- PISA 2025 results were released on Sept 8, with a record 91 countries and economies participating.
- China and Singapore were the highest performers across science, mathematics, and reading in 2025, with China leading in maths and science, and Singapore emerging first in reading.
- Taiwan ranked fourth in science and mathematics and third in reading, achieving a record-high reading score.
- Singapore students ranked top in reading, second in maths and science, and second in computational problem-solving.
- The OECD noted the lowest average performance in science, reading, and maths, with declines in key skills.
- Taiwan's students scored 540 points in science, maintaining the country's fourth-place global ranking while matching its best-ever score in the subject.
- In reading literacy, Taiwan scored 508 points, improving from fifth place in 2022 to a record-high third.
- Taiwan ranked fourth in mathematics with 546 points, slipping one place from third in the previous assessment.
- The PISA report noted that many parents still wrongly regard computer science as a specialist subject, useful mainly for aspiring software engineers.
- Overall, the report indicated that science scores have declined gradually over the past decade, and maths scores fell sharply after 2018.
Asian students excelled in the OECD's PISA 2025 assessment, with China leading in science and mathematics, and Singapore achieving first in reading. Taiwan ranked fourth in science and third in reading, maintaining strong performance despite a global decline in student achievement post-COVID-19 pandemic.3578
The OECD report, released on Sept 8, highlighted that a record 91 countries participated, with overall performance declining in science, reading, and mathematics. Singapore recorded lower scores in mathematics and reading compared to 2022 but maintained its science performance. The Ministry of Education noted that more than half of Singapore's students excelled in computational problem-solving, compared to an OECD average of a quarter.
Taiwan's students scored 540 points in science, matching their best-ever score, and improved to 508 points in reading, rising from fifth to third place. In mathematics, Taiwan scored 546 points, slipping from third to fourth. The report indicated that Taiwanese students showed resilience, with their science score increasing by two points from 2022, while reading and mathematics scores fell by seven and one point, respectively.6
The OECD report emphasized the widening gap between top and bottom performers in Singapore, underscoring the need for continued support for diverse learning needs. The findings reflect a broader trend of declining student performance globally, with many countries struggling to maintain educational standards post-pandemic.
“The assessment, released Sept 8, involved a record 91 countries and economies, up from 81 previously. Singapore's proportion of academic all-rounders (15%) is five times the OECD average, while OECD-wide scores hit their lowest on record in science, reading, and maths.”
Focus Taiwan
