Italy's 2026 INVALSI Report Shows Falling School Drop‑out but Deep Math Gap in Primary Schools

The INVALSI national assessment for 2026 shows a marked reduction in school drop‑out rates, with early leavers falling to 7.3% and implicit dispersion to 6.3%, well below the EU 9% target for 2030. Minister of Education Giuseppe Valditara praised the result, saying “with the cut in dispersion 520,000 young people have a future.”

At the same time, mathematics performance in primary schools remains a critical weakness. Only about 60% of second‑ and fifth‑grade pupils reach the basic level, meaning roughly one child out of four fails to achieve basic maths skills—a three‑point drop from the previous survey and an 8‑10% decline compared with pre‑COVID levels. INVALSI president Roberto Ricci warned that “the system seems to have settled lower.”

English and digital competencies have improved across all levels, and secondary‑school results are stable or slightly better, with the South showing notable gains that narrow regional gaps. The report, presented to the Chamber of Deputies, highlights continued territorial disparities, especially in Sicily and Sardinia, and calls for increased effort to raise primary maths achievement.