Global Reading and Math Scores Hit Record Lows in PISA 2025

Global student performance in reading and mathematics has reached its lowest point this century, according to the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025 results released by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The assessment, which tested over 760,000 15-year-olds across 91 countries and economies, revealed significant declines in core subjects, with reading scores taking the hardest hit. Across OECD member countries, average reading scores fell by 28 points between 2015 and 2025, a drop equivalent to roughly a year and a half of learning. Mathematics scores also saw a substantial decline, dropping 22 points over the same period, marking their lowest recorded average. Science scores, while more resilient, also experienced a modest slip. The OECD highlighted that increased digitalization, longer screen time, and a reduction in reading for pleasure have coincided with these weaker literacy outcomes. Researchers noted a concerning rise in "hasty readers"-students who provide quick but incorrect answers-with the proportion nearly doubling between 2018 and 2025.