Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides speaks in a September 2024 press conference. (Photo: Government of Alberta)

By David Opinko

Alberta students highest-ranked in financial literacy in global tests

Jan 22, 2025 | 11:31 AM

Students in Alberta are being heralded as having the highest levels of financial literacy in the country.

The 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) saw 20 countries, including eight Canadian provinces, take standardized tests for financial literacy.

The results show that 15-year-olds in Alberta performed the strongest globally.

Albertans had an average financial literacy testing score of 528, one point ahead of the Flemish community of Belgium. Ontario and B.C. were tied for third place globally with 521.

Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides says these are impressive results.

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“Alberta’s students’ achievement in financial literacy builds off the previously released 2022 PISA results. Across Canada, Alberta students rank first in science, reading and creative thinking and second in mathematics. Globally, Alberta students rank second only to Singapore in science, reading and creative thinking,” says Nicolaides.

He adds that financial literacy skills are important in ensuring people can make informed decisions about their finances and futures.

The Government of Alberta first introduced financial literacy programs in select schools in 2020/21 and later expanded them across the province.

“That’s why we have invested $5 million to support practical, hands-on financial literacy programming for students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 and our renewed K–6 curriculum that includes a stronger foundation in financial literacy,” says Nicolaides.

He continues, “As we look forward, we will continue to develop new curriculum for grades 7–12 and ensure financial literacy is incorporated throughout all grades where appropriate.”

The full results of the 2022 PISA tests can be found here.

READ MORE: Alberta begins consultations for junior high & career ed curriculums