The Learning Curve 2014 Report by publishing company, Pearson, measured education performance of more than 30 countries. 

The findings are complied and ranked in their Global Education index, which compares cognitive skills (international test data on reading, math and science) and educational attainment (literacy and graduation rates).

The report reveals that East Asian countries continue to outperform others. In the rankings, South Korea topped the list, followed by Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong. Canada, United Kingdom, and The Netherlands are also in the top ten. Developing countries that lack resources and are limited in education opportunities occupied the bottom of the list. Argentina ranked 37, followed by Brazil, Mexico and Indonesia. 

The report stated that improving educational performance is critical to all countries in sustaining growth, skills only improve at national level when governments, employers, schools students and parents all prioritize them. 

"Governments around the world are under pressure to deliver better learning outcomes because they are increasingly important to people's lifelong success. The rise of Pacific Asian countries, which combine effective education systems with a culture that prizes effort above inherited "smartness," is a phenomenon that other countries can no longer ignore," said Pearson's Chief Education Advisor, Michael Barber. 

The report even pointed out that making sure people taught are the right skills in early childhood is much more effective than trying to improve skills in adulthood.