Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Denmark

Denmark: Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age was 80.8% in 2022. ▬ Flat

Latest (2022)
80.8%
World rank
5th
of 53 countries
All-time high
85.0%
in 2012
All-time low
80.8%
in 2022
Years of data
8
2000–2022

Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Denmark, 2000–2022

0204060802000201120222000: 81.7 %2003: 83.1 %2006: 83.6 %2009: 84.4 %2012: 85 %2015: 84.7 %2018: 83.7 %2022: 80.8 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Denmark recorded 80.8% for share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Denmark peaked at 85.0% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 80.8%, in 2022.

That places Denmark 5th out of 53 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.

Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Denmark, year by year

Annual values for Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Denmark, 2000 to 2022.
Year % Change
2000 81.7%
2003 83.1% +1.7%
2006 83.6% +0.6%
2009 84.4% +0.9%
2012 85.0% +0.7%
2015 84.7% -0.4%
2018 83.7% -1.2%
2022 80.8% -3.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 83.2% 81.7% 84.4% 4
2010s 84.5% 83.7% 85.0% 3
2020s 80.8% 80.8% 80.8% 1

Countries ranked near Denmark

  1. 2 Republic of Korea 85.3% compare
  2. 3 Estonia 83.5% compare
  3. 4 Canada 81.1% compare
  4. 6 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 79.7% compare
  5. 7 United States 79.0% compare
  6. 8 Finland 78.3% compare

See the full ranking of 53 places →

More reference data data for Denmark

All data for Denmark →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Denmark?
Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Denmark was 80.8% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age recorded in Denmark?
The highest recorded value was 85.0% in 2012.
What is the lowest share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age recorded in Denmark?
The lowest recorded value was 80.8% in 2022.
How does Denmark rank for share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age?
Denmark ranks 5th out of 53 countries with data for 2022.
Is share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age rising or falling in Denmark?
Over the last ten years it is down 5.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Denmark data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Denmark. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-children-reaching-sufficient-reading-comprehension-by-the-end-of-lower-secondary/denmark/

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<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-children-reaching-sufficient-reading-comprehension-by-the-end-of-lower-secondary/denmark/">Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Denmark</a> — Statizoid

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.