OECD PISA 2025 reveals widespread decline in global student proficiency

PISA 2025 educational standards OECD literacy decline mathematics proficiency

The OECD PISA 2025 results reveal a widespread decline in reading and mathematics proficiency among 15-year-olds across many developed nations. Data indicates a significant drop in core competencies, with reading scores falling by 28 points and mathematics by 22 points between 2015 and 2025, representing a loss of approximately one to one and a half years of learning.

In Spain, reading scores dropped by 33 points since 2022 to 451. While equity indicators appear to improve, researchers from EsadeEcPol and Save the Children warn this is a “false good news” because the gap is narrowing primarily due to a sharp decline in high-income students' performance rather than improvements among vulnerable groups.

Other regions report significant setbacks: France fell from 26th to 27th place in global rankings, and Flanders has seen its results decline for seven consecutive cycles. In Chile, mathematics scores reached a historic low of 403 points. In response to these trends, leaders in Portugal have called for renewed educational policies to combat declining literacy and cognitive skills.

Entities

António José Seguro · Catalonia · Ecuador · Edouard Geffray · EsadeEcPol · France · OECD · Pisa · Portugal · Save the Children · Spain

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] France's ranking fell from 26th to 27th place out of 91 countries compared to 2022. lessurligneurs.eu
[● 3 SOURCES] In Portugal, only 6% of students reach excellence in Mathematics and 3% in Reading. www.dn.pt
[● 3 SOURCES] In Spain, the educational equity gap is narrowing because high-income students are declining at twice the rate of lower-income students. www.elmundo.es · eldiariodelaeducacion.com · paralalibertad.org
[● 2 SOURCES] OECD PISA 2025 data indicates a widespread decline in reading and mathematics skills among 15-year-olds in developed countries. lessurligneurs.eu · www.economiematin.fr
[○ 1 SOURCE] OECD data shows a decline of 28 points in reading and 22 points in mathematics between 2015 and 2025. www.economiematin.fr
[● 2 SOURCES] In Spain, 22% of 15-year-old students repeated a grade in 2025, matching 2022 levels. www.eldiario.es · conversesacatalunya.cat
[● 3 SOURCES] Portuguese PISA scores in Mathematics, Reading, and Science have regressed to levels similar to 2006. www.dn.pt
[● 2 SOURCES] Ecuador scored 366 in mathematics, 39 in sciences, and 385 in reading in the PISA 2025 assessment. www.expreso.ec · conversesacatalunya.cat
[DISPUTED] Spanish students' reading scores dropped by 33 points compared to 2022, reaching 451 points. eldiariodelaeducacion.com · conversesacatalunya.cat
[○ 1 SOURCE] PISA results indicate a decline in literacy rates and cognitive skills in Portugal. www.cmjornal.pt
[○ 1 SOURCE] Flanders has experienced a decline in PISA results for the seventh consecutive time. pal.be
[○ 1 SOURCE] Chile recorded its worst historical score in mathematics with 403 points. www.diarioelheraldo.cl