Australia’s mean PISA score has fallen steadily and significantly over the past two decades in reading (-4.3% in mean scores since 2006) and especially in maths (-8.2%). In science, Australia hit a low point in 2018 and then made a partial recovery in 2022 and 2025, with consistently higher scores than for reading or maths.

Globally, mean PISA scores have fallen everywhere over the past two decades, with only a handful of recent exceptions. This has seen Australia’s PISA ‘ranking’ improve, even though our scores deteriorated. In reading, Australia ranked 10^th in 2025, up from 12^th place in 2022. In maths, Australia ranked 16^th in 2025, up slightly from 17^th in 2022.¹ 

Reflecting this steep decline in mean scores, a growing proportion of students are falling into the lowest PISA performance range (PISA level 2 or lower, or 409 points, on a 6-level scale), with correspondingly fewer high-achievers (level 5 or higher). PISA proficiency Level 2 is the minimum required for functional literacy and numeracy.

The deterioration in our maths performance is especially stark. 29% of Australian students participating in PISA scored level 2 or lower in 2025, compared to 13% in 2006. Conversely, only 10% scored level 5 or higher in PISA in 2025, compared to 20% in 2006.

In reading, 23% of Australian students participating in PISA achieved level 2 or lower in 2025, compared to 13% with a low reading score in 2006.

This indicates that a very significant – and growing – share of Australian teens are falling behind, to a degree that affects their ability to engage, participate and prosper. If it is not addressed, low literacy and numeracy can form a permanent barrier to participation in subsequent formal education, workplace training and life-long learning.

• Socio-economic status is one of the most significant and persistent predictors of PISA performance within Australia and globally, but it does not account for all of it. In 2025, socio-economic status accounted for 9% of the variation in science performance scores in Australia and 12% on average across OECD countries. The socio-economic gap narrowed in Australia over the decade to 2025, but this was due to a larger decline in performance among advantaged students.
• High spending per student does not guarantee high performance, at a national level. The OECD notes that: “national wealth accounts for just half of the variation in countries’ performance. … good policies and wise spending choices are far stronger predictors for performance”. For example, the wealthy enclave of Luxembourg spent the most per student in 2025 (US$288,521), but ranked 35^th for reading and 34^th for maths, well behind several European neighbouring countries that spend far less.

• Access to adequate resources was relevant, with half of all Australian students attending schools that reported shortages of teaching staff in 2025 (compared to 39% across the OECD) and a quarter reporting shortages of physical infrastructure.
• Student curiosity, effort and attitude appeared to affect PISA outcomes to a greater degree in Australia than across other OECD countries in 2025. Of note, Australian students who ‘greatly valued’ their time in school achieved scores that were 44 points higher (on average) than unmotivated students, compared to a 27-point lead across the OECD (after adjusting for socio-economic profiles). This suggests better student motivation can ‘nudge up’ performance across all schools.