 3, 4 and 5 were grouped to ensure statistically robust statistics.

Figure 1 shows the percentages of the adult populations of New Zealand and Australia at Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3, 4, or 5. Level 3 is considered to be the minimum for full participation in the knowledge society and economy; hence the columns for New Zealand and Australia in Figure 1 are both “anchored” at the Level 2/3 threshold.

New Zealand and Australia have very similar overall distributions of numeracy levels: in both countries around half of the adult population have numeracy skills below the minimum considered necessary for full participation in the knowledge society and economy.

Figure 2: Numeracy Levels by education level in New Zealand and Australia

Note:

1. Levels 3, 4 and 5 were grouped to ensure statistically robust statistics.

Figure 2 shows, for each education level, the percentages of the adult populations of New Zealand and Australia in that education level at Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3, 4, or 5.

For both countries, the percentage of those with levels 3, 4 or 5 numeracy skills was higher for higher education levels. For example, 13% of New Zealanders with lower secondary or less education had levels 3, 4 or 5 numeracy skills. This compares with 41% for those with upper secondary education and 66% for those with a tertiary education.

In each of the three reported education levels Australia performed better than New Zealand – particularly in the lower secondary or less education level.

Figure 2 presents an apparent contradiction with Figure 1: Australia performed better than New Zealand at every education level but almost the same overall. To reconcile these figures note that approximately 34% of Australian adults had lower secondary or less education (compared with 10% of New Zealand adults), approximately 33% of Australian adults had upper secondary education (compared with 46% of New Zealand adults), and approximately 34% of Australian adults had tertiary education (compared with 44% of New Zealand adults). So although those with lower secondary or less education levels in Australia performed better than their New Zealand counterparts, there were relatively more of them, hence the overall numeracy distributions of Figure 1 are similar.