Every third immigrant cannot read

Published 11 December 2024 at 08.10

Domestic. A new report from the OECD shows that Sweden performs well in the international competence test PIACC, with a third place in reading, calculation and problem solving. But behind the good numbers hides a serious literacy crisis – especially among foreign-born and younger Swedes.

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One in three immigrants in Sweden has insufficient reading skills, according to the survey. This corresponds to approximately 780,000 people aged 16–65.

Among young foreign-born between the ages of 16 and 25, the situation is even worse – almost half lack basic skills in the Swedish language.

Education Minister Johan Pehrson (L) describes the development as alarming. He describes it as “the reading crisis has had a brutal effect on the foreign-born group”.

– We see that Sweden is still the best. But it is a small consolation when the results confirm that there is an ongoing reading crisis in Sweden, he tells SVT Nyheter.

A third of those born abroad read, calculate and solve problems at the lowest level.

The rain of skills that Sweden could never do without. pic.twitter.com/ihpAUNa009

— MEMIS (@MemIngenjoeren) December 10, 2024

The survey shows that reading skills among young people aged 16-25 years have deteriorated sharply since 2012. The proportion with insufficient reading skills in this group has increased from 9 to 15 percent. Labor Market and Integration Minister Mats Persson (L) sees clear consequences for society.

– This means that as a young person it will be difficult to enter Swedish society, find it difficult to get a job and have difficult to participate in Swedish democracy, he says.

To meet the reading crisis, the government wants to invest in traditional teaching methods, with more focus on books and less on digital tools. In addition, measures such as language training in preschool, support for “at risk” schools and greater equality in the school system are mentioned.