Spain sees decline in high‑performing students, PISA results fall

A new study by the Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Económicas (IVIE) shows that only 10.6% of 15‑year‑olds in Spain achieve high performance in at least one PISA competency (math, science or reading). This places the country three points below the OECD average and well behind leading education systems such as South Korea, Japan and Canada.

The share of high‑performing students fell by 1.3 percentage points between the 2015 and 2022 assessments, highlighting a widening gap. Regional disparities are pronounced: Castilla‑y‑León, La Rioja, Asturias, Madrid and Cantabria exceed the OECD benchmark, while Ceuta, Melilla, the Canary Islands and Castilla‑La Mancha fall below 7%.

Socio‑economic background drives much of the difference. Students from the most advantaged families account for only 12.9% of high performers in mathematics versus the OECD average of 19.1%. By contrast, pupils from less advantaged households perform close to the international average. Gender gaps persist, with boys out‑performing girls in mathematics (7.4% vs 4.4%) and science (5.9% vs 3.9%). The report calls for policy attention to address socioeconomic and cultural barriers to academic excellence.