Denmark vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age

Denmark
80.8%
in 2022
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
79.7%
in 2022
Denmark rank
5th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
6th

Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age over time

  • Denmark
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
020406080200020112022

How they compare

Denmark currently reports 80.8% against 79.7% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a difference of 1.1%.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 8 shared years of data; in 2000 it was United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.

Denmark ranks 5th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 6th of 53 countries.

Across the 3 decades both report, Denmark averaged higher in 2 and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Denmark United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Difference Ahead
2000s 83.2% 83.4% 0.2% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2010s 84.5% 82.5% 2.0% Denmark
2020s 80.8% 79.7% 1.0% Denmark

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age, Denmark or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Denmark, at 80.8% against 79.7% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as of 2022.
What is the difference in share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age between Denmark and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
1.1%, with Denmark ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Denmark and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
8 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2022.
How do Denmark and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age?
Denmark ranks 5th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 6th of 53 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Denmark vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/share-of-children-reaching-sufficient-reading-comprehension-by-the-end-of-lower-secondary/denmark/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
53 places, 379 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed

Share of children who achieve minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education. This data accounts for school completion rates to estimate skills for all children, not just those in school.