Lucrezia Ciotti The OECD PISA 2025 report depicts a decline in student skills, especially in reading and mathematics. Italy stands out for its above-OECD average results, but critical issues remain in science and the use of digital devices in schools.
Pisa 2025 Report: Performance at an all-time low: Reading and math take a toll
The new OECD PISA report, which involved approximately 760 fifteen-year-olds in 91 countries and economies, photographs a decline in scholastic skills , especially in reading comprehension and mathematics.
Between 2015 and 2025, average scores in OECD countries decreased by 28 and 22 points , respectively, compared to 16 and 8 points in the other education systems examined. The decline in science was more limited, at seven points in the OECD area.
As expert Eric Charbonnier explained, “ Science scores remain roughly stable, but there is a drop of more than 20 points in reading and mathematics .”
According to the organization, a 20-point difference corresponds to approximately one year of schooling. The deterioration is also evident when compared to 2022: in the OECD area, one in five fifteen-year-olds has insufficient skills in all three subjects, compared to 16% in the previous survey. Factors that could contribute to this phenomenon include increased use of screens, a decreased interest in reading, and changes in the relationship with school after the pandemic.
The survey also highlights an association between greater use of artificial intelligence and lower achievement in science , while noting that top-tier systems such as Singapore and Macau are among those where students report using it most frequently. The Chinese regions of Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang top the rankings for science and mathematics, while Singapore leads in reading; Macau, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea also perform well. In Europe, Estonia, the United Kingdom, Finland, and Ireland stand out, as do Canada and New Zealand outside the continent. Despite a "bleak" picture, the OECD emphasizes that progress in some systems demonstrates the possibility of reversing the trend.
PISA 2025 Report: Declining Skills and Distracted Students: How Italy Positions
In this context, Italy maintains overall solid results and shows signs of improvement compared to 2022. In science , the main subject of the survey, it achieves 483 points compared to the OECD average of 482 ; in reading it obtains 474 points compared to 461 , while in mathematics it stands at 468 compared to 463. The Minister of Education and Merit, Giuseppe Valditara, underlined that " For the first time we are significantly above the international average ", also highlighting the results in reading, higher than those of Finland, and in mathematics, better than those of France, Germany, the United States and Sweden.
The survey also indicates a narrowing of the gap between North and South and a share of students achieving at least the basic level, slightly higher than the OECD average. According to INVALSI President Roberto Ricci, Italy is among the select group of countries that have maintained their performance in the three subjects, while improvements compared to 2022 only concern the United Kingdom, Turkey, and the Slovak Republic; systems declining include Slovenia, Spain, and Latvia. Ricci, however, emphasizes the need to strengthen scientific excellence: 4% of Italian students achieve high results, compared to the OECD average of 7%.
The problem of technological distractions remains : 37% of Italian students report that their classmates are often distracted by digital devices during science lessons, compared to the OECD average of 28%. Italy ranks twelfth among the 83 countries ranked on this indicator, preceded by Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Bulgaria, Poland, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Paraguay, Costa Rica, and Mexico. Under the same socioeconomic conditions, students reporting these distractions score 13 points lower in science, compared to the OECD average of 11. This phenomenon persists despite the increase in bans : in 2025, they affected 63% of Italian students, compared to 46% in 2022, while in the OECD area, the percentage rose from 34% to 49%. Valditara reiterated the intention to "strengthen measures to support teachers and students," while Ricci called for continued investment in the highest-performing students.