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Mathematics Literacy: Student Economic, Cultural, and Social Status (ESCS)

Average Scores

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Table M8. Average scores of 15-year-old students on PISA mathematics literacy scale, by national quarters of the PISA index of economic, social and cultural status (ESCS) and education system: 2012
Education system National quarters of the ESCS index   All students
Bottom quarter   Second quarter   Third quarter   Top quarter  
Average score s.e.   Average score s.e.   Average score s.e.   Average score s.e.   Average score s.e.
OECD average 452 0.7   482 0.6   506 0.7   542 0.8   494 0.5
Albania         394 2.0
Argentina 355 4.1   379 4.4   394 4.6   433 4.3   388 3.5
Australia 463 2.2   492 2.0   521 2.9   550 2.6   504 1.6
Austria 458 4.2   495 4.2   519 3.8   552 4.2   506 2.7
Belgium 468 4.0   497 3.2   534 3.0   567 2.9   515 2.1
Brazil 360 2.0   377 2.1   395 2.9   437 5.2   391 2.1
Bulgaria 384 5.1   424 4.1   449 6.1   501 5.9   439 4.0
Canada 486 2.3   509 2.5   529 2.5   558 2.9   518 1.8
Chile 378 4.0   409 3.8   429 3.6   477 5.4   423 3.1
Chinese Taipei 497 5.2   546 4.5   572 4.0   626 5.2   560 3.3
Colombia 343 4.1   365 3.7   382 3.2   417 5.2   376 2.9
Costa Rica 373 4.0   394 3.7   412 3.8   450 5.4   407 3.0
Croatia 438 3.5   459 3.9   471 4.9   517 5.9   471 3.5
Cyprus 398 2.5   428 2.5   448 2.8   492 2.8   440 1.1
Czech Republic 450 4.4   486 4.6   508 4.3   552 4.0   499 2.9
Denmark 460 3.4   489 3.5   513 2.9   545 3.4   500 2.3
Estonia 496 3.0   508 3.2   523 3.6   559 2.9   521 2.0
Finland 488 3.1   509 2.5   529 3.2   555 2.6   519 1.9
France 442 3.5   476 3.1   511 4.1   561 4.0   495 2.5
Germany 467 5.1   502 3.9   540 3.8   569 4.3   514 2.9
Greece 413 4.0   439 3.9   460 3.5   502 3.7   453 2.5
Hong Kong-China 532 4.8   554 3.7   567 4.4   600 5.8   561 3.2
Hungary 422 4.8   464 3.6   486 4.6   539 6.6   477 3.2
Iceland 464 2.9   481 3.1   508 3.2   526 3.7   493 1.7
Indonesia 356 4.3   363 3.9   374 4.5   408 9.7   375 4.0
Ireland 462 4.3   489 3.1   512 2.9   545 3.3   501 2.2
Israel 409 5.3   452 5.6   490 6.3   524 5.7   466 4.7
Italy 447 2.4   475 2.7   498 2.6   522 2.8   485 2.0
Japan 500 5.2   528 4.1   551 4.3   575 5.9   536 3.6
Jordan 361 3.0   375 2.9   395 3.9   419 5.8   386 3.1
Kazakhstan 405 4.0   427 3.4   437 3.7   458 5.2   432 3.0
Korea, Republic of 516 4.9   538 4.8   567 6.2   595 6.6   554 4.6
Latvia 453 4.5   472 3.4   508 4.6   532 4.8   491 2.8
Liechtenstein 490 9.6   552 11.7   542 12.0   564 11.5   535 4.0
Lithuania 439 3.8   465 3.6   491 4.2   522 3.4   479 2.6
Luxembourg 438 2.9   470 2.7   508 2.5   546 2.7   490 1.1
Macao-China 521 2.6   535 2.6   543 2.3   558 2.4   538 1.0
Malaysia 388 3.1   406 3.7   425 4.7   465 5.4   421 3.2
Mexico 385 1.9   407 1.9   417 1.9   447 2.4   413 1.4
Montenegro, Republic of 375 2.0   401 2.8   413 2.6   453 2.8   410 1.1
Netherlands 484 5.3   513 3.8   537 4.8   565 5.1   523 3.5
New Zealand 444 3.2   493 4.0   514 3.9   559 3.6   500 2.2
Norway 459 4.2   479 3.7   504 3.9   522 3.6   489 2.7
Peru 317 3.3   352 3.8   382 5.3   421 7.4   368 3.7
Poland 473 3.6   501 4.2   526 5.3   571 6.3   518 3.6
Portugal 441 4.5   474 5.0   495 4.8   548 5.2   487 3.8
Qatar 338 1.8   377 1.8   399 2.1   401 2.2   376 0.8
Romania 407 4.5   428 3.9   444 4.0   501 7.8   445 3.8
Russian Federation 445 4.9   468 4.3   496 3.6   521 5.1   482 3.0
Serbia, Republic of 416 4.4   436 3.8   450 4.7   495 5.0   449 3.4
Shanghai-China 562 6.3   602 4.8   627 3.8   660 5.3   613 3.3
Singapore 523 2.9   557 3.3   588 3.2   627 2.8   573 1.3
Slovak Republic 416 6.5   473 3.7   496 4.3   545 6.2   482 3.4
Slovenia 458 2.6   486 3.1   511 3.1   552 3.2   501 1.2
Spain 442 2.8   471 2.4   495 2.8   533 2.5   484 1.9
Sweden 443 2.9   470 4.0   495 3.4   518 3.9   478 2.3
Switzerland 488 4.0   519 4.0   543 3.9   576 4.6   531 3.0
Thailand 407 4.7   412 3.0   421 3.9   468 7.1   427 3.4
Tunisia 362 3.8   370 4.7   393 4.1   430 8.9   388 3.9
Turkey 412 4.5   436 4.2   447 6.0   498 8.3   448 4.8
United Arab Emirates 391 3.2   427 2.4   454 3.6   466 4.2   434 2.4
United Kingdom 458 4.1   477 4.1   508 4.1   545 4.0   494 3.3
United States 442 3.9   462 4.6   494 5.4   532 4.6   481 3.6
Uruguay 364 3.3   390 3.8   414 4.1   472 5.5   409 2.8
Vietnam 473 6.1   499 4.9   518 5.8   555 8.2   511 4.8
                             
U.S. state education systems                            
Connecticut 450 6.1   482 6.5   529 5.6   570 5.6   506 6.2
Florida 430 4.8   455 6.7   465 7.0   521 7.1   467 5.8
Massachusetts 459 6.0   491 5.3   533 6.6   576 8.8   514 6.2
― Not available.
† Not applicable.
NOTE: The PISA index of economic, social and cultural status (ESCS) was created using student reports on parental occupation, the highest level of parental education, and an index of home possessions related to family wealth, home educational resources and possessions related to “classical” culture in the family home. The home possessions relating to "classical" culture in the family home included possessions such as works of classical literature, books of poetry, and works of art (e.g. paintings). The OECD average is the average of the national averages of the OECD member countries, with each country weighted equally. Standard error is noted by s.e. Italics indicate non-OECD countries and education systems. Results for Connecticut, Florida, and Massachusetts are for public school students only.
SOURCE: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), 2012.