Malta student PISA scores decline in core subjects

Malta’s 15-year-old students have experienced significant declines in reading, mathematics, and science according to the latest PISA international assessment. Reading scores saw the most substantial drop, falling 30 points from 445 in 2022 to 415 in 2025. Mathematics scores decreased from 466 to 439, and science scores fell from 466 to 453. All three subject averages are now below the OECD average.

The assessment, conducted by the OECD, involved 3,680 students from 46 Maltese schools. The data indicates that Malta has a higher-than-average proportion of low-performing students and a lower-than-average proportion of high-performing students. Additionally, the report noted a decline in family engagement, with weekly discussions about school-related problems dropping from 58 percent to 46 percent.

In response to the results, the political party Momentum has criticized the government, describing the scores as an ‘international verdict’ on the state of the education system. Momentum General Secretary Mark Camilleri Gambin called for an independent national review of education policies and a comprehensive literacy and numeracy recovery program, warning that falling standards could impact the country’s ability to develop a knowledge-based economy.