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Not even in the best of the 13 countries do half of sixth-graders reach the minimum in maths

Not even in the best of the 13 countries do half of sixth-graders reach the minimum in mathsDot plot of the share of sixth-grade pupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics in 13 countries: filled dot for 2019, hollow for 2013. Peru (38.9%), Mexico and Uruguay (38.0%) lead, well short of the line that marks half; Peru rose from 22.7% and Mexico fell from 44.7%. Six countries fall below the one-in-ten line; last is the Dominican Republic, at 2.1%.Not even in the bestof the 13 countries do halfof sixth-graders reachthe minimum in mathsPupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics,% of sixth-grade pupils, 13 countries, 2013 and 2019Peru38.9%22.7%Mexico38.0%44.7%Uruguay37.5→38.0%Ecuador22.9%Costa Rica20.9%Colombia16.6%Honduras11.2%El SalvadorGuatemala6.7%Paraguay5.6%Panama3.3%Nicaragua3.1%Dominican Republic20192013little changeHalf: 50%One in ten: 10%Sixth-graders at level 3 or above in LLECE tests (UNESCO’s SDG4.1.1 minimum); children out of school are not counted. Bolivia, left out:a 2017 national diagnosis, not strictly comparable.This chart adapts UIS data and is published under the same licence,CC BY-SA 4.0.No data for 2013: El Salvador.Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS; CC BY-SA 4.0),from the LLECE’s TERCE (2013) and ERCE (2019) studiesVerDat
Not even in the best of the 13 countries do half of sixth-graders reach the minimum in mathsDot plot of the share of sixth-grade pupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics in 13 countries: filled dot for 2019, hollow for 2013. Peru (38.9%), Mexico and Uruguay (38.0%) lead, well short of the line that marks half; Peru rose from 22.7% and Mexico fell from 44.7%. Six countries fall below the one-in-ten line; last is the Dominican Republic, at 2.1%.Not even in the best of the 13 countriesdo half of sixth-graders reachthe minimum in mathsPupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics,% of sixth-grade pupils, 13 countries, 2013 and 2019Peru38.9%22.7%Mexico38.0%44.7%Uruguay37.5→38.0%Ecuador22.9%Costa Rica20.9%Colombia16.6%Honduras11.2%El SalvadorGuatemala6.7%Paraguay5.6%Panama3.3%Nicaragua3.1%Dominican Republic20192013little changeHalf: 50%One in ten: 10%Sixth-graders at level 3 or above in LLECE tests (UNESCO’s SDG4.1.1 minimum); children out of school are not counted. Bolivia, left out:a 2017 national diagnosis, not strictly comparable.This chart adapts UIS data and is published under the same licence,CC BY-SA 4.0.No data for 2013: El Salvador.Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS; CC BY-SA 4.0),from the LLECE’s TERCE (2013) and ERCE (2019) studiesVerDat
Not even in the best of the 13 countries do half of sixth-graders reach the minimum in mathsDot plot of the share of sixth-grade pupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics in 13 countries: filled dot for 2019, hollow for 2013. Peru (38.9%), Mexico and Uruguay (38.0%) lead, well short of the line that marks half; Peru rose from 22.7% and Mexico fell from 44.7%. Six countries fall below the one-in-ten line; last is the Dominican Republic, at 2.1%.Not even in the best of the 13 countriesdo half of sixth-graders reachthe minimum in mathsPupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics,% of sixth-grade pupils, 13 countries, 2013 and 2019Peru38.9%22.7%Mexico38.0%44.7%Uruguay37.5→38.0%Ecuador22.9%Costa Rica20.9%Colombia16.6%Honduras11.2%El SalvadorGuatemala6.7%Paraguay5.6%Panama3.3%Nicaragua3.1%Dominican Republic2.1%20192013little changeHalf: 50%One in ten: 10%Sixth-graders at level 3 or above in LLECE tests (UNESCO’s SDG 4.1.1 minimum);children out of school are not counted. Bolivia, left out: a 2017 national diagnosis, notstrictly comparable.This chart adapts UIS data and is published under the same licence, CC BY-SA 4.0.No data for 2013: El Salvador.Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS; CC BY-SA 4.0), from the LLECE’sTERCE (2013) and ERCE (2019) studiesVerDat
Not even in the best of the 13 countries do half of sixth-graders reach the minimum in mathsDot plot of the share of sixth-grade pupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics in 13 countries: filled dot for 2019, hollow for 2013. Peru (38.9%), Mexico and Uruguay (38.0%) lead, well short of the line that marks half; Peru rose from 22.7% and Mexico fell from 44.7%. Six countries fall below the one-in-ten line; last is the Dominican Republic, at 2.1%.Not even in the best of the 13 countries do halfof sixth-graders reach the minimum in mathsPupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics,% of sixth-grade pupils, 13 countries, 2013 and 2019Peru38.9%22.7%Mexico38.0%44.7%Uruguay37.5→38.0%Ecuador22.9%Costa Rica20.9%Colombia16.6%Honduras11.2%El SalvadorGuatemala6.7%Paraguay5.6%Panama3.3%Nicaragua3.1%Dominican Republic2.1%20192013little changeHalf: 50%One in ten: 10%Sixth-graders at level 3 or above in LLECE tests (UNESCO’s SDG 4.1.1 minimum);children out of school are not counted. Bolivia, left out: a 2017 national diagnosis, notstrictly comparable.This chart adapts UIS data and is published under the same licence, CC BY-SA 4.0.No data for 2013: El Salvador.Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS; CC BY-SA 4.0), from the LLECE’s TERCE(2013) and ERCE (2019) studiesVerDat
Not even in the best of the 13 countries do half of sixth-graders reach the minimum in mathsDot plot of the share of sixth-grade pupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics in 13 countries: filled dot for 2019, hollow for 2013. Peru (38.9%), Mexico and Uruguay (38.0%) lead, well short of the line that marks half; Peru rose from 22.7% and Mexico fell from 44.7%. Six countries fall below the one-in-ten line; last is the Dominican Republic, at 2.1%.Not even in the best of the 13 countries do halfof sixth-graders reach the minimum in mathsPupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics,% of sixth-grade pupils, 13 countries, 2013 and 2019Peru38.9%22.7%Mexico38.0%44.7%Uruguay37.5→38.0%Ecuador22.9%Costa Rica20.9%Colombia16.6%Honduras11.2%El SalvadorGuatemala6.7%Paraguay5.6%Panama3.3%Nicaragua3.1%Dominican Republic2.1%20192013little changeHalf: 50%One in ten: 10%Sixth-graders at level 3 or above in LLECE tests (UNESCO’s SDG 4.1.1 minimum); children outof school are not counted. Bolivia, left out: a 2017 national diagnosis, not strictly comparable.This chart adapts UIS data and is published under the same licence, CC BY-SA 4.0.No data for 2013: El Salvador.Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS; CC BY-SA 4.0), from the LLECE’s TERCE (2013)and ERCE (2019) studiesVerDat
Not even in the best of the 13 countries do half of sixth-graders reach the minimum in mathsDot plot of the share of sixth-grade pupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics in 13 countries: filled dot for 2019, hollow for 2013. Peru (38.9%), Mexico and Uruguay (38.0%) lead, well short of the line that marks half; Peru rose from 22.7% and Mexico fell from 44.7%. Six countries fall below the one-in-ten line; last is the Dominican Republic, at 2.1%.Not even in the best of the 13 countries do halfof sixth-graders reach the minimum in mathsPupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics,% of sixth-grade pupils, 13 countries, 2013 and 2019Peru38.9%22.7%Mexico38.0%44.7%Uruguay37.5→38.0%Ecuador22.9%Costa Rica20.9%Colombia16.6%Honduras11.2%El SalvadorGuatemala6.7%Paraguay5.6%Panama3.3%Nicaragua3.1%Dominican Republic2.1%20192013little changeHalf: 50%One in ten: 10%Sixth-graders at level 3 or above in LLECE tests (UNESCO’s SDG 4.1.1 minimum); children out of school arenot counted. Bolivia, left out: a 2017 national diagnosis, not strictly comparable.This chart adapts UIS data and is published under the same licence, CC BY-SA 4.0.No data for 2013: El Salvador.Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS; CC BY-SA 4.0), from the LLECE’s TERCE (2013) and ERCE(2019) studiesVerDat
Not even in the best of the 13 countries do half of sixth-graders reach the minimum in mathsDot plot of the share of sixth-grade pupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics in 13 countries: filled dot for 2019, hollow for 2013. Peru (38.9%), Mexico and Uruguay (38.0%) lead, well short of the line that marks half; Peru rose from 22.7% and Mexico fell from 44.7%. Six countries fall below the one-in-ten line; last is the Dominican Republic, at 2.1%.Not even in the best of the 13 countries do halfof sixth-graders reach the minimum in mathsPupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics,% of sixth-grade pupils, 13 countries, 2013 and 2019Peru38.9%22.7%Mexico38.0%44.7%Uruguay37.5→38.0%Ecuador22.9%Costa Rica20.9%Colombia16.6%Honduras11.2%El SalvadorGuatemala6.7%Paraguay5.6%Panama3.3%Nicaragua3.1%Dominican Republic2.1%20192013little changeHalf: 50%One in ten: 10%Sixth-graders at level 3 or above in LLECE tests (UNESCO’s SDG 4.1.1 minimum); children out of school are notcounted. Bolivia, left out: a 2017 national diagnosis, not strictly comparable.This chart adapts UIS data and is published under the same licence, CC BY-SA 4.0.No data for 2013: El Salvador.Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS; CC BY-SA 4.0), from the LLECE’s TERCE (2013) and ERCE (2019)studiesVerDat
Not even in the best of the 13 countries do half of sixth-graders reach the minimum in mathsDot plot of the share of sixth-grade pupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics in 13 countries: filled dot for 2019, hollow for 2013. Peru (38.9%), Mexico and Uruguay (38.0%) lead, well short of the line that marks half; Peru rose from 22.7% and Mexico fell from 44.7%. Six countries fall below the one-in-ten line; last is the Dominican Republic, at 2.1%.Not even in the best of the 13 countries do halfof sixth-graders reach the minimum in mathsPupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics,% of sixth-grade pupils, 13 countries, 2013 and 2019Peru38.9%22.7%Mexico38.0%44.7%Uruguay37.5→38.0%Ecuador22.9%Costa Rica20.9%Colombia16.6%Honduras11.2%El SalvadorGuatemala6.7%Paraguay5.6%Panama3.3%Nicaragua3.1%Dominican Republic2.1%20192013little changeHalf: 50%One in ten: 10%Sixth-graders at level 3 or above in LLECE tests (UNESCO’s SDG 4.1.1 minimum); children out of school are notcounted. Bolivia, left out: a 2017 national diagnosis, not strictly comparable.This chart adapts UIS data and is published under the same licence, CC BY-SA 4.0.No data for 2013: El Salvador.Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS; CC BY-SA 4.0), from the LLECE’s TERCE (2013) and ERCE (2019)studiesVerDat
Not even in the best of the 13 countries do half of sixth-graders reach the minimum in mathsDot plot of the share of sixth-grade pupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics in 13 countries: filled dot for 2019, hollow for 2013. Peru (38.9%), Mexico and Uruguay (38.0%) lead, well short of the line that marks half; Peru rose from 22.7% and Mexico fell from 44.7%. Six countries fall below the one-in-ten line; last is the Dominican Republic, at 2.1%.Not even in the best of the 13 countries do halfof sixth-graders reach the minimum in mathsPupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics,% of sixth-grade pupils, 13 countries, 2013 and 2019Peru38.9%22.7%Mexico38.0%44.7%Uruguay37.5→38.0%Ecuador22.9%Costa Rica20.9%Colombia16.6%Honduras11.2%El SalvadorGuatemala6.7%Paraguay5.6%Panama3.3%Nicaragua3.1%Dominican Republic2.1%20192013little changeHalf: 50%One in ten: 10%Sixth-graders at level 3 or above in LLECE tests (UNESCO’s SDG 4.1.1 minimum); children out of school are not counted.Bolivia, left out: a 2017 national diagnosis, not strictly comparable.This chart adapts UIS data and is published under the same licence, CC BY-SA 4.0.No data for 2013: El Salvador.Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS; CC BY-SA 4.0), from the LLECE’s TERCE (2013) and ERCE(2019) studiesVerDat
Not even in the best of the 13 countries do half of sixth-graders reach the minimum in mathsDot plot of the share of sixth-grade pupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics in 13 countries: filled dot for 2019, hollow for 2013. Peru (38.9%), Mexico and Uruguay (38.0%) lead, well short of the line that marks half; Peru rose from 22.7% and Mexico fell from 44.7%. Six countries fall below the one-in-ten line; last is the Dominican Republic, at 2.1%.Not even in the best of the 13 countries do halfof sixth-graders reach the minimum in mathsPupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics,% of sixth-grade pupils, 13 countries, 2013 and 2019Peru38.9%22.7%Mexico38.0%44.7%Uruguay37.5→38.0%Ecuador22.9%Costa Rica20.9%Colombia16.6%Honduras11.2%El SalvadorGuatemala6.7%Paraguay5.6%Panama3.3%Nicaragua3.1%Dominican Republic2.1%20192013little changeHalf: 50%One in ten: 10%Sixth-graders at level 3 or above in LLECE tests (UNESCO’s SDG 4.1.1 minimum); children out of school are not counted. Bolivia, leftout: a 2017 national diagnosis, not strictly comparable.This chart adapts UIS data and is published under the same licence, CC BY-SA 4.0.No data for 2013: El Salvador.Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS; CC BY-SA 4.0), from the LLECE’s TERCE (2013) and ERCE (2019)studiesVerDat
Not even in the best of the 13 countries do half of sixth-graders reach the minimum in mathsDot plot of the share of sixth-grade pupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics in 13 countries: filled dot for 2019, hollow for 2013. Peru (38.9%), Mexico and Uruguay (38.0%) lead, well short of the line that marks half; Peru rose from 22.7% and Mexico fell from 44.7%. Six countries fall below the one-in-ten line; last is the Dominican Republic, at 2.1%.Not even in the best of the 13 countries do halfof sixth-graders reach the minimum in mathsPupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics,% of sixth-grade pupils, 13 countries, 2013 and 2019Peru38.9%22.7%Mexico38.0%44.7%Uruguay37.5→38.0%Ecuador22.9%Costa Rica20.9%Colombia16.6%Honduras11.2%El SalvadorGuatemala6.7%Paraguay5.6%Panama3.3%Nicaragua3.1%Dominican Republic2.1%20192013little changeHalf: 50%One in ten: 10%Sixth-graders at level 3 or above in LLECE tests (UNESCO’s SDG 4.1.1 minimum); children out of school are not counted. Bolivia, left out:a 2017 national diagnosis, not strictly comparable.This chart adapts UIS data and is published under the same licence, CC BY-SA 4.0.No data for 2013: El Salvador.Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS; CC BY-SA 4.0), from the LLECE’s TERCE (2013) and ERCE (2019) studiesVerDat
Not even in the best of the 13 countries do half of sixth-graders reach the minimum in mathsDot plot of the share of sixth-grade pupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics in 13 countries: filled dot for 2019, hollow for 2013. Peru (38.9%), Mexico and Uruguay (38.0%) lead, well short of the line that marks half; Peru rose from 22.7% and Mexico fell from 44.7%. Six countries fall below the one-in-ten line; last is the Dominican Republic, at 2.1%.Not even in the best of the 13 countries do halfof sixth-graders reach the minimum in mathsPupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics, % of sixth-grade pupils, 13 countries, 2013 and 2019Peru38.9%22.7%Mexico38.0%44.7%Uruguay37.5→38.0%Ecuador22.9%Costa Rica20.9%Colombia16.6%Honduras11.2%El SalvadorGuatemala6.7%Paraguay5.6%Panama3.3%Nicaragua3.1%Dominican Republic2.1%20192013little changeHalf: 50%One in ten: 10%Sixth-graders at level 3 or above in LLECE tests (UNESCO’s SDG 4.1.1 minimum); children out of school are not counted. Bolivia, left out: a 2017 nationaldiagnosis, not strictly comparable.This chart adapts UIS data and is published under the same licence, CC BY-SA 4.0.No data for 2013: El Salvador.Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS; CC BY-SA 4.0), from the LLECE’s TERCE (2013) and ERCE (2019) studiesVerDat
Dot plot of the share of sixth-grade pupils reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics in 13 countries: filled dot for 2019, hollow for 2013. Peru (38.9%), Mexico and Uruguay (38.0%) lead, well short of the line that marks half; Peru rose from 22.7% and Mexico fell from 44.7%. Six countries fall below the one-in-ten line; last is the Dominican Republic, at 2.1%.
Learning: students reaching minimum proficiency in reading and mathematics (% of sixth-grade pupils)
PeriodPeruMexicoUruguayColombiaCosta RicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEl SalvadorGuatemalaHondurasNicaraguaPanamaParaguay
201322.7044.7037.5015.4021.201.5014.10–8.706.702.904.305.90
201938.90383816.6020.902.1022.907.606.7011.203.103.305.60
Learning: students reaching minimum proficiency in reading and mathematics (% of sixth-grade pupils)
CategoryValue
Peru38.90
Mexico38
Uruguay38
Ecuador22.90
Costa Rica20.90
Colombia16.60
Honduras11.20
Bolivia7.70
El Salvador7.60
Guatemala6.70
Paraguay5.60
Panama3.30
Nicaragua3.10
Dominican Republic2.10
CSV

Peru (38.9%), Mexico and Uruguay (38.0%) lead by different paths: since 2013, Peru has gained 16.2 points, Mexico has lost 6.7 and Uruguay has barely moved. In almost half of the 13, fewer than one in ten pupils reach the minimum; in the Dominican Republic, 2.1%.

Notes

  • The tests are given to a sample of pupils: gaps of one or two points, between countries or between rounds, are not conclusive.
  • 2013 and 2019 are two regional LLECE studies (TERCE and ERCE) whose scales are linked so they can be compared. PISA, which tests secondary school, uses another scale and is never mixed in.

The chart's figures come from queries to the official sources cited below, frozen on the date shown. The text was written with AI assistance; every figure it cites is computed from those data and checked automatically.

Source and scope

  • Learning: students reaching minimum proficiency in reading and mathematics

    Regional · UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS; CC BY-SA 4.0), from the LLECE’s TERCE (2013) and ERCE (2019) studies

    Data normalized on Oct 29, 2026 · query frozen on Oct 29, 2026

    Official sourceMethodology and records

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