Germany’s Student Performance Falls to the Lowest Level in PISA History
The educational performance of 15-year-old students in Germany has fallen to its lowest level since the PISA assessments began in 2000. According to the OECD’s 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results, students in Germany recorded the country’s lowest scores in PISA history in all three areas: reading, mathematics, and science. Germany therefore remained only around the OECD average across the three core areas.
Approximately 6,700 students participated in the assessment. Germany scored 486 points in science, 465 in reading, and 464 in mathematics. The corresponding OECD averages were 482, 461, and 463, respectively. Although Germany’s scores were slightly above or close to the OECD averages, the country’s long-term performance indicated a significant decline. Compared with 2015, the proportion of students performing below the basic proficiency level increased by 17 percentage points in mathematics, 15 points in reading, and 10 points in science.
One of the most striking findings was the proportion of students lacking basic skills. In Germany, approximately one in three students failed to reach the basic proficiency level in reading and mathematics, while around one in four lacked the necessary basic skills in science. In addition, approximately one in five students failed to reach an adequate basic proficiency level in any of the three areas.