Asian education systems dominate global PISA 2025 rankings

17:00

By: Azzat Manal

Asian education systems dominate global PISA 2025 rankings

Asian education systems have once again taken the lead in the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), with Singapore and four Chinese regions recording the strongest performances across science, mathematics and reading, according to results released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on Tuesday.

PISA has assessed the skills of 15-year-old students every three years since 2000, focusing on three core areas: reading, mathematics and science. The emphasis of the assessment varies from one cycle to another, allowing the OECD to track changes in students’ abilities and identify broader trends in education systems worldwide.

The 2025 results confirmed the continued strength of East Asian education systems. Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang topped the science and mathematics rankings, while Singapore achieved the highest score in reading. Other high-performing systems included Macao, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, alongside Estonia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

In science, the four Chinese regions jointly recorded 597 points, well ahead of Singapore at 560. Macao followed with 541 points, Taiwan with 540 and Japan with 538. Estonia ranked next with 527 points, narrowly ahead of South Korea at 526. The United Kingdom scored 511, while Canada reached 510. New Zealand and Australia both recorded 509 points.

The OECD average for science stood at 482 points, highlighting the significant gap between the highest-performing systems and the overall average. The science assessment covers students’ understanding of physical, life and Earth sciences, as well as their ability to interpret scientific evidence and explain natural phenomena.

Mathematics produced an even stronger showing for the leading Asian systems. The four Chinese regions recorded 612 points, followed by Singapore with 563, Macao with 549, Taiwan with 546 and Japan with 525. South Korea and Hong Kong each scored 522, while Estonia reached 508. Switzerland recorded 499 points and the United Kingdom 488, compared with an OECD average of 463.

The reading results placed Singapore at the top with 535 points. The four Chinese regions followed with 527, while Taiwan scored 508, Japan 503, and both South Korea and Macao 501. Ireland recorded 500 points, Estonia 499, New Zealand 497 and the United Kingdom 494, against an OECD average of 461.

Beyond individual rankings, however, the 2025 assessment points to a broader concern: average student performance across OECD countries has fallen to its lowest level since PISA began. While science results have remained relatively stable over the past decade, mathematics and reading have experienced much more pronounced declines.

Between 2015 and 2025, the OECD average in mathematics fell by 22 points, while reading scores dropped by 28 points. Declines were also recorded among other participating education systems, although they were generally smaller. The OECD has described the deterioration in reading performance as particularly concerning because reading skills underpin learning across virtually every academic discipline.

The organisation has pointed to several possible factors behind the decline, including changing reading habits, the growing role of digital screens in young people’s lives and changes in students’ relationship with schools following the COVID-19 pandemic. The OECD does not attribute the decline to a single cause, stressing that several social and educational changes may be contributing to the overall trend.

France remained relatively close to the OECD average, although its results also showed a notable decline. French students scored 458 points in mathematics, 456 in reading and 483 in science. According to OECD education specialist Éric Charbonnier, France remains broadly comparable with countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Portugal, even as its performance has gradually weakened.

The OECD has also urged caution when comparing countries whose scores are separated by only a small number of points. Because PISA relies on samples rather than testing every student, margins of statistical error can mean that seemingly different scores are not always statistically significant. The organisation also advised particular caution when interpreting the results for Canada and New Zealand because some sampling requirements were not fully met.

The PISA 2025 findings therefore present a mixed picture of global education. While several Asian systems continue to demonstrate exceptionally strong academic performance, many OECD countries are facing persistent difficulties, particularly in mathematics and reading. The results are likely to intensify discussions about how schools can strengthen foundational skills and adapt to changing learning habits in an increasingly digital environment.