PISA 2025 Shows Sharp Fall in Reading and Maths

Reading and mathematics scores across OECD countries have fallen to the lowest levels recorded by PISA, raising fresh concern about whether school systems are rebuilding basic skills fast enough after years of disruption and digital change.

What the OECD found

The OECD's PISA 2025 results show a sharp decline in performance among 15-year-old students. The assessment covered more than 760,000 students in 91 countries and economies, making it the largest PISA cycle so far. Science was the main focus this time, but the most worrying signal came from reading and mathematics.

Across OECD countries, reading scores fell by 28 points between 2015 and 2025. The OECD describes that as roughly one and a half years of learning. Mathematics scores dropped by 22 points over the same period, equal to a little more than one year of learning. Outside the OECD, reading and mathematics also fell, though by smaller margins.

Science held steadier

The science picture was less severe. Average science performance across OECD countries remained broadly stable between 2022 and 2025 after a longer period of decline. That stability matters because PISA 2025 placed special attention on science and digital problem-solving.

Still, holding steady is not the same as recovering lost ground. OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said countries need to reverse declines urgently and focus on fewer priorities in greater depth. His message was that schools need stronger teaching, more targeted support and better parent engagement rather than a long list of reforms that never reach classrooms.

More students below basic levels

One of the hardest findings is the rise in low performance across all three core subjects. About one in five students in OECD countries is now classified as a low performer in science, mathematics and reading. In 2022, that figure was closer to one in six.

That shift is not just a technical education statistic. Students below basic proficiency can struggle with ordinary tasks such as understanding a simple written explanation, comparing information or using mathematics in daily decisions. The long-term risk is a generation entering higher education and the labour market with weaker foundations.

The equity gap remains

Socio-economic background still has a strong influence on results. The OECD reported that advantaged students scored 85 points higher in science than disadvantaged students across OECD countries. The gap narrowed slightly between 2022 and 2025, but the OECD noted that this was largely because advantaged students performed worse, not because disadvantaged students made major gains.

That detail matters. A smaller gap sounds encouraging only if weaker students are catching up. If higher-performing students are falling instead, the system is becoming flatter without becoming fairer or stronger.

Technology is not a shortcut

PISA 2025 also examined digital devices and artificial intelligence. The findings are cautious rather than anti-technology. Students generally did worse when digital-device use became excessive or when devices were used mostly for leisure during school hours. More than one in four students said classmates were distracted by digital devices during most or every science lesson.

The AI findings were also mixed. Students who did not use AI to draft writing assignments tended to perform better than those who did. But frequent AI users performed better when they used the tools as learning aids and had been taught how to judge AI-generated information.

What comes next

The OECD plans to release more analysis of PISA 2025 in 2027, including further findings on foreign-language assessment and learning in the digital world. For now, the immediate lesson is already clear: education systems cannot treat reading and mathematics as background skills that will recover by themselves.

The PISA results point to a deeper challenge than pandemic recovery alone. Schools are working in a world of distraction, unequal support at home and fast-changing technology. The countries that respond best will likely be those that keep the basics strong while teaching students how to use digital tools with judgement, patience and real understanding.