Global student assessment finds reading, maths and science scores at century lows
OECD data from 760,000 students in 91 countries showed declining literacy, mathematics and science performance, with digital distraction linked to lower results.
Nicosia, Cyprus. Teenagers are reading at the weakest levels recorded this century, contributing to a broader decline in education, according to a global student assessment by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
The OECD’s 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment examined 760,000 15-year-olds in 91 countries and found reading, mathematics and science scores at their lowest levels since data collection began in 2000.
Reading decline
On average, students were reading at a level previously expected of pupils one year younger, according to the assessment released on Tuesday.
The PISA reading score fell from a high of 501 in 2012 to 466 last year. The test is widely regarded as a leading international measure of educational performance and is closely examined by governments and educators.
“In reading, more screen time and less reading for pleasure have gone hand in hand with weaker results,” OECD head Mathias Cormann said at a press conference.
“We’re also seeing more hasty reading, students rushing through a text and giving a quick wrong answer.”
The study said reading scores declined more sharply among students from better-off backgrounds.
Maths and science results
Falling reading standards were accompanied by the lowest average teenage science and mathematics skills of the century.
Science scores declined from a high of 506 in 2009 to 486, while mathematics scores fell from 502 to 469 over the same period.
Regional performance and digital distraction
East Asia was the best-performing region. Participating Chinese cities, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan recorded the strongest education systems, while Britain and Estonia were the only countries outside the region to rank in the top 10 for reading, mathematics and science.
The report did not endorse smartphone bans in schools. However, it found that digital distraction was linked to lower science scores in 59 of the 82 education systems studied.
More than one in four students said devices distracted classmates during science lessons.
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