Education & skills
Part II — life in the Netherlands
What it shows
The central paradox — credentials up, measured skills down. Tertiary attainment among the EU's highest and early school leaving down from 17% (2000) to ~6%; but PISA reading fell from 513 (2003) to 459 (2022), below OECD average, with maths similar (538→493). Spending per student rose throughout.
What it cannot prove
The cause of skill decline (curriculum, composition, digital, pedagogy, teachers — the data doesn't adjudicate) or how much is COVID artefact (PISA 2025, published late 2026, is the first calibration point).
Comparepick a window — every card then leads with its change
J1PISA mathematics score
493
2022OECD-PISA
J2Early school leavers
7.4%
2025Eurostat
J3Tertiary attainment (25–64)
46.1%
2025Eurostat
J4Adult literacy (PIAAC)
282
2023OECD-PIAAC
J6Teacher shortage (primary)
6.3% of jobs
2025OCW/Centerdata
J7Spending per student
nominal19.2k$ PPP
2022OECD
More indicators for this domain are planned — see the methodology & roadmap. Missing here means not credible yet, not forgotten.