OECD Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC)

The OECD's Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) has been recording adults’ proficiency in literacy, numeracy and adaptive problem solving in ten-year cycles since 2011. Switzerland’s participation in the 2nd PIAAC cycle allows it to have corresponding statistical information for the first time since 2003.

As such the measure serves to improve the availability of data in the area of adult skills. The survey focuses on the use of written and numerical information in everyday life and at work among Switzerland’s permanent resident population aged between 16 and 65. The skills are measured using internationally standardised tests. The data from the tests is supplemented with information on the respondents: socio-demographic characteristics, educational background, employment situation, family circumstances, language and migration background, use of basic skills in everyday life and at work as well as socio-emotional skills.

The skills recorded by PIAAC have not lost their importance in today's knowledge and information society, but enable participation in an increasingly digitalised world. PIAAC provides information on the distribution of the population across different skill levels, allows groups with low skills to be identified and characterised, and examines the impact of skills in everyday working and non-working life.

Milestones

  • 2021: Field trial to test the processes and survey instruments
  • 2022/23: Main survey
  • 2024: Publication of initial results (10.12.2024) / Release of data for research
  • From 2025: Publication of thematic reports

Further information

Status

Start 2019
End 2025

Responsible

Federal Statistical Office

Departments

Federal Department of Home Affairs

Partners

State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation
State Secretariat for Economic Affairs
Federal Social Insurance Office
State Secretariat for Migration

Goals

Appropriate framework conditions make it possible to exploit the opportunities of digitalisation in the education sector


Domains

Education and skills

People, businesses and public authorities have sufficient skills to make the most of new technologies and are able to evaluate them critically.