{
  "id": 6304485,
  "title": "Spain’s PISA scores fall to record lows as reading, maths and science decline",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/spains-pisa-scores-fall-to-record-lows-as-reading-maths-and-science",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-08T17:47:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Spain in English",
    "slug": "spain-in-english",
    "url": "https://www.spainenglish.com/2026/09/08/spains-pisa-scores-fall-to-record-lows-as-reading-maths-and-science-decline/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.\n\nSpain'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.\n\nThe 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.\n\nThe 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.\n\nRegional 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.",
  "summary": "Spain’s education system has recorded its weakest results since the international PISA assessments began in 2000, with 15- and 16-year-old students losing ground in reading, mathematics and science and falling below the average performance of OECD countries in all three subjects. The findings, published on Tuesday by the Organisation for... The post Spain’s PISA scores fall to record lows as…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Local Sweden",
        "title": "Swedish results in maths, reading and science plummet to historic low in new Pisa poll",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/swedish-results-in-maths-reading-and-science-plummet-to-historic-low",
        "published": "2026-09-08T07:58:50.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Euronews",
        "title": "Pupils' reading and maths skills slump across the world as digitalisation soars, PISA study shows",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/pupils-reading-and-maths-skills-slump-across-the-world-as",
        "published": "2026-09-08T10:05:06.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Rise in Pisa science, reading scores, decline in maths",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/rise-in-pisa-science-reading-scores-decline-in-maths",
        "published": "2026-09-08T10:19:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Euro Weekly News",
        "title": "British families face hard truth as Spain’s pupils fall up to two years behind UK",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/british-families-face-hard-truth-as-spains-pupils-fall-up-to-two",
        "published": "2026-09-08T10:39:30.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Local Spain",
        "title": "Spain plummets to record low in PISA education report",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/spain-plummets-to-record-low-in-pisa-education-report",
        "published": "2026-09-08T11:53:54.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Olive Press",
        "title": "Spain’s school results hit rock bottom as pupils fall more than TWO YEARS behind British children in reading",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/spains-school-results-hit-rock-bottom-as-pupils-fall-more-than-two",
        "published": "2026-09-08T15:57:54.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Haaretz",
        "title": "Israeli students' PISA scores plummet to unprecedented low, new OECD report says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/israeli-students-pisa-scores-plummet-to-unprecedented-low-new-oecd",
        "published": "2026-09-08T18:15:53.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}