OECD report shows global teen reading scores at lowest level since 2000

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reports that global teenage reading proficiency has dropped to its lowest level since 2000. The assessment, which tested 760,000 15-year-olds across 91 countries, found that students are reading at a level previously expected of students one year younger.

OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann attributed the decline to increased screen time and a reduction in reading for pleasure. The report noted that digital distraction is linked to lower science scores in 59 of the 82 education systems studied, with many students reporting that devices distract their classmates during lessons.

This decline in literacy has also impacted other core subjects. Science scores fell from a 2009 high of 506 to 486, while mathematics scores dropped from 502 to 469. Interestingly, the study found that reading scores fell more sharply among students from better-off backgrounds. East Asian regions, including China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan, remained the top performers, with Britain and Estonia also ranking in the top 10.