Filipinos average 10 years of schooling and near-universal literacy — but PISA math is lowest among peers, and so is the Human Capital Index.
Stock is not learning. Mean years trail only Malaysia; tertiary sits just behind Thailand. Don’t claim highest years or highest tertiary. Singapore is a ceiling. Laos, Myanmar and Timor-Leste have no PISA. HCI vintage is 2020.
What the comparison shows
Years in school and literacy suggest a substantial stock of education in the Philippines, but the learning and human-capital indicators show a different picture. The gap between time spent in education and measured learning is the central finding. High schooling attainment alone is insufficient evidence of the skills captured by the supplied PISA comparison.
Key findings from this pack
- PH schooling years trail Malaysia; tertiary enrolment trails Thailand among the five peers.
- Schooling stock and literacy do not establish equivalent learning outcomes.
- PH PISA mathematics and HCI are lowest among those peers.
- HCI stays at its 2020 vintage; missing PISA observations are not zeros.
The evidence: Philippines and peers
Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. Values retain their individual years; missing observations are shown as —.
| Indicator / unit | Philippines | Malaysia | Thailand | Vietnam | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean years of schoolingYears · adults aged 25+ | 102023 | 11.12023 | 92023 | 92023 | 8.72023 |
| Adult literacy% of people aged 15+ | 98.52020 | 95.82022 | 91.12022 | 96.12022 | 962020 |
| PISA mathematicsMean score · PISA 2022 | 3552022 | 4092022 | 3942022 | 4692022 | 3662022 |
| Human Capital IndexIndex 0–1 | 0.5162020 | 0.6112020 | 0.6092020 | 0.692020 | 0.542020 |
| Tertiary enrolmentGross enrolment % | 47.42024 | 38.52024 | 49.12025 | 37.62024 | 44.92023 |
| Expected years of schoolingyears | 12.82023 | 12.72023 | 15.42023 | 15.52023 | 13.32023 |
| Secondary enrolment% gross | 85.32024 | 80.32024 | 92.12025 | 93.42022 | 97.22025 |
| PISA readingscore | 3472022 | 3882022 | 3792022 | 4622022 | 3592022 |
| PISA sciencescore | 3562022 | 4162022 | 4092022 | 4722022 | 3832022 |
How to interpret the findings
PISA, schooling and the Human Capital Index describe different populations and years; HCI is a 2020 vintage. Their association cannot establish the causes of learning outcomes. Missing PISA results for Laos, Myanmar and Timor-Leste should not be assigned scores or treated as a regional bottom tier.
Coverage and context
Read row years and coverage notes; missing observations are not zero.
The table is a comparison of observations, not a combined ranking. The topic guide includes the wider SEA-11 coverage, interactive charts and full methodology.
Open education & human capital →All sources and observation years
S1 · UNDP Human Development Report 2025 Statistical Annex Table 1 (2023 values) · year 2023 · as_of 2026-09-06
S2 · World Bank WDI SE.ADT.LITR.ZS (UNESCO UIS) · year unavailable · as_of 2026-09-06
S3 · OECD PISA 2022 (via Ministry of Education Singapore Annex A) · year 2022 · as_of 2026-09-06
S4 · World Bank Human Capital Index HD.HCI.OVRL (via WDI) · year 2020 · as_of 2026-09-06
S5 · World Bank WDI SE.TER.ENRR (UNESCO UIS) · year 2023 · as_of 2026-09-06
S6 · World Bank WDI SE.SEC.ENRR (UNESCO UIS) · year 2023 · as_of 2026-09-06
S7 · World Bank WDI SE.ADT.LITR.ZS (UNESCO UIS) · year 2021 · as_of 2026-09-06
S8 · World Bank Human Capital Index HD.HCI.OVRL (via WDI) · year 2020 · as_of 2026-09-06
S9 · World Bank WDI SE.TER.ENRR (UNESCO UIS) · year 2024 · as_of 2026-09-06
S10 · World Bank WDI SE.SEC.ENRR (UNESCO UIS) · year 2024 · as_of 2026-09-06
S11 · World Bank WDI SE.ADT.LITR.ZS (UNESCO UIS) · year 2020 · as_of 2026-09-06
S12 · World Bank Human Capital Index HD.HCI.OVRL (via WDI) · year 2020 · as_of 2026-09-06
S13 · World Bank WDI SE.TER.ENRR (UNESCO UIS) · year 2023 · as_of 2026-09-06
S14 · World Bank WDI SE.SEC.ENRR (UNESCO UIS) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S15 · World Bank WDI SE.ADT.LITR.ZS (UNESCO UIS) · year 2023 · as_of 2026-09-06
S16 · OECD PISA 2022 (via Ministry of Education Singapore Annex A) · year unavailable · as_of 2026-09-06
S17 · World Bank Human Capital Index HD.HCI.OVRL (via WDI) · year 2020 · as_of 2026-09-06
S18 · World Bank WDI SE.TER.ENRR (UNESCO UIS) · year 2023 · as_of 2026-09-06
S19 · World Bank WDI SE.SEC.ENRR (UNESCO UIS) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S20 · World Bank WDI SE.ADT.LITR.ZS (UNESCO UIS) · year 2022 · as_of 2026-09-06
S21 · World Bank Human Capital Index HD.HCI.OVRL (via WDI) · year 2020 · as_of 2026-09-06
S22 · World Bank WDI SE.TER.ENRR (UNESCO UIS) · year 2024 · as_of 2026-09-06
S23 · World Bank WDI SE.SEC.ENRR (UNESCO UIS) · year 2024 · as_of 2026-09-06
S24 · World Bank WDI SE.ADT.LITR.ZS (UNESCO UIS) · year 2020 · as_of 2026-09-06
S25 · World Bank Human Capital Index HD.HCI.OVRL (via WDI) · year 2020 · as_of 2026-09-06
S26 · World Bank WDI SE.TER.ENRR (UNESCO UIS) · year 2018 · as_of 2026-09-06
S27 · World Bank WDI SE.SEC.ENRR (UNESCO UIS) · year 2018 · as_of 2026-09-06
S28 · World Bank WDI SE.ADT.LITR.ZS (UNESCO UIS) · year 2020 · as_of 2026-09-06
S29 · World Bank Human Capital Index HD.HCI.OVRL (via WDI) · year 2020 · as_of 2026-09-06
S30 · World Bank WDI SE.TER.ENRR (UNESCO UIS) · year 2024 · as_of 2026-09-06
S31 · World Bank WDI SE.SEC.ENRR (UNESCO UIS) · year 2024 · as_of 2026-09-06
S32 · World Bank WDI SE.ADT.LITR.ZS (UNESCO UIS) · year 2021 · as_of 2026-09-06
S33 · World Bank Human Capital Index HD.HCI.OVRL (via WDI) · year 2020 · as_of 2026-09-06
S34 · World Bank WDI SE.TER.ENRR (UNESCO UIS) · year 2023 · as_of 2026-09-06
S35 · World Bank WDI SE.SEC.ENRR (UNESCO UIS) · year 2023 · as_of 2026-09-06
S36 · World Bank WDI SE.ADT.LITR.ZS (UNESCO UIS) · year 2022 · as_of 2026-09-06
S37 · World Bank Human Capital Index HD.HCI.OVRL (via WDI) · year 2020 · as_of 2026-09-06
S38 · World Bank WDI SE.TER.ENRR (UNESCO UIS) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S39 · World Bank WDI SE.SEC.ENRR (UNESCO UIS) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S40 · World Bank WDI SE.ADT.LITR.ZS (UNESCO UIS) · year 2022 · as_of 2026-09-06
S41 · World Bank Human Capital Index HD.HCI.OVRL (via WDI) · year 2020 · as_of 2026-09-06
S42 · World Bank WDI SE.TER.ENRR (UNESCO UIS) · year 2024 · as_of 2026-09-06
S43 · World Bank WDI SE.SEC.ENRR (UNESCO UIS) · year 2022 · as_of 2026-09-06
S44 · World Bank WDI SE.ADT.LITR.ZS (UNESCO UIS) · year 2022 · as_of 2026-09-06
S45 · World Bank Human Capital Index HD.HCI.OVRL (via WDI) · year 2020 · as_of 2026-09-06
S46 · World Bank WDI SE.TER.ENRR (UNESCO UIS) · year 2023 · as_of 2026-09-06
S47 · World Bank WDI SE.SEC.ENRR (UNESCO UIS) · year 2020 · as_of 2026-09-06
Cite this page
ASEAN in Data (2026). Filipinos average 10 years of schooling and near-universal literacy — but PISA math is lowest among peers, and so is the Human Capital Index. /insights/education-human-capital