Israeli students' PISA scores plummet to unprecedented low, new OECD report says

Spain's education system has hit record lows in international PISA assessments, with 15- and 16-year-old students falling behind in reading, mathematics, and science, according to findings released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on Tuesday. The 2025 assessment, which involved almost 30,000 Spanish pupils from 956 schools, revealed a sharp decline in all three subjects compared to the OECD average.

Spain's average score in reading fell to 451 points, while the mathematics score dropped to 457, and the science score decreased to 477. This deterioration is significant, with Spain losing 23 points in reading, 16 in mathematics, and 8 in science since the previous assessment in 2022. Looking back to 2015, the cumulative decline in reading is 45 points, in mathematics 30 points, and in science 16 points.

The report highlights that Spain's performance is below the OECD average in all three subjects and, according to broader comparisons, below the European Union average in reading and mathematics. The decline in reading comprehension is particularly concerning, as only 2% of Spanish students reach the highest levels of proficiency, compared to the OECD average of 6%. The OECD's senior analyst and PISA coordinator, Tue Halgreen, emphasized that reading is crucial for students' success across the curriculum.

The decline is not limited to reading; mathematics and science results also show a downward trend in Spain. The OECD average has also fallen over time, with mathematics performance dropping by 22 points over the past decade and science by a lesser but still notable amount. Half of Spanish students have a low level of scientific knowledge, while 28% demonstrate minimum competence, and 16% reach an intermediate level.

Regional disparities exist within Spain, with some autonomous communities performing better than others. Madrid, Castilla y León, Asturias, and Cantabria lead the regional rankings in mathematics and science, while Ceuta and Melilla record the weakest performances. The Basque Country and the Valencian Community have experienced especially sharp declines.

The assessment has also sparked controversy over the reliability of Catalonia's results, with the OECD warning that the region's data cannot be directly compared with other communities.