IELTS Average Score Trends: Across India and Worldwide in 2025

Nehasri Ravishenbagam

3 min read

Updated On Jun 30, 2025

The IELTS average score trend across India and worldwide in 2025 is 6.0 to 6.5. Explore this comprehensive analysis of the trends based on academic vs general training, gender, module-level breakdowns, and global comparisons to understand its importance.

IELTS Average Score Trends
IELTS Average Score Trends: Across India
IELTS Average Score Trends: Worldwide
Academic vs General Training: IELTS Score Distribution Trends
IELTS Average Score Trends: Gender-Based Performance

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Understanding IELTS average score trends helps candidates to know where they stand compared to the national and global average. Since the IELTS exam is an English proficiency exam, the knowledge of the updated trends also helps to identify modules in which one needs improvement, thereby setting realistic score targets based on institutional requirements and strategically planning retakes or focusing preparation on underperforming areas.

In this article, we will explore the updated IELTS score trends in 2025 based on academic vs general training, gender, major Indian cities, and global comparisons.

Before you move on to read the global and domestic IELTS score trends in 2025, check out the video below for a short preparation plan that can help you in the long run.

IELTS Average Score Trends

Each year, IELTS releases official test statistics through its partners (Cambridge, British Council, IDP). The IELTS average scores for all modules in 2025 vary from 6.0 to 8.0. The average IELTS scores for each IELTS test component have been presented in the table below:

Module	Average Score
Reading	7.5
Writing	7
Speaking	7.5
Listening	8
Overall	7.5

What Does This Mean?

IELTS Listening has the highest average, possibly due to its objective nature and manageable task types (multiple choice, matching).
The reading scores are lower, especially in General Training, as many test-takers find time pressure challenging.
The writing and speaking modules are scored by human examiners and tend to reflect lower averages due to subjective complexity and test anxiety.

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IELTS Average Score Trends: Across India

India consistently ranks among the top IELTS test-taking countries. Let’s look at the national IELTS average score trends reported for 2025.

Test Type	Overall Band	Listening	Reading	Writing	Speaking
Academic	6.2	6.3	6.1	5.9	6.0
General Training	6.3	6.4	6.2	6.0	6.1

As seen in the above table, Indian test-takers perform best in the listening module, likely due to exposure to English media and music. IELTS Writing remains the most challenging module, where candidates often struggle with coherence, grammar, and vocabulary.

Moreover, the General Training scores are slightly higher on average, as tasks are more familiar and less academically demanding. Therefore, Indian candidates aiming for a 7.0+ band should focus on improving academic-style writing and time-bound reading.

IELTS Average Score Trends Across Top Indian Cities (2025)

Given below is a detailed table showing IELTS average score trends across top Indian cities in 2025. These are estimated averages derived from regional data, prep success rates, and centre-wise performance reports.

City	Overall Band	Listening	Reading	Writing	Speaking
Delhi	6.5	6.6	6.4	6.2	6.4
Mumbai	6.4	6.5	6.3	6.1	6.3
Bangalore	6.6	6.7	6.5	6.3	6.4
Chennai	6.4	6.5	6.3	6.0	6.3
Hyderabad	6.3	6.4	6.2	6.0	6.2
Pune	6.5	6.6	6.4	6.2	6.3
Kolkata	6.2	6.3	6.1	5.9	6.1
Ahmedabad	6.1	6.2	6.0	5.8	6.0
Jaipur	6.2	6.3	6.1	5.9	6.1
Lucknow	6.0	6.1	6.0	5.7	6.0

IELTS Average Score Trends: Worldwide

The average IELTS score trends vary considerably by country, reflecting differing levels of English proficiency. The table below provides average IELTS scores by nationality of the candidates for 2025.

Country	Reading	Listening	Writing	Speaking	Overall
Germany	7.7	7.9	6.3	7.4	7.4
Canada	6.9	7.2	6.1	7.2	6.9
France	7.1	7.0	5.9	6.6	6.7
China	6.2	5.9	5.5	5.4	5.8
Cambodia	5.6	5.9	5.5	5.8	5.8
Brazil	7.0	6.8	5.9	6.7	6.7
Greece	7.3	7.5	6.1	6.8	7.0
Colombia	6.8	6.5	5.8	6.5	6.5
Egypt	6.4	6.8	5.8	6.5	6.4
Korea	6.3	6.3	5.6	5.8	6.0
Indonesia	6.7	6.8	5.8	6.3	6.5
Japan	6.1	5.9	5.5	5.5	5.8
Jordan	6.1	6.4	5.6	6.5	6.2
Hong Kong	6.9	7.1	6.0	6.3	6.6
Italy	7.3	7.0	5.9	6.6	6.8
Kuwait	5.2	5.6	5.1	5.9	5.5
Oman	5.0	5.1	5.1	5.5	5.2
Mexico	6.7	6.6	5.8	6.5	6.5
Malaysia	7.1	7.4	6.1	6.8	6.9
Nigeria	6.5	7.0	6.2	7.2	6.8
Nepal	5.8	6.3	5.6	5.8	5.9
Philippines	6.8	7.3	6.1	6.8	6.8
Russia	6.9	7.0	6.0	6.7	6.7
Saudi Arabia	5.2	5.4	5.0	5.8	5.4
Qatar	5.1	5.6	5.0	5.8	5.4
Spain	7.3	7.2	6.0	6.8	6.9
Sri Lanka	6.2	6.6	5.8	6.5	6.3
Taiwan	6.3	6.3	5.6	6.0	6.1
Turkey	6.5	6.6	5.7	6.2	6.3
Thailand	6.1	6.4	5.5	5.9	6.0
United Arab Emirates	4.8	5.0	4.7	5.4	5.1
Ukraine	6.6	6.7	5.8	6.5	6.5
Vietnam	6.3	6.2	5.7	5.7	6.1

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Academic vs General Training: IELTS Score Distribution Trends

IELTS offers two main formats:

IELTS Academic: For higher education or professional registration.
IELTS General Training: For migration and work.

The table below provides average IELTS score trends based on IELTS Academic vs. General Training in 2025.

Format	Global Distribution	India Distribution (Est.)
Academic	76%	~70%
General Training	24%	~30%

Since the academic tests are more rigorous, candidates applying to universities should prepare with this in mind.

IELTS Average Score Trends: Gender-Based Performance

Gender-based data reveals slight but consistent differences in performance. While 51.55% of the total IELTS test takers were female, male test takers round up to 48.45% of the total test takers.

Given below is the mean performance by gender in the IELTS Academic:

Gender	Reading	Listening	Writing	Speaking	Overall
Female	6.50	6.29	5.96	6.18	6.30
Male	6.50	6.22	5.88	6.10	6.24

Given below is the mean performance by gender in the IELTS General Training:

Gender	Reading	Listening	Writing	Speaking	Overall
Female	6.86	6.37	6.29	6.71	6.62
Male	6.78	6.30	6.14	6.59	6.51

To sum up, the IELTS exam reflects broader educational, cultural, and socioeconomic factors. Language competency plays a key role in a person’s ability to integrate into both the community and the workplace abroad. Whether you are a student aiming for a scholarship, a migrant seeking PR, or an institution benchmarking applicants, understanding these trends is key to smart decision-making. Therefore, find online learning resources, like free IELTS practice tests, that can help you keep up to date on your learning and seek help from IELTS experts to provide you with guidance on how to prepare for the test. Join today to begin your IELTS journey!

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average IELTS score in India in 2025?

The overall average IELTS score in India in 2025 for the Academic module stands at 6.2, while the General Training module averages 6.3. A closer look at the module-wise scores reveals that Listening leads with an average of 6.3, followed closely by Reading at 6.2 and Speaking at 6.1, followed by Writing with an average of 5.9.

How is One Skill Retake affecting average score patterns in 2025?

Average scores in 2025 are slightly higher in Speaking and Writing due to One Skill Retake (OSR) usage, while candidates scoring 6.5–7.0 overall now use OSR to boost a single low band, often in the writing module. Many universities and immigration bodies now accept OSR, helping candidates improve final averages without retaking all modules.