OECD PISA 2025 report shows lowest global scores as France loses 43 points in reading
The OECD released its ninth PISA survey across 91 education systems on 8 September 2026, recording the lowest average results to date while Asian systems retained the top rankings.
Global findings across 91 education systems
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) presented the results of its ninth Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) on 8 September 2026. The triennial survey assessed 760,000 15-year-old pupils across 91 countries and economies, testing skills in mathematics, reading comprehension, and science. Singapore and four Chinese provinces led the global rankings, with Japan and South Korea also maintaining top positions. In Europe, Estonia achieved fourth place in science, while the United Kingdom placed sixth. However, the OECD recorded the lowest overall average performance since the study began in 2000. Reading comprehension exhibited the steepest global drop, prompting Andreas Schleicher, head of the OECD education directorate, to reiterate that learning declines extend well beyond the immediate disruption of the pandemic.
- OECD launches the first PISA study to assess 15-year-old student skills.
- PISA survey measures widespread declines initially linked to Covid-19 disruptions.
- OECD publishes the ninth PISA edition covering 760,000 students in 91 systems.
French scores reach lowest recorded levels in math and reading
France recorded its lowest scores in reading comprehension and mathematics since the PISA survey began, while remaining close to the broader OECD average. Long-term metrics also showed a 20-year decline in science capabilities, although science scores held up better than reading and mathematics. Education analyst Eric Charbonnier noted that the downward trajectory, already observed between 2018 and 2022, has reduced the proportion of high-achieving students across the country. Between 2015 and 2025, French students lost 43 points in reading and 35 points in mathematics.
Baptiste Larseneur, an education expert at Institut Montaigne, contrasted this drop with international trends:
Between 2015 and 2025, France lost 43 points in reading and 35 points in mathematics. A much sharper drop than that observed in other OECD countries, which record an average decrease of 27 points in reading and 24 points in mathematics.
- France (reading)
- 43 points
- OECD average (reading)
- 27 points
- France (mathematics)
- 35 points
- OECD average (mathematics)
- 24 points
Behavioural shifts and student engagement
Analysis of computer-based test responses revealed notable behavioural changes among students between 2018 and 2025. When confronted with long texts or questions requiring deeper evaluation and reflection, 15-year-olds exerted less effort and achieved lower success rates. Students answered questions significantly faster and made more errors than in past assessment cycles. Analysts linked this shift to the omnipresence of smartphones, social networks, and artificial intelligence, alongside an erosion of reading for pleasure. In contrast, French pupils maintained an enthusiasm for science learning, which students perceive as modern and accessible, helping cushion the subject against steeper drops.
Classroom practices and policy reactions
The 2025 data generated scrutiny regarding instructional methods and curriculum delivery in France. While France schedules more instructional time for fundamental subjects on paper than other OECD countries, questions remain about effective classroom learning time. Educational specialists pointed to teaching habits whose efficacy remains contested by scientific research, including reading instruction inspired by semi-global methods. In response to the findings, French Minister of National Education Édouard Geffray addressed the need to reform middle school education:
We should have asked ourselves earlier about the measures to take for middle school.
