Global Educational Performance Declines
Global PISA 2025 Study Reveals Broad Declines in Reading and Math Among Students
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Key Points
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The Philippines ranked 72nd of 90 countries in reading, 74th of 90 in mathematics and 77th of 91 in science. Its average scores were 367 in reading, 371 in mathematics and 373 in science.
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Malaysia was among six systems worldwide to exceed OECD expectations in computational problem-solving, scoring 484 points. The assessment measures students’ ability to break down complex problems, identify patterns, select relevant information and organize steps toward a solution.
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South Korea’s scores were 526 in science, 522 in mathematics and 501 in reading, all above the OECD averages of 482, 463 and 461 respectively. Its Learning in the Digital World score was 538, compared with an OECD average of 500.
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Northern Ireland tested almost 3,500 students from 104 schools in September and October 2025 using computer-based assessments; its education minister described the results as a “wake-up call.”
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The PISA assessment is designed to test how 15-year-olds apply knowledge and skills to real-life situations and problem-solving, rather than their ability to recall memorized school facts. More than 760,000 students in 91 countries and economies took the 2025 assessment.
Global student performance has hit a 25-year low, according to the OECD's 2025 PISA assessment released in September 2026. Reading scores fell 28 points and mathematics scores dropped 22 points over the past decade, with nearly 29% of 15-year-olds failing to meet baseline proficiency across all three core subjects OECD. More than 760,000 students across 91 countries took the computer-based exam, revealing widening educational divides even as some developing nations made unexpected gains.
The declines expose structural weaknesses tied to digital distraction, teacher shortages, and eroding family support for education. Yet pockets of resilience emerged: South Korea dominated digital problem-solving with a score of 538, while the Philippines posted its strongest PISA performance ever, gaining 20 points in reading and 17 in science. Education leaders from the Netherlands to Northern Ireland called the results a critical wake-up call.
Reading and Math Plunge Across OECD Nations
The OECD average for reading sank to 461 points, down 28 points from a decade ago OECD. Mathematics fell to 463, a 22-point drop. Science held at 482 points. These declines signal a generational shift in how teenagers engage with academic material. Nearly three in ten students globally lack basic proficiency in reading, mathematics, and science, raising alarms among policymakers about workforce readiness and economic competitiveness.
The Netherlands recorded particularly steep losses, with reading plummeting to 441 points—far below the OECD average. ukrmedia.news reported that teenagers' reading skills have fallen to their lowest level in 25 years. Bulgarian data was especially stark: 58% of 15-year-olds failed to reach basic reading proficiency novinite.com. Dutch educators blamed severe teacher shortages and insufficient government investment in qualified instructors for the nation's historic performance gap.
South Korea Excels in Digital Skills Despite Reading Slump
South Korea remained a global education powerhouse, posting a science score of 526 and mathematics score of 522—both well above OECD averages. Its digital problem-solving score reached 538, compared to an OECD average of 500 OECD. Yet South Korean reading scores fell 14 points over the decade to 501, a puzzling gap experts linked to rising screen time and short-form video consumption among teenagers. The contradiction reveals that high-performing systems still struggle to adapt reading habits to the digital age.
whalesbook.com reported that global student performance has been driven down by digital distractions and AI misuse. South Korea's case suggests that strength in formal digital literacy and computational thinking does not automatically translate into stronger reading comprehension. Educational leaders there face pressure to rebalance classroom instruction to reclaim the ground lost to informal digital environments.
Philippines and Malaysia Chart Divergent Paths
The Philippines recorded its strongest PISA performance since joining the assessment, posting gains of 20 points in reading, 17 in science, and 16 in mathematics OECD. Though its absolute scores remain low—reading at 367, mathematics at 371, and science at 373—the trajectory signals that targeted national reforms are beginning to yield results. The nation ranked 72nd in reading, 74th in mathematics, and 77th in science out of participating countries, marking measurable domestic progress.
Malaysia showed mixed results: science and reading improved modestly, but mathematics fell 11 points OECD. Malaysian education officials attributed the mathematics decline partly to rising cyberbullying and diminishing family support for learning. A bright spot emerged in computational problem-solving, where Malaysia scored 484 points—one of only six non-OECD systems to exceed OECD expectations in this emerging competency. The divergence underscores that performance gaps stem from social and institutional challenges, not talent alone.
Top Performers Hold Ground While Others Lag
Singapore posted the highest reading score globally, followed by Beijing-Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea OECD. These high-performing jurisdictions have consolidated dominance in reading, mathematics, and science over the past decade, widening the gap between elite and struggling education systems. Northern Ireland tested nearly 3,500 students across 104 schools in September–October 2025 and saw reading and mathematics decline over ten years, prompting its education minister to call the results a "wake-up call."
theglobeandmail.com reported that Canadian students are outperforming many international peers in science, mathematics, and reading, though yahoo.com documented Israel's worst-ever PISA results in all three subjects, described as a "catastrophic event on historic scale." The 2025 cycle reveals a bifurcated global landscape: high-performing nations protect their edge through sustained investment in teachers and curriculum, while systems facing resource constraints and social disruption fall further behind.
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