Full Breakdown
England Leads UK in PISA 2025 as Wales and Northern Ireland See Declines
9/8/2026, 7:48:26 PM
Core Findings from the 2025 PISA Assessment
The OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tested about 760,000 fifteen-year-olds in 91 countries in 2025. England’s results stayed steady, keeping the United Kingdom in the top-10 rankings and out-performing the United States, Australia and most European nations in reading, maths and science. Wales recorded lower averages in maths (456, down 10 points) and reading (459, down 7 points) while its science score rose modestly to 476. Northern Ireland’s averages fell below England’s: reading 482, maths 473 and science 492. Scotland’s results were largely unchanged from 2022, with modest gains in science but persistent gaps in maths proficiency.
Data & Statistics
- England: Scores above the OECD average in all three domains; specific figures not released.
- Wales: Maths 456 (-10), Reading 459 (-7), Science 476 (+3).
- Northern Ireland: Reading 482, Maths 473, Science 492.
- Scotland: Science modestly up to 476; maths and reading near 2022 levels.
- Global context: Singapore, Taiwan and the Beijing-Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang region led the rankings; the OECD noted a double-digit decline in reading scores across most member economies since 2018.
Official Statements & Responses
Scotland’s education secretary Màiri McAllan called the results “mixed but more positive” and stressed the need for change in certain areas. Wales’ education minister Anna Brychan said there would be “no knee-jerk response” and announced a Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Plan to address gaps.
Criticism & Opposition
Labour’s shadow education secretary for England Laura Trott argued that the government’s shift away from academic emphasis “beggars belief” and would hurt the most disadvantaged pupils. Reform UK Wales spokesperson Helen Jenner described the Welsh results as “stark and deeply concerning,” while Welsh Conservative spokesperson Sam Rowlands called the gap with England a “wake-up call” for the Welsh government.
On-the-Ground Reports
Students in Welsh schools noted the online format of the 2025 test. Teachers emphasized the importance of participation for benchmarking, even as the assessment sits alongside GCSEs and other national exams.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The OECD attributes the long-term reading decline to “changing attitudes towards reading” and “digital distractions,” though some experts question PISA’s influence on policy. The OECD stresses the need for “high and consistent expectations” and stronger teacher skills, while noting that limited digital use can aid learning, whereas extensive leisure use correlates with poorer outcomes. No consensus emerged on the impact of digital device policies across the United Kingdom’s constituent nations.
Verbatim Quotes
- “In science and maths, we also saw good performances, particularly for pupils in England and Northern Ireland, where scores were above the international average.” — Georgia Gould, schools minister for England
- “Overall, the data suggest weaknesses in how education systems are adapting to social, technological and economic change.” — Andreas Schleicher, OECD director for education and skills
- “We cannot say for sure but declining levels of reading for enjoyment and the shift towards digital reading – skimming social media feeds and rapidly processing information – may be compromising the ability of students to engage with complex texts and data,” — Andreas Schleicher, OECD director for education and skills
- “Telling ourselves we have a world class education system is no substitute for having a world class education system. These results show that we cannot be complacent. A highly educated population is critical to Northern Ireland’s economic prosperity and social wellbeing.” — Mr Givan, Stormont education minister
