The top of the PISA table barely moved. The middle sagged. Here is the country-by-country picture behind the 2025 results, and how to read it without being fooled by a single number.
When the OECD released the PISA 2025 results, the headline was the decline: reading and math across wealthy countries hit the lowest averages the test has ever recorded. But a ranking table tells a second story underneath that one. A small group of education systems stayed far out in front while the OECD average slipped, so the gap between the top and the middle actually widened. If you want to know who leads and who fell in the OECD PISA results and their 2026 score decline, this is the country-level breakdown.
One note before the numbers, because it matters for everything below. PISA reports scores on a scale where about 20 points equals a year of learning, and many countries sit close enough together to be a statistical tie. So treat the order as bands, not a strict league ladder.
Quick Answer
Singapore and the Chinese provinces grouped as B-S-J-Z topped the 2025 PISA results across all three subjects. Estonia, Japan, Korea, Macao, Chinese Taipei, and the United Kingdom rounded out the top tier. Meanwhile the OECD averages fell to record lows of 461 in reading, 463 in math, and 482 in science, so the leaders pulled further ahead of the pack even as the overall picture got worse.
Table of Contents
Who Topped the 2025 PISA Table
The leaderboard looked familiar to anyone who has followed PISA. The highest performers were the Chinese jurisdictions of Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, reported together as B-S-J-Z, alongside Singapore. Those two traded the top spot depending on the subject.
Behind them, the same names that usually cluster near the top returned: Estonia, Japan, Korea, Macao, Chinese Taipei, and the United Kingdom all landed among the top ten systems. East Asian systems and a few small, focused European ones continue to set the pace, which is a pattern that has held across PISA cycles rather than a one-year fluke.
The 2025 Scores, Subject by Subject
The clearest way to see the spread is to put the leaders next to the OECD average. The table below shows the top score in each subject and where the average sat in 2025.
| Subject | Highest score | Second highest | OECD average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 612 (B-S-J-Z, China) | 563 (Singapore) | 463 |
| Reading | 535 (Singapore) | 527 (B-S-J-Z, China) | 461 |
| Science | 597 (China) | 560 (Singapore) | 482 |
Look at the math row for a second. The top system scored 612 against an OECD average of 463. That gap of nearly 150 points works out to several years of learning between a teenager in Shanghai and the average teenager across the developed world. Reading and science show the same shape, just a little less extreme. In science, Macao, Chinese Taipei, and Japan also cleared 538 points, keeping the top of that subject densely East Asian.
Where the Big Economies Landed
The United States sat in the middle-upper band. Its reading average of about 490 was comfortably above the OECD line and good for roughly 13th, while its math result was weaker, landing near 27th. American science held up best of the three. So the US story is uneven: strong reading and science, a soft spot in math.
The United Kingdom was the standout among large Western systems, finishing inside the top ten overall. Most of continental Europe landed nearer the OECD average, with Estonia and Finland the notable exceptions on the high side. The pattern is worth sitting with: being a big, wealthy country guarantees nothing on PISA, while small systems with focused schooling keep outperforming their size.
Who Slipped, and Why the Average Fell
The leaders holding steady is only half the picture. The reason 2025 made headlines is the broad decline underneath them. Across the OECD, reading fell about 28 points since 2015 and math about 22, both to record lows, according to the OECD’s PISA 2025 report. Science was steadier but had already drifted down over the prior decade.
That decline was widespread rather than concentrated in a few struggling systems, which is why education leaders have started calling it structural instead of a pandemic blip. We covered that shift in detail in our look at why the 2025 PISA decline now looks structural. For the rankings, the takeaway is simple: most of the movement in 2025 was downward, so a country could hold its place in the order while still scoring worse than it did a decade ago.
How to Read a PISA Ranking Without Being Misled
Rankings invite bad conclusions, so a few guardrails help. This is the part most quick-hit lists skip.
- Mind the statistical ties. Systems within a handful of points of each other are effectively level. A jump from 8th to 5th can be noise, not progress.
- Watch what is being compared. B-S-J-Z is four wealthy Chinese provinces, not all of China, so it is not a like-for-like national average.
- Separate rank from score. A country can climb the table simply because others fell, while its own score dropped. In a down year, that happens a lot.
- Remember the sample. PISA tests 15-year-olds still in school, so systems with more dropouts can look artificially strong.
None of that makes the rankings useless. It just means the honest read is comparative and cautious: who is pulling away, who is sliding, and by how much, rather than a tidy 1-to-80 ladder.
Key Takeaways
- Singapore and China’s B-S-J-Z provinces topped the 2025 PISA results in all three subjects.
- Estonia, Japan, Korea, Macao, Chinese Taipei, and the UK filled out the top tier.
- OECD averages hit record lows of 461 reading, 463 math, and 482 science.
- The US was strong in reading and science but weaker in math, near 27th.
- Treat the order as bands, since many systems are close enough to be statistically tied.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country had the highest PISA scores in 2025?
The Chinese provinces reported as B-S-J-Z and Singapore had the highest scores. B-S-J-Z led math with 612 points, Singapore led reading with 535, and China topped science with 597. The two systems traded first place depending on the subject.
What were the OECD average PISA scores in 2025?
The 2025 OECD averages were 461 in reading, 463 in mathematics, and 482 in science. All three were the lowest averages PISA has ever recorded, reflecting a broad decline across developed countries.
How did the United States rank in PISA 2025?
The US placed in the upper-middle band. Its reading average of about 490 put it around 13th and above the OECD average, while its math result was weaker at roughly 27th. Science was its strongest subject.
Why did overall PISA scores fall in 2025?
Reading fell about 28 points and math about 22 across the OECD since 2015, driven by a broad, long-running decline that predates the pandemic. Officials have linked it to weaker reading comprehension, digital distraction, and shorter attention spans rather than a single cause.
Is a higher PISA rank always better?
Not necessarily. Many systems are close enough to be statistically tied, and a country can rise in the rankings simply because others fell while its own score dropped. Rankings are most useful read as bands and trends, not as a strict ladder.
Closing Thoughts
The 2025 rankings are really two facts sitting on top of each other. A familiar set of systems, mostly East Asian plus a few sharp European performers, remains far ahead. And almost everyone else is drifting down together, which flatters the rankings of countries that are actually losing ground. If you only remember one thing, make it this: in a year when the average fell to a record low, holding your position on the table is not the same as holding your standards. For more on the results and what is driving them, see ShoutPost’s Education section.
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