Fact Check: Are English Readers Really the Best in the Western World?
It was a claim repeated again and again during the 2024 general election campaign by the Conservative Party. In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at the data behind the claim and assess whether it really stacks up.
The Claim: “English children are the best readers in the western world”
The Answer: Technically Yes, But Really No
Let us explain…
This claim refers to results from the latest iteration of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) conducted in 2021. PIRLS is a standardised assessment that measures the reading ability of 10-year-olds across the globe. The 2021 study assessed nearly 400,000 pupils in 57 countries, despite widespread disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
PIRLS focuses on three key aspects of reading literacy:
How pupils read different types of texts;
The reading comprehension strategies they use;
Their attitudes towards reading.
Technically Yes…
In the 2021 PIRLS results, England ranked fourth out of 43 countries, with an average reading score of 558. This was behind only Singapore (587), Hong Kong (573), and Russia (567).
This result means that England outperformed every other European or North American country. In this sense, English 10-year-olds were the highest scorers in the western world according to the 2021 PIRLS study.
So when former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak MP, current Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch MP, and others in the Conservative Party say England has the best young readers in the western world, they are technically correct—at least according to this one study.
However, There’s a Big Asterisk
England moved up from joint 8th place in the 2016 PIRLS study to 4th in 2021. While this might seem like a success story, the leap is likely explained by data collection anomalies linked to the pandemic. In fact, the Department for Education (DfE) itself urged caution when comparing England’s results with other countries in this edition.
Here’s why:
England Delayed Its Testing by One Year
Due to the pandemic, England postponed its PIRLS data collection by a full academic year—testing pupils in 2021–22 instead of 2020–21, as most other countries did. This meant England's pupils avoided the worst disruption to schooling caused by Covid-19.
According to a 2021 Ofqual report, primary school teachers identified reading and phonics as the areas of learning most negatively impacted by pandemic-related disruptions. So, it’s fair to say that testing children a year later gave England a notable advantage.
While we can’t say exactly how England would have scored if tested on schedule—or how other nations might have performed if they’d waited too—it’s worth noting that 7 of the 9 countries who previously scored higher or equal to England in 2016 did test during the pandemic peak, likely contributing to their drop in scores. Reflected by the sharp 19 points drop in the international median score between 2016 and 2021.
Other Countries Were Disqualified from the Leaderboard
Fourteen education systems—including the USA, Ireland, and Northern Ireland—chose to delay their PIRLS testing by around six months. As a result, they assessed slightly older students and were disqualified from the official leaderboard for not following the standard protocol.
This is significant. Both Ireland and Northern Ireland, which historically outperform England in PIRLS, scored 19 and 8 points higher than England in 2021 but were disqualified from the official leaderboard due to testing an older cohort of pupils. Had they tested on schedule, they might still have ranked above England.
So while England’s "top of the West" title is technically valid, it’s due in large part to having avoided the worst of the pandemic’s educational fallout and because several stronger-performing countries were excluded from the rankings.
In short, any claim that England’s 10-year-olds are the “best readers in the western world” should come with a large asterisk—and a dose of caution.
The Real Problem With the Claim
Yes, politicians are technically entitled to make this claim based on the 2021 PIRLS results. But the real danger lies in how it’s received. If people believe England’s reading education is world-leading, they may conclude that no further action is needed to support children’s reading development.
This couldn’t be further from the truth:
A Look at Long-Term Trends
England’s PIRLS Scores Over Time:
Despite moving from 19th in 2006 to 4th in 2021, England’s average score (558) hasn’t changed much in two decades. It was 553 in 2001, 552 in 2011, and 559 in 2016. In other words, we’ve stayed fairly static in terms of actual progress.
England’s PISA Scores Over Time:
England also improved its position in the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) for 15-year-olds—from 25th in 2009 to 12th in 2022. But the average reading score in 2022 (496) was lower than in 2012 (500), 2015 (500), and 2018 (505) and similar to 2006 (496) and 2009 (495).
Key Stage 2 Standards:
In 2023/24, 26% of Year 6 pupils—about 170,640 children—did not meet the expected reading standard. That means over a quarter of pupils are entering secondary school without the literacy skills they need.
Declining Reading Enjoyment and Frequency:
2024 saw the lowest levels of reading enjoyment and frequency since records began. Just 34.6% of children said they enjoyed reading—a drop of 8.8 percentage points from 2023. Only 20.5% read daily, down almost 50% compared to two decades ago.
And this matters: children who enjoy reading and do it frequently are significantly more likely to become skilled readers.
Conclusion: Why the Real Reading Challenge Still Lies Ahead
So—are English readers really the best in the western world? On paper, maybe. But the 2021 PIRLS results don’t tell the full story, and they certainly shouldn’t lead us to complacency. Literacy progress in England has stagnated, and too many children are still leaving primary school without the reading skills they need.
At Fonetti, we believe that every child deserves not just to learn to read but to love reading. That’s why we're working to make reading accessible, engaging, and empowering—especially for those who need it most. By using voice recognition to support and reward children as they read aloud, Fonetti helps build fluency, confidence, and a genuine love of books.
We don’t just want England to rank well on global leaderboards—we want every child in the UK to feel like the best reader in the world. And that’s a challenge worth tackling.
