One in three 15-year-olds in the EU is underachieving in maths or reading, according to an EU analysis of the OECD’s latest PISA school tests published by the European Commission.
The Commission’s findings put underachievement at 33.9% in mathematics, 31.3% in reading and 25.9% in science, based on PISA 2025 results from the OECD — a global assessment that tests the skills of 15-year-olds.
The EU is moving further away from its 2030 target of reducing underachievement to below 15% in each subject, the Commission said in its statement on Monday.
The share of top performers also fell, with 4.8% in reading, 6.4% in science and 6.8% in mathematics in 2025.
None of the EU countries met the EU target of at least 12% top performers in reading or science, and only two met it in mathematics.
Large gaps between disadvantaged and advantaged students
The analysis found disadvantaged students were around four times more likely to underachieve in science than advantaged students.
Advantaged students were about eight times more likely to be top performers.
Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu said teachers “deserve the time, training and resources” to build confidence and inspire curiosity, in a statement released on World Teachers’ Day.
The EU PISA 2025 Policy Brief and an accompanying factsheet have been published online by the European Commission.
