In an increasingly globalized world, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) stands as a critical bridge connecting non-native English speakers to opportunities around the world.
Each year, millions of hopefuls sit for this exam, their scores opening doors to education, careers, and immigration. In this post, we delve into the intricate world of IELTS by examining the data from 2022.
Our aim is not just to present the numbers, but to unravel the stories they tell. The patterns, the shifts, the highs, and the lows, all painting a picture of a dynamic landscape shaped by various factors.
We will scrutinize the average scores, discuss the regions that have shown remarkable improvement, and those that need to catch up.
By understanding this data, we can provide crucial insights for educators, policymakers, test-takers, and anyone with a stake in English language proficiency.
So, whether you’re a student looking to ace your next IELTS test or an educator aiming to better support your students, this exploration of the 2022 IELTS scorecard will offer valuable perspectives.
All of this data is imported from the official website of IELTS. We just presented it in more readable format.
Here is the Summary of IELTS Score
On average, female test-takers outperformed their male counterparts. Girls managed to secure an average score of 6.28 bands, while boys trailed slightly behind with an average score of 6.22 bands.
Among all countries, Spain achieved the highest IELTS score. The average Score is 7.1. Malaysia is just behind the Spin with average score of 7.0 Bands. Oman has the lowest IETLS Score 5.3 Bands.
Worldwide Average IELTS Score is 6.3: Average Listening is 6.5, Reading is 6.3, Writing is 5.9 and Speaking is 6.3
When it comes to native languages, German speakers lead the way in IELTS scores, achieving an overall result of 7.6 bands. Following closely are native Greek speakers, with an overall score of 7.1 bands.
On the other end of the spectrum, Uzbek and Punjabi native speakers face more challenges. The average score for Uzbeks is the lowest at 5.9 bands, closely followed by Punjabi native speakers, with an average of 5.8 bands.
The 2022 IELTS data also unveils a significant correlation between the test-takers’ reason for registration and their score. Among those registering as a doctor or nurse, a remarkable 92% achieved a score of 6 or more bands. In contrast, test-takers enrolled for short higher education courses (3 months or less) demonstrated a lower likelihood of reaching the same benchmark, with only 60% scoring 6 or more bands.
IELTS Score by Country
| Sr. No. | Country | Listening Band score | Reading Band score | Writing Band Score | Speaking Band score | Overall band Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain | 7.4 | 7.4 | 6.3 | 6.9 | 7.1 |
| 2 | Malaysia | 7.5 | 7.2 | 6.4 | 6.8 | 7 |
| 3 | Brazil | 7 | 7.2 | 6.1 | 6.9 | 6.9 |
| 4 | Italy | 7.2 | 7.5 | 6.2 | 6.7 | 6.9 |
| 5 | Russian Federation | 7.2 | 7.2 | 6.2 | 6.8 | 6.9 |
| 6 | France | 7 | 7.1 | 6.2 | 6.6 | 6.8 |
| 7 | Philippines | 7.2 | 6.6 | 6.2 | 6.8 | 6.8 |
| 8 | Zimbabwe | 7 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 7.3 | 6.8 |
| 9 | Ghana | 6.8 | 6.2 | 6.3 | 7.1 | 6.7 |
| 10 | Hong Kong, SAR Of China | 7.1 | 6.9 | 6.2 | 6.3 | 6.7 |
| 11 | Indonesia | 7 | 6.9 | 6.1 | 6.4 | 6.7 |
| 12 | Nigeria | 6.8 | 6.4 | 6.3 | 7.1 | 6.7 |
| 13 | Colombia | 6.7 | 6.9 | 6 | 6.6 | 6.6 |
| 14 | Egypt | 7 | 6.5 | 6 | 6.7 | 6.6 |
| 15 | Kenya | 6.8 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 7 | 6.6 |
| 16 | Mexico | 6.8 | 6.8 | 5.9 | 6.5 | 6.6 |
| 17 | Myanmar | 6.9 | 6.7 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 6.6 |
| 18 | Iran | 6.7 | 6.4 | 6 | 6.7 | 6.5 |
| 19 | Turkey | 6.8 | 6.7 | 6 | 6.3 | 6.5 |
| 20 | Jordan | 6.7 | 6.2 | 5.9 | 6.6 | 6.4 |
| 21 | Sri Lanka | 6.7 | 6.2 | 6 | 6.4 | 6.4 |
| 22 | Kazakhstan | 6.5 | 6.4 | 5.8 | 6.1 | 6.3 |
| 23 | India | 6.6 | 6 | 5.9 | 6.1 | 6.2 |
| 24 | Korea, Republic Of | 6.5 | 6.4 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 6.2 |
| 25 | Pakistan | 6.5 | 6.1 | 5.9 | 6.2 | 6.2 |
| 26 | Vietnam | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6 | 5.8 | 6.2 |
| 27 | Bangladesh | 6.3 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 6.1 | 6.1 |
| 28 | Bhutan | 6.2 | 5.7 | 6 | 6.3 | 6.1 |
| 29 | China | 6.1 | 6.4 | 5.8 | 5.6 | 6.1 |
| 30 | Nepal | 6.5 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 6.1 |
| 31 | Thailand | 6.3 | 6.1 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 6.1 |
| 32 | Cambodia | 6.1 | 5.8 | 5.7 | 6 | 5.9 |
| 33 | Japan | 6 | 6.1 | 5.7 | 5.5 | 5.9 |
| 34 | Saudi Arabia | 5.9 | 5.5 | 5.3 | 6.1 | 5.8 |
| 35 | Uzbekistan | 6 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 5.7 | 5.8 |
| 36 | Kuwait | 5.6 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 5.8 | 5.5 |
| 37 | Qatar | 5.7 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.9 | 5.5 |
| 38 | United Arab Emirates | 5.5 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.7 | 5.4 |
| 39 | Oman | 5.2 | 5 | 5.3 | 5.6 | 5.3 |
| Worldwide Average | 6.5 | 6.3 | 5.9 | 6.3 | 6.3 |
Some Key facts
- Spain has the Highest IELTS Score Overall. Malaysia which is the second highest IELTS Score Country perform better than Spain except reading.
- Over all Gulf Countries struggle perform the lowest score. UAE and Oman are lowest perfuming countries with average band score of 5.4 and 5.3
- India that is home to most English-speaking people is ranked on 23rd position with average score of 6.2 Bands.
- The Worldwide average IELTS Score is 6.3 Bands. (6.5 L, 6.3 R, 5.9 W, 6.3 S) Most people struggle with writing.
- Hong Kong which is part of China is ranked on the 10th position however China itself ranked at 29th position.
IELTS Score by First Language
| Sr. No. | Language | Listening Band Score | Reading Band Score | Writing Band Score | Speaking Band Score | Overall result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | 8.1 | 7.8 | 6.6 | 7.5 | 7.6 |
| 2 | Greek | 7.6 | 7.3 | 6.4 | 6.9 | 7.1 |
| 3 | Italian | 7.2 | 7.5 | 6.2 | 6.6 | 6.9 |
| 4 | Portuguese | 7.2 | 7.2 | 6.2 | 7 | 6.9 |
| 5 | English | 7.1 | 6.6 | 6.3 | 7 | 6.8 |
| 6 | Filipino | 7.2 | 6.7 | 6.2 | 6.8 | 6.8 |
| 7 | French | 6.9 | 7 | 6.1 | 6.7 | 6.7 |
| 8 | Kannada | 7.1 | 6.5 | 6.2 | 6.7 | 6.7 |
| 9 | Marathi | 7.1 | 6.5 | 6.2 | 6.6 | 6.7 |
| 10 | Russian | 6.9 | 6.8 | 6 | 6.5 | 6.7 |
| 11 | Spanish | 6.9 | 7 | 6.1 | 6.7 | 6.7 |
| 12 | Tagalog | 7 | 6.5 | 6.1 | 6.7 | 6.7 |
| 13 | Yoruba | 6.7 | 6.4 | 6.3 | 7 | 6.7 |
| 14 | Akan | 6.8 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 7.1 | 6.6 |
| 15 | Burmese | 6.9 | 6.7 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 6.6 |
| 16 | Ibo/lgbo | 6.7 | 6.2 | 6.3 | 7 | 6.6 |
| 17 | Indonesian | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.1 | 6.4 | 6.6 |
| 18 | Swahili | 6.7 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.9 | 6.6 |
| 19 | Farsi | 6.7 | 6.4 | 6 | 6.7 | 6.5 |
| 20 | Tamil | 6.8 | 6.3 | 6 | 6.4 | 6.5 |
| 21 | Turkish | 6.8 | 6.7 | 6 | 6.3 | 6.5 |
| 22 | Hindi | 6.9 | 6.3 | 6 | 6.3 | 6.4 |
| 23 | Malayalam | 6.7 | 6.3 | 6 | 6.3 | 6.4 |
| 24 | Singhalese | 6.7 | 6.3 | 6 | 6.4 | 6.4 |
| 25 | Telugu | 6.6 | 6.1 | 5.9 | 6.3 | 6.3 |
| 26 | Urdu | 6.6 | 6.1 | 5.9 | 6.3 | 6.3 |
| 27 | Kazakh | 6.4 | 6.3 | 5.8 | 6.1 | 6.2 |
| 28 | Korean | 6.5 | 6.4 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 6.2 |
| 29 | Vietnamese | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6 | 5.8 | 6.2 |
| 30 | Bengali | 6.3 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 6.2 | 6.1 |
| 31 | Chinese | 6.2 | 6.5 | 5.8 | 5.7 | 6.1 |
| 32 | Dzongkha | 6.2 | 5.7 | 6 | 6.3 | 6.1 |
| 33 | Gujurati | 6.5 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 5.9 | 6.1 |
| 34 | Nepali | 6.5 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 6.1 |
| 35 | Thai | 6.3 | 6.1 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 6 |
| 36 | Arabic | 6 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 6.1 | 5.9 |
| 37 | Japanese | 6 | 6.1 | 5.7 | 5.5 | 5.9 |
| 38 | Punjabi | 6.2 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.7 | 5.9 |
| 39 | Uzbek | 6 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.8 |
| 40 | Other | 6.8 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 6.9 | 6.6 |
Some Key facts
- German native speakers has the highest IELTS Score Over all result 7.6
- Spain ranked highest IELTS Score by country however language wise it ranked on 11th position
- India that is home to many languages, each language native speakers has huge difference in raking. For example, Tamil native speakers are at the 20th position while Hindi native speakers are ranked at 22. Punjabi native speaker is ranked at 38.
- Since Gulf Countries are ranked lowest in the table (IELTS by Countries) corresponding to that Arabic is ranked at 36th position with over all score of 5.9
- English native speaker ranked on the 5th position behind the Portuguese language.
IELTS Performance by Gender
| Gender | Listening Band Score | Reading Band Score | Writing Band Score | Speaking Band Score | Overall Band Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 6.51 | 6.26 | 5.95 | 6.17 | 6.28 |
| Male | 6.52 | 6.20 | 5.86 | 6.06 | 6.22 |
Key Points
- Girls score is slightly better than boys.
- Male perform better than Females in Listening
Reason For Taking IELTS
| Band score | ||||||||||||
| Reason | Below 4 | 4 | 4.5 | 5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 |
| For employment | 1% | 1% | 3% | 6% | 12% | 18% | 22% | 20% | 12% | 5% | 1% | 0% |
| For higher education extended course (three months or more) | 0% | 1% | 2% | 7% | 17% | 25% | 20% | 13% | 9% | 4% | 1% | 0% |
| For higher education short course (three months or less) | 1% | 1% | 4% | 10% | 21% | 27% | 17% | 9% | 5% | 2% | 0% | 0% |
| For immigration | 1% | 1% | 2% | 6% | 15% | 23% | 21% | 15% | 10% | 6% | 2% | 0% |
| For other education purposes | 1% | 1% | 3% | 8% | 17% | 23% | 19% | 13% | 9% | 4% | 1% | 0% |
| For personal reasons | 1% | 1% | 4% | 10% | 18% | 23% | 19% | 13% | 8% | 3% | 1% | 0% |
| For professional registration (NOT medical) | 0% | 0% | 1% | 2% | 6% | 11% | 19% | 23% | 21% | 13% | 3% | 0% |
| For registration as a dentist | 0% | 1% | 1% | 5% | 7% | 14% | 20% | 23% | 17% | 9% | 2% | 0% |
| For registration as a doctor | 0% | 0% | 1% | 2% | 4% | 7% | 11% | 19% | 25% | 23% | 7% | 0% |
| For registration as a nurse (including CGFNS) | 0% | 0% | 1% | 2% | 6% | 17% | 29% | 28% | 14% | 4% | 0% | 0% |
| (Other) | 1% | 2% | 5% | 10% | 17% | 20% | 18% | 13% | 9% | 4% | 1% | 0% |
Some Key Points
- The 2022 IELTS score data reveals insightful patterns when we observe the test-takers’ reasons for registration. For employment, the highest concentration of scores is at 6 and 6.5 bands, accounting for 40% of the participants. For both long-term and short-term higher education courses, a majority of participants score between 5.5 and 6.5 bands.
- For immigration purposes, the scores are more evenly spread, with 6 and 6.5 bands being the most common. Other education purposes, personal reasons, and ‘other’ categories also have their major concentration around the 5.5 to 6 band range.
- The pattern shifts significantly when we look at professional registration. For non-medical professions, a majority lean towards higher scores of 6.5 to 8 bands. A similar trend is seen in registrations for dentists and doctors, but with an even stronger lean towards the 7 to 8.5 band range.
- Intriguingly, the majority of nurses (including CGFNS) score between 6 and 7.5 bands.
Final Words
Looking at the comprehensive picture presented by the 2022 IELTS data, we notice some key trends and patterns.
Firstly, it’s noteworthy how the purpose behind taking the IELTS can greatly influence the scores. Those seeking professional registration, particularly in medical fields, tend to have higher scores, which might be attributed to their high-stakes career requirements demanding a higher proficiency in English. This illustrates the critical role that motivation plays in language acquisition.
In terms of gender performance, although there is a slight edge for females, the differences are not significant enough to draw broad conclusions. Both genders are almost equally adept in various components of the exam, illustrating that gender is less of a determinant factor in language proficiency.
As for the scores based on the native language, it’s fascinating to see how linguistic backgrounds can impact IELTS scores. As might be expected, German speakers, who hail from a country known for its excellent education system, achieve the highest scores. Meanwhile, speakers of languages vastly different from English, like Punjabi and Uzbek, face more challenges. This underscores the potential influences of linguistic relativity and second language acquisition challenges.
Country-wise, Spain and Malaysia leading the list might come as a surprise to some, considering English is not the first language in these countries. On the other hand, India, despite having a large English-speaking population, is ranked 23rd, which might point to the disparities in English proficiency within the country.
It’s also interesting to see how different countries perform in the individual categories of Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Generally, test-takers seem to struggle more with Writing, a trend that is consistent across many countries.
In conclusion, the IELTS score data offers rich insights into English language proficiency across different demographics. It reflects a confluence of factors such as educational standards, motivation, exposure to English, and linguistic backgrounds. As we move forward in an increasingly interconnected world, these insights can serve as a roadmap for individuals, educators, and policy makers alike, helping improve teaching methods, examination strategies, and language policies around the globe.
