The U.S. ranks 14th in education

According to Pearson, the United States has a “cognitive skills and educational attainment” score of 0.39, which makes the United States rank fourteenth out of forty countries ranked in that category. The top ten countries (and their scores) are:

1. South Korea (1.30)
2. Japan (1.03)
3. Singapore (0.99)
4. Hong Kong (0.96)
5. Finland (0.92)
6. United Kingdom (0.67)
7. Canada (0.60)
8. Netherlands (0.58)
9. Ireland (0.51)
10. Poland (0.50)

The U.S. ranks 2nd in ignorance

According to the research firm IPSOS Mori, the United States ranks second out of fourteen countries in general ignorance about social statistics such as teen pregnancy, unemployment rates, and voting patterns. Italy is the most ignorant of the fourteen countries.

Chart from Ipsos
https://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/3466/Perceptions-are-not-reality-10-things-the-world-gets-wrong.aspx#gallery%5Bm%5D/1/

The U.S. ranks 33rd in internet download speeds

According to the Ookla Speedtest, the average internet download speed in the U.S. is 21.72 Mbps, which makes the United States rank thirty-third out of one hundred ninety economies ranked in that category. Hong Kong ranks first, with an average internet download speed of 72.54 Mbps. The top ten internet download speeds are:

1. Hong Kong (72.54 Mbps)
2. Singapore (58.73 Mbps)
3. Romania (56.69 Mbps)
4. South Korea (52.35 Mbps)
5. Japan (42.28 Mbps)
6. Andorra (42.08 Mbps)
7. Sweden (41.39 Mbps)
8. Lithuania (40.48 Mbps)
9. Switzerland (40.35 Mbps)
10. Macau (40.25 Mbps)

The U.S. ranks 24th in literacy

According to the Program for International Student Assessment, the average reading literacy score for U.S. fifteen-year old students is 498 (out of 1000 possible points). That is enough to make the United States rank twenty-fourth out of sixty-five educational systems ranked in that category. Shangai, China, ranked first, with a score of 570.

The U.S. ranks 17th in educational performance

According to the report, The Learning Curve, developed by the Economist Intelligence Unit, the United States ranks seventeenth out of forty countries ranked in overall educational performance. Finland ranks first. The top ten countries in educational performance are:

1. Finland
2. South Korea
3. Hong Kong SAR
4. Japan
5. Singapore
6. United Kingdom
7. Netherlands
8. New Zealand
9. Switzerland
10. Canada.

The U.S. ranks 11th in fourth grade math

According to Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, in 2011 the average United States fourth-grade reading score was 541, which makes the United States rank eleventh out of fifty countries ranked in that category. Singapore ranks first, with a score of 606. Here is the list of the top eleven countries and their scores:

 

The U.S. ranks 6th in fourth grade reading

According to the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, in 2011 the average United States fourth-grade reading score was 556, which makes the United States rank sixth out of forty-nine participating countries. Hong Kong ranks first, with a score of 571. The average score for all countries was 500. Here is the list of the top eleven countries and their scores:

The U.S. ranks 16th in where to be born

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, the United States has a Where-to-be-Born Index score of 7.38, which makes the United States tied for sixteenth with Germany out of eighty countries ranked in that category. Switzerland ranks first, with a score of 8.22.

The U.S. ranks 12th in age of first sex education

According to the 2005 Durex Global Sex Survey, the average age at which Americans have their first sex education is 12.5 years, which makes the United States tied for twelfth with Australia, Japan, and the United Kingdom out of forty-one countries ranked in that category. Germany ranks first, with the average age of first sex education at 11.3 years.

The U.S. ranks 3rd in human development

According to the United Nations’ 2011 Human Development Index, the United States has a human development score of 0.910, which makes the United States tied for third with Netherlands in that category. Norway ranks first, with a human development score of 0.943.

The indicators that the United Nations considers when building its index are health, education, and income.