Over a third of students are affected by numerical illiteracy, with 16% facing significant difficulties
Numerical illiteracy is steadily increasing, from 25% in primary school to 46% in high school
Students from rural areas show the highest levels of numerical illiteracy (58.16%)
Students from the highest socio-economic status category have the lowest rates of numerical illiteracy
Bucharest, February 5, 2025: Asociația pentru Valori în Educație (AVE România) and Brio®, with the support of Apa Nova București, announce the results of the first National Report on Numerical Literacy in Romania. According to the report, which analyzed the school population across all educational levels—primary, middle, and high school—numerical illiteracy affects more than a third (36%) of students, with nearly 16% experiencing significant difficulties.
Numerical literacy refers to the ability to understand, interpret, and use mathematical information in various aspects of daily, professional, and social life. In everyday activities, this includes, among other things, the ability to calculate bank interest rates, interpret utility tariffs, compare commercial offers, or estimate costs for different products and services.
“The Mathematical Literacy Test assesses the ability to reason and apply mathematics in real-life situations. The terms ‘numerical literacy’ and ‘numeracy’ are widely used in scientific literature to describe essential numerical competencies. Through this test, we aimed to measure not only whether a student is functionally numerate but also the level of their competence, allowing for a detailed assessment across a broad spectrum, from low to advanced levels. In the absence of a clear standard defining the minimum acceptable level of numeracy, extensive data collection was necessary to empirically establish competency thresholds and ensure a rigorous evaluation. This process led to the definition of clear benchmarks for identifying both severe numerical difficulties and high performance, enabling the test to be used for initial screening and progress monitoring over time,” said Prof. Dr. Dragoș Iliescu, Chief Scientist & Founder of Brio®.
The report outlines five levels of functionality for each grade: A (excellent), B (good), C (limited), D (very limited), and E (high risk), where categories D and E represent functional numerical illiteracy, while categories A, B, and C indicate numerical functionality.
Numerical illiteracy steadily increases from an average of 25% in primary school to 36% in middle school and 46% in high school. Boys generally demonstrate a higher level of numerical functionality compared to girls, with this difference remaining consistent across all educational cycles.
Significant differences in functional numerical illiteracy were observed based on students’ backgrounds. Students from rural areas exhibit the highest levels of numerical illiteracy, at 58.16%, while those from large urban areas record the lowest levels, at 22.23%. In primary school, numerical illiteracy is already very high in rural areas (42.86%) compared to large urban areas (15.45%). These disparities persist and become more pronounced as students progress through middle and high school.
“This first edition of the National Report on Students’ Numerical Literacy in Romania shows us where we stand. For AVE, measuring students’ progress is very important, which is why we will continue to produce such reports in the coming years. We have a modern measurement tool, available online and free to all interested parties, allowing us to personalize educational approaches. In this way, we contribute to developing each student’s numerical skills, which are among the eight key competencies necessary for personal growth, lifelong learning, and professional integration. Through the School Transformation Program in Romania, we aim to support schools in developing students’ essential competencies, with mathematics playing a fundamental role in this process,” stated Andreea Nistor, Executive Director of AVE România.
The results also highlight a strong correlation between socio-economic status (SES) and the level of numerical functionality. Students from the highest socio-economic category (Q1) have the lowest rates of numerical illiteracy (D+E), while students from the lowest socio-economic category (Q4) show the highest level of numerical illiteracy, with significant differences between the extremes. In primary school, the differences are relatively smaller but become more pronounced in middle and high school, where students from Q4 are significantly more disadvantaged compared to those from Q1. For example, in high school, only 23.63% of students from Q1 fall into the functional numerical illiteracy category, compared to 69.76% from Q4.
“The involvement of companies in education is a key factor in shaping and preparing future generations of professionals. Apa Nova Bucharest – a Veolia company – takes on this role by supporting initiatives that contribute to the development of education and the integration of young people into the labor market. Through our collaboration with Asociația pentru Valori în Educație and BRIO, and by contributing to the development of practical tools such as the Mathematical Literacy Test, as well as through multiple partnerships with middle schools, high schools, and universities, we actively support projects that enhance the learning process and the development of essential skills. We strongly believe that the business environment can contribute to transforming Romania’s education system, bringing professionalism and innovation to the training of new generations,” said Irina Munteanu, an advocate for quality education from Apa Nova Bucharest, a company part of the Veolia Group.
The mathematical literacy test is available at the link: https://brio.ro/info/literatie-numerica and can be administered in the classroom by teachers, completed by students at home, or even used as a component in entrance exams or selection processes for employment.
About the National Report on Numerical Literacy
In developing the test, five major evaluation domains were defined, which are common across all school levels: algebra, statistics, geometry, measurement, and number properties. For each domain and subdomain, and for each educational cycle, approximately 100 test items were created—totaling exactly 6,681 items. Each item was presented at least 30 times (most between 70-80 times) for statistical analysis.
The pilot phase involved administering the test items to a sample of 9,719 participants, selected through proportional stratified sampling from an initial set of approximately 16,000 test administrations. These nearly 16,000 test administrations took place nationwide between October and December 2024, based on a sampling strategy that targeted nearly 600 schools across the country. The gender distribution was deliberately balanced, ensuring a 50%-50% ratio between boys and girls, while the demographic distribution covered all eight development regions of Romania.
The full report is available on the AVE România website.
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About Brio®
Brio® is the standardized digital testing platform for Romanian students. Through Brio® school tests, Romanian students in grades I-XII can objectively assess their knowledge in core school subjects and improve their exam performance.
Standardized tests are developed based on scientific measurement principles (a branch of science known as psychometrics), ensuring that questions, scoring procedures, and interpretation methods are the same for all individuals taking the test. These tests use complex statistical methods to uphold the principles of reliability and validity, meaning accuracy (lack of error) and appropriateness (fairness, covering the intended conceptual domain). As a result, they are significantly more rigorous than ad-hoc tests. The score of a standardized test is not subject to evaluator bias, as it does not depend on the leniency or strictness of the grader or on the difficulty of specific questions.
After each test, the student, along with their parent or teacher, receives an evaluation report—the Brio® Report—a detailed document that clearly breaks down the analyzed subtopics, indicating which concepts the student has already mastered and which areas require further study. This objective and actionable guidance tool is the only one of its kind on the Romanian digital education market, supporting sustained preparation and performance by precisely identifying the areas where the student needs improvement to remain competitive among their peers.
The Brio Testing System is a scientific product based on the Romanian school curriculum, designed by a team of teachers and international experts in testing and psychometrics.
About AVE (Association for Values in Education)
Asociația pentru Valori în Educație (AVE) is a non-profit organization whose main goal is to bring Romania’s education system into the top 10 in Europe by 2035. AVE aims to support the transformation of the Romanian education system into one that promotes respect, honesty, teamwork, and responsibility.
You can stay up to date with AVE’s activities by following their LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram pages.
About Apa Nova Bucharest
Since 2000, Apa Nova Bucharest, a Veolia company, has taken on the responsibility of managing water resources, treating and distributing water to consumers, and handling wastewater and stormwater drainage in Bucharest. Over the past 24 years, the city’s water supply and sewage system have been rehabilitated, modernized, and developed in accordance with best industry practices, with total investments reaching nearly 750 million euros to date. Apa Nova Bucharest serves over 2 million residents daily who are connected to the water and sewage system.
The company has made a strategic commitment to supporting a high-performing and modern educational system by engaging in projects covering all levels of education—from middle school and high school to university education. Through its partnerships, Apa Nova takes an integrated approach to education, offering:
- Internship programs within the company,
- Career guidance sessions,
- Specialist training aligned with current labor market demands (through dual education programs),
- Employment opportunities for young specialists within the company.