The line graph illustrates the percentage of 15-year-olds with low literacy levels in four European countries—Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and Sweden—over a nine-year period from 2000 to 2009.
Overall, the proportion of teenagers with low literacy levels increased in Austria, Denmark, and Sweden, while Ireland experienced a slight decline. Among the four countries, Austria saw the most significant rise by the end of the period, whereas Ireland consistently had the lowest percentage throughout the years.
In 2000, Austria had approximately 18% of 15-year-olds with low literacy skills, slightly higher than Denmark (about 16%). However, by 2003, Austria’s figure rose sharply to 21%, surpassing all other countries. It remained stable until 2006 and then surged to 27% by 2009, marking the highest increase. Meanwhile, Denmark experienced a gradual upward trend, rising from 16% in 2000 to around 18% in 2006 before reaching approximately 20% in 2009.
In contrast, Ireland started with the lowest percentage at 11% in 2000 and showed a minor increase to 12% by 2003. After a brief decline in 2006, it climbed again to approximately 14% by 2009. Sweden’s figures remained relatively stable between 12% and 14% from 2000 to 2006 but saw a gradual rise, reaching about 16% in 2009. Despite these fluctuations, Ireland consistently had the smallest proportion of low-literacy teenagers throughout the period, while Austria exhibited the most significant growth.