This thesis investigates student factors influencing reading achievement at the 14 year old level in a cross national comparison of 15 educational systems. It involves secondary analyses of data collected in the 1970-71 Reading Comprehension Study, which was undertaken by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. The previous research into student background factors influencing reading achievement beyond the initial stages of schooling is reviewed and the research questions are operationalised. This is followed by a description of the data set employed to investigate the research questions. The underlying conceptual framework from which a model of individual student factors influencing reading achievement at the 14 year old level is developed. The factors are hypothesised to influence reading achievement on the basis of prior research, theoretical considerations and availability of information from the data set. Statistical methods in view of the aims of this study as well as the characteristics of the Reading Comprehension Study data set are discussed. As a result of these methodological considerations, partial least squares path analysis was chosen as the multivariate technique to be employed in the testing of the theoretical model specified for analysis. The resultant country specific path models for reading achievement are presented and the results from across all educational systems are reviewed. The analyses undertaken showed that the path model proposed for reading achievement was applicable cross nationally. However, the strength of factors varied across the educational systems. The amount of variance accounted for by the path model as well as that of the variance explained of the outcome measure, reading achievement, underlined the meaningfulness of the general path model of reading achievement for most educational systems. The comparatively low figures recorded for India and Iran suggests that factors outside the model, such as teacher or school level variables, may influence reading performance.