Before, a field trial had been conducted to test the technical infrastructure, the background questionnaire and the cognitive items. In this article, we summarize key facts about the conduction of the survey in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway and Sweden.
Conduction of the main study for PIAAC cycle 2
PIAAC cycle 2 measures skills in literacy, numeracy and adaptive problem solving. The survey is conducted in 31 countries and there are differences between countries regarding the number of interviews and completed cognitive assessments – both with regard to the international results, but also between the Nordic and Baltic countries. The PIAAC survey consists of two parts. First, an interviewer asks the respondents questions, for example about their connection to the labour market or about participation in education and training. After this background questionnaire, the respondents complete exercises.
The table below shows the data collection period, the sample size, the number of persons contacted, as well as the number of completed background questionnaires and cognitive assessments in the Nordic and Baltic countries.
| Country | Data collection period | Sample size | Number of persons contacted | Completed background questionnaires | Completed cognitive assessments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | 24.10.2022 – 06.06.2023 | 17 700 persons | 17 700 persons | 5 067 | 4 180 |
| Estonia | 12.09.2022 – 30.04.2024 | 13 750 persons | 13 750 persons | 6 555 | 6 555 |
| Finland | 01.09.2022 – 15.06.2023 | 10 953 persons | 6 599 persons | 3 918 | 3 787 |
| Latvia | 28.10.2022 – 16.06.2023 | 27 630 household addreses in Latvia where at least one person registered in the target age group | 7 551 screener respondents | 6 544 | 5 789 |
| Norway | 01.09.2022 – 30.06.2023 | 11 700 persons | 9 980 persons | 3 989 | 3 789 |
| Sweden | 03.10.2022 – 22.06.2023 | 12 000 persons | 12 000 persons | 3 710 | 3 604 |
PIAAC is a complex survey and a certain number of respondents is required in each country. The number of collected background questionnaires ranges from more than 6 500 in Estonia and Latvia to 3 710 in Sweden. In nearly all countries, the number of completed cognitive assessments is a bit lower, as some respondents broke off the interview after completing the background questionnaire.
Originally, it was planned to conduct the main survey data collection in 2021/2022 and to publish results in the autumn of 2023. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the field trial had to be postponed with one year and this affected the timeline for the rest of the project.
Results and data for research available in December
The fact that the main study was successfully conducted implies that the launch of the results from PIAAC cycle 2 is getting closer. International results will be published on 10th of December 2024. On this date, the OECD will launch international results from the survey, and all Nordic and Baltic countries will also publish their first national reports. In 2025, the Nordic and Baltic countries are also planning to publish several thematic reports to further analyse adult skills from a Nordic-Baltic perspective. The purpose of the reports is to evaluate the effectiveness of labour market and educational policies in the Nordic and Baltic countries.
After the release of the results, data will also be available for research purposes. Since PIAAC data can be combined with data from selected registers in most of the Nordic and Baltic countries, researchers have the possibility to do longitudinal follow-up studies of the PIAAC-participants. Register data in the Nordic and Baltic countries contain, for example, information on labour force status and occupation, educational attainment and participation in formal education, as well as different types of income, such as labour market income, disposable income and social insurance benefits.