PISA: 15-year-olds by reading proficiency level (%). Level 4 in New Zealand

New Zealand: PISA: 15-year-olds by reading proficiency level (%). Level 4 was 23.0% in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
23.0%
Change on year
up 4.5%
World rank
9th
of 55 countries
All-time high
26.0%
in 2000
All-time low
22.0%
in 2015
Years of data
7
2000–2018

PISA: 15-year-olds by reading proficiency level (%). Level 4 in New Zealand, 2000–2018

01020302000200920182000: 262003: 242006: 242009: 252012: 232015: 222018: 23

Source: OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

Analysis

In 2018, pisa: 15-year-olds by reading proficiency level (%). level 4 in New Zealand stood at 23.0%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.5% on the previous year and down 8.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, pisa: 15-year-olds by reading proficiency level (%). level 4 in New Zealand peaked at 26.0% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 22.0%, in 2015.

That places New Zealand 9th out of 55 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 24.8% 24.0% 26.0% 4
2010s 22.7% 22.0% 23.0% 3

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 6 Canada 24.0% compare
  2. 6 Estonia 24.0% compare
  3. 6 Ireland 24.0% compare
  4. 9 Poland, Republic of 23.0% compare
  5. 11 Denmark 22.0% compare
  6. 11 Japan 22.0% compare
  7. 11 Norway 22.0% compare
  8. 11 Spain 22.0% compare
  9. 11 Sweden 22.0% compare

See the full ranking of 55 places →

More reference data data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is pisa: 15-year-olds by reading proficiency level (%). level 4 in New Zealand?
Pisa: 15-year-olds by reading proficiency level (%). level 4 in New Zealand was 23.0% in 2018, according to OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
What is the highest pisa: 15-year-olds by reading proficiency level (%). level 4 recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 26.0% in 2000.
What is the lowest pisa: 15-year-olds by reading proficiency level (%). level 4 recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 22.0% in 2015.
How does New Zealand rank for pisa: 15-year-olds by reading proficiency level (%). level 4?
New Zealand ranks 9th out of 55 countries with data for 2018.
Is pisa: 15-year-olds by reading proficiency level (%). level 4 rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is down 8.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this New Zealand data come from?
The figures come from OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), published as part of PISA: 15-year-olds by reading proficiency level (%). Level 4. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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PISA: 15-year-olds by reading proficiency level (%). Level 4 in New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Retrieved 18 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/pisa-15-year-olds-by-reading-proficiency-level-percent-level-4/new-zealand/

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<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/pisa-15-year-olds-by-reading-proficiency-level-percent-level-4/new-zealand/">PISA: 15-year-olds by reading proficiency level (%). Level 4 in New Zealand</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
PISA: 15-year-olds by reading proficiency level (%). Level 4
Source
OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
55 places, 349 data points, 2000–2018
Last refreshed

Percentage of 15-year-old students scoring higher than 553 but lower than or equal to 626 on the PISA reading scale. At Level 4, readers can comprehend extended passages in single or multiple-text settings. They interpret the meaning of nuances of language in a section of text by taking into account the text as a whole. In other interpretative tasks, students demonstrate understanding and application of ad hoc categories. They can compare perspectives and draw inferences based on multiple sources. Readers can search, locate and integrate several pieces of embedded information in the presence of plausible distractors. They can generate inferences based on the task statement in order to assess the relevance of target information. They can handle tasks that require them to memories prior task context. In addition, students at this level can evaluate the relationship between specific statements and a person’s overall stance or conclusion about a topic. They can reflect on the strategies that authors use to convey their points, based on salient features of texts (e.g., titles and illustrations). They can compare and contrast claims explicitly made in several texts and assess the reliability of a source based on salient criteria. Texts at Level 4 are often long or complex, and their content or form may not be standard. Many of the tasks are situated in multiple-text settings. The texts and the tasks contain indirect or implicit cues. 2000, 2003, and 2006 PISA assessments used a different reading proficiency scale (Levels 1 to 5). PISA 2000/2003/2006 Level 4 data have been included in this database as Level 4 because they are based on an identical score range. Use caution in comparing proficiency scores across years. For more information on comparability of results, consult the PISA website: http://www.oecd.org/pisa/