OECD: PISA 2025 reveals steep decline in European students' skills

The OECD has released the PISA 2025 results showing a sharp drop in 15-year-olds' performance across European countries in mathematics, reading and science.

"The fall in student performance is confirmed in OECD countries, where average scores are the lowest ever observed in the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in mathematics and reading," the organisation said, summarising the findings from the latest round of testing. The survey found that "one in five 15‑year‑old students now has weaker results in science, mathematics and reading, compared with 16 percent in 2022."

Scope of the assessment and headline figures

PISA 2025 was the largest assessment to date, involving 760,000 students in 91 countries and economies. Worldwide, the report notes that approximately 33 million 15‑year‑olds are represented by the sample. The highest scores in the three tested domains were recorded in Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and Singapore; Estonia, Japan, Korea, Macao (China), Chinese Taipei and the United Kingdom were also among the top ten education systems.

Commenting on the trends, Eric Charbonier, an analyst in the OECD’s Directorate for Education and Skills, said: "When we look at student achievement, there really has been a significant decline over the last ten years." He added that in France, results fell by 40 points in reading comprehension and by a similar amount in mathematics between 2015 and 2025.

The report highlights specific country results in Europe. In France the organisers say performance levels are among the lowest recorded for that country in mathematics, reading and science. In Spain, half of 15‑ and 16‑year‑olds showed low levels in science on the same test, and only 28 percent reached the minimum competency level needed for everyday life and future careers. Some 30,000 Spanish students took PISA, which shows declines of 26 points in reading and 28 points in mathematics over the past decade — losses equivalent to more than one school year.

Other European systems including Portugal, Germany and the Netherlands also recorded notable setbacks. "Students are not able to understand long texts and read quickly, which is a global challenge," Tu Hallgrin, a senior OECD analyst, said. The OECD report warns that the drop in core skills may have long‑term implications for labour markets and social participation unless education systems respond.

Photo: press material from the event