The European Commission published an EU analysis of the OECD’s PISA 2025 results, which confirms a sustained decline in basic skills among 15-year-olds across the EU.
The EU findings show that students underachieve in all three core domains: 33.9% in mathematics, 31.3% in reading, and 25.9% in science. This means the EU is moving further away from its 2030 target of reducing underachievement below 15% in each subject. Excellence is also declining. In 2025, the share of top performers in the EU stands at 4.8% in reading, 6.4% in science, and 6.8% in mathematics, well below the EU’s 2030 target of at least 12% in each subject. No EU country reaches the target in reading or science, and only two do so in mathematics.
The analysis also highlights major equity challenges. Disadvantaged students are around four times more likely to underachieve in science than advantaged students, while advantaged students are about eight times more likely to be top performers.
This analysis comes at a timely moment, ahead of the publication of the Education package this year, with which the Commission intends to propose measures to support Member States in reversing this trend and support them in future-proof education in the age of artificial intelligence.
Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness Executive Vice President Roxana Mînzatu (pictured) said: “On World Teachers’ Day, we celebrate the confidence teachers build and the curiosity they inspire. They deserve the time, training and resources to do this vital work. Our upcoming Education package will help countries support teachers, strengthen basic skills and prepare education for the age of AI. Every young person should leave school with the skills and confidence to shape their own future”
The Commission has proposed several measures during this mandate, including the Action Plan on Basic Skills, the STEM Education Strategic Plan, the European Literacy Coalition, and the EU-OECD AI Literacy Framework for Primary and Secondary Education, amongst others. The EU PISA 2025 Policy Brief can be found online. More information can be found in the factsheet.
