1 in 2 children in Southeast Asia still lagging behind in reading; math shows slight improvement

BANGKOK, 4 December 2025 – Southeast Asia continues to face a learning crisis, with one in every two children at Grade 5 not reading at the expected level, according to new findings from the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) 2024 regional report. The report, covering six countries, provides the first post-COVID snapshot on the state of children’s learning in Southeast Asia. 

Despite years of COVID-related school closures, which affected an estimated 70 million children in Southeast Asia, and other disruptions such as climate disasters, the new findings show children's reading ability remains largely unchanged from 2019 levels, while math shows modest improvement. However, progress overall has stalled and children from disadvantaged socioeconomic, linguistic, and geographic backgrounds continue to lag behind their peers. 

“Too many children in our region are still being left behind, unable to read or count at the level they need to thrive,” said June Kunugi, UNICEF Regional Director for East Asia and the Pacific. “Without foundational literacy and numeracy skills, children are unable to progress to higher levels of education and eventually to meaningful work and a future of dignity and choice. And when children are left behind, entire communities and economies suffer.” 

The assessment measured learning outcomes for children enrolled in Grade 5 in six countries: Cambodia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines and Viet Nam. The data show mixed progress: while reading skills have stagnated and remain unchanged from 2019, children’s mathematics skills in the region have improved. However, 19% of Grade 5 students in the region still only have math skills of a Grade 3 student. 

“Foundational skills are the cornerstone of every child’s future. As evidence continues to highlight persistent disparities across our region, ensuring that every child can read with comprehension and do basic math must remain a regional policy priority for Southeast Asia”, said Datuk Dr Habibah Abdul Rahim, SEAMEO Secretariat Director. “SEA-PLM evidence provides countries with critical insights to identify learning gaps early, understand what drives them, and take action where it matters most”. 

The report’s findings show that learning gaps continue to mirror social and economic divides. Notable regional findings include: 

• Children from the lowest socioeconomic groups perform significantly worse than their wealthier peers.
• Children who do not speak the language of instruction at home face lower proficiency in both reading and mathematics.
• Rural students are consistently behind their urban peers.
• Girls outperform boys in reading in every country, with the gap widening in several contexts.
• In mathematics, performance between boys and girls is more balanced, with minimal differences. 

“A child’s family income, gender or the language they speak at home should never determine their right to learn,” added Ms Kunugi. “UNICEF urges governments to prioritize foundational learning by investing in early childhood education, catch-up programmes for children who are falling behind, and by ensuring that digital learning is safe, inclusive and accessible for every child.”  

Echoing this call, Datuk Dr Habibah, stressed that “addressing the scale and urgency of the learning crisis requires renewed political commitment from the highest levels of governance. Only with decisive leadership and whole-of-government commitment can foundational learning remain a sustained priority, and deliver lasting gains for every child in the region.” 

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For more information about SEA-PLM, visit SEA-PLM 

Read the full report here.