Spain records historic low in PISA educational rankings

Spain has recorded its worst historical results in the PISA report, showing a widespread decline in reading comprehension, mathematics, and science. Some reports suggest students have lost the equivalent of two years of learning over the last decade, attributing the decline to the LOMLOE law.

Regional disparities are significant. While the Community of Madrid leads the national classification in several categories, the Basque Country faces criticism as its high per-pupil investment—reaching 11,880 euros—has not prevented it from falling to the bottom of regional rankings in reading and science. Similarly, Asturias has seen a decline in student performance.

Experts suggest the drop in reading comprehension is driven by a combination of cultural, educational, and technological factors. The prevalence of short, fragmented digital content and recreational screen use is noted as a potential contributor to the weakening of cognitive skills required for deep reading and information integration.