CORKY Joanna Łukasiak-Hołysz

The OECD Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) provides a critical look at the cognitive and workplace skills of adults aged 16-65, focusing on three core domains: literacy, numeracy, and adaptive problem solving. As the global economy becomes increasingly digital and information-dense, these competencies serve as the essential foundation for personal well-being, economic productivity, and social engagement.

In the 2022-23 cycle, Poland participated for the second time, allowing for a unique comparative analysis against its 2011-12 baseline. The results offer a complex picture of the nation’s human capital. While higher education continues to provide a significant boost to proficiency, the data reveals a notable decline in average performance across literacy and numeracy over the past decade. Furthermore, Poland faces a significant challenge with a higher-than-average share of adults scoring at or below Level 1 proficiency across all tested domains.

This country note explores these trends in detail, examining the gaps related to age and education, the impact of skills on labor market outcomes, and the alignment between worker qualifications and job requirements. However, readers are advised to approach these specific findings for Poland with caution, as data quality issues and unusual response patterns identified during the 2023 cycle necessitate a more nuanced interpretation of the statistics.