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 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 62nd in students reading comics

According to the 2009 PISA results, 4.5% of American students report that they read comics or other materials (but not fiction) for pleasure on a regular basis. That is enough to make the United States rank sixty-second out of sixty-five ranked economies. Finland ranks first, with 43.9% of Finnish students reporting that they enjoy reading comics.

The U.S. ranks 10th in students reading fiction for fun

According to the 2009 PISA results, 30.9% of American students report that they read fiction or other materials for pleasure on a regular basis. That is enough to make the United States rank tenth out of sixty-five ranked economies. Russia ranks first, with 48.4% of Russian students reporting that they enjoy reading.

The U.S. ranks 14th in reading scores for females

According to the OECD’s Programme for the International Student Assessment, the United States ranked fourteenth out of fifty-seven countries in reading scores for females. The U.S. score was 517. The average score for OECD member nations was 511. Finland ranked first, with a score of 574.