PIAAC (Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies) Publications
Publication Details
This is the home page for PIAAC (Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies). New Zealand participated in the OECD's Survey of Adult Skills in 2014. This is part of the OECD's Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC).
Internationally, it is the most comprehensive survey of adult skills ever undertaken. Through interviews with a representative sample of respondents aged 16-65 in each participating country, PIAAC assesses literacy and numeracy skills, and ability to solve problems in technology-rich environments. It builds on previous international surveys of adult skills, allowing literacy levels to be compared over a 20 year period for some countries.
Author(s): Ministry of Education and Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Date Published: Varies
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Self-reported effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand: Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) 2023
This report examines the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of New Zealand adults aged 16 to 75 years. It uses peoples’ own evaluations of how the pandemic had affected eight areas of their lives. The data was…
Author(s): Nicola Marshall, Paul Satherley (Senior Research Analysts), and Dee Earle (Principal Research Analyst), Ministry of Education
Date Published: May 2026
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Skills in New Zealand: Survey of Adult Skills 2023 (PIAAC)
This report provides a first look at findings from New Zealand’s participation in the OECD’s 2023 Survey of Adult Skills. The Survey directly measured the skills of New Zealand adults aged 16 to 65 in literacy, numeracy and adaptive problem…
Author(s): Dee Earle, Principal Research Analyst, Paul Satherley, Senior Research Analyst, and Nicola Marshall, Senior Research Analyst, Ministry of Education
Date Published: December 2024
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Education and political efficacy
Education contributes to wider wellbeing than only individuals’ better work and earning prospects. This short report explores how education is related to political efficacy, using the indicator of agreeing or disagreeing with the statement: People like me don’t have any…
Author(s): Paul Satherley, Tertiary Sector Performance Analysis, Ministry of Education
Date Published: March 2022
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Education and two social trust indicators
Education contributes to wider wellbeing than only individuals’ better work and earning prospects. This short report explores how education is related to social trust, using two measures – agreeing or disagreeing with the statements: There are only a few people…
Author(s): Paul Satherley, Tertiary Sector Performance Analysis, Ministry of Education
Date Published: December 2021
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Digital inclusion in New Zealand: 2014 Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC)
This is the final in a series of in-depth reports from the 2014 Survey of Adult Skills. This report focuses on the digital skills and the digital inclusion of 16 to 65-year-old New Zealanders. Digital inclusion is equity of opportunity…
Author(s): Paul Satherley, Senior Research Analyst, Ministry of Education
Date Published: March 2021
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Comparing literacy and numeracy scales in the Assessment Tool and Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC)
This report is intended to help educators and researchers using the Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool understand the extent to which results from the Assessment Tool can be compared with the results from the Survey of Adult Skills.…
Author(s): Ministry of Education
Date Published: March 2019
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How are skills related to social and economic participation? Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC)
New Zealand participated in the OECD's Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) in 2014. The survey is part of the OECD's Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC).This A3 looks at how skill levels relate to social and economic…
Author(s): Paul Satherley, Tertiary, Ministry of Education
Date Published: December 2018
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What are some characteristics of people with strong skills? Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC)
New Zealand participated in the OECD's Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) in 2014. The survey is part of the OECD's Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). This A3 looks at some of the characteristics people with strong…
Author(s): Paul Satherley, Tertiary, Ministry of Education
Date Published: December 2018
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What can the Survey of Adult Skills tell us about how skills and education relate to social well-being? (PIAAC)
This paper presents some key results on how skills relate to health, social participation and social trust. People with higher skills and higher education have higher levels of self-reported health, volunteer more often, trust others more, and feel they have…
Author(s): David Scott, Tertiary Sector Performance Analysis, Ministry of Education
Date Published: December 2018
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Survey of Adult Skills: Regional and local profiles
We have developed a visual tool that shows distribution of literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills across the country by region and territorial authority. The tool also includes information on related variables, namely: qualification levels, use of ICT at work and…
Author(s): Dee Earle, Tertiary, Ministry of Education
Date Published: December 2018 | Last Updated: November 2019
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PIAAC measures of qualification, field of study and skill mismatch
This technical note looks at the three measures of mismatch in the Survey of Adult Skills: qualification level, field of study and skills. It provides general comment on the strengths and weaknesses of each measure and how robust they are…
Author(s): Amapola Generosa, MBIE and Dee Earle and Paul Satherley, Tertiary, Ministry of Education
Date Published: December 2018
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Pacific adults' literacy, numeracy and problem solving skills: Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC)
This is part of a series of in-depth reports from the Survey of Adult Skills. This report covers how the literacy, numeracy and problem solving skills (measured in English) of Pacific adults relate to their education and work. It also…
Author(s): Paul Satherley, Senior Research Analyst, Ministry of Education.
Date Published: October 2018
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Māori adults' literacy, numeracy and problem solving skills: Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC)
This is part of a series of in-depth reports from the Survey of Adult Skills. This report covers how the literacy, numeracy and problem solving skills (measured in English) of Māori adults relate to their education, work and speaking to…
Author(s): Matt Jones and Paul Satherley, Senior Analysts, Ministry of Education.
Date Published: April 2018
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Survey of Adult Skills: Adults' financial literacy activities
This is part of a series of in-depth reports from the Survey of Adult Skills. This report covers key findings on how often New Zealand adults (aged 16 to 65) participate in financial literacy activities in both everyday life and…
Author(s): Paul Satherley, Principal Analyst, Ministry of Education.
Date Published: August 2017
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Youth Skills: Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC)
This is part of a series of in-depth reports from the Survey of Adult Skills. This report covers key findings on how New Zealand youth (aged 16 to 24) compare internationally and what factors are associated with higher youth skills.…
Author(s): Matt Jones, Senior Research Analyst, and Paul Satherley, Principal Research Analyst, for the Ministry of Education
Date Published: July 2017
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Skills and Education: Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC)
This report investigates the relationship between education and skills for New Zealand adults, how this relationship has changed over time and how it compares to other countries. Barriers to further education and how the relationship between education and skills varies…
Author(s): Ministry of Education and Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Date Published: June 2016
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Skills at Work: Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC)
This report looks at how skills, work-related learning and qualification mismatch varies across different industries and occupations. The report also compares training rates and the prevalence of qualification, skills and field-of-study mismatch in New Zealand to other countries.…
Author(s): Ministry of Education and Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Date Published: June 2016
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Skills in New Zealand and around the world: Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC)
This report looks at how the skills in of New Zealand adults compare to other countries and how they have changed over time. Also explored is how skills in New Zealand vary by age, ethnicity, gender and migration status.…
Author(s): Ministry of Education and Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Date Published: June 2016
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