Germany's new PISA schooling assessment sees 'historically low levels'

German pupils have performed worse than ever in the 2025 international PISA performance assessment, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said on Tuesday.

Samuel Greiff, head of the study at the Technical University of Munich, told dpa that for the newest results, "we are seeing historically low levels of proficiency."

The OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) measures the skills of 15-year-olds in reading, maths and science. It has been carried out every three years since 2000.

In reading, mathematics and science, last year's results show the lowest scores ever measured for Germany since the first study.

The average performance has also fallen internationally, the OECD reported.

The first PISA results were considered a wake-up call for Germany, placing Europe's largest economy below the OECD average.

At that time, the poor results had triggered an intense debate and educational reforms dubbed the "PISA shock."

According to the 2025 results, German pupils performed particularly badly in reading. They achieved a score of 465, compared to 480 in the previous study published in 2022.

They scored 464 in maths, down from 475 three years ago, and 486 in science, down from 492.

He noted there was a decline in performance across the OECD.

Countries like the Netherlands and France were roughly on par with Germany. In 14 OECD countries, including Estonia, Canada, Switzerland, and Austria, students performed significantly better than Germany. 

 "We aren't dramatically behind," Greiff said. "But we are not living up to our own standards as an education nation. We are not among the top performers." 

The results showed a close correlation between social background and educational opportunities.

"The correlation between socioeconomic status and educational success is about three times stronger in Germany than in Canada," Greiff said.

A more diverse student body and psychological and social issues also impacted results.

"The dividing line is not between young people with and without an immigrant background, but between young people from socially privileged and socially disadvantaged families," Greiff said. 

"The question is how well the education system is prepared for differences," he said. "Many countries manage to transform differing backgrounds into a strength of diversity." 

In Germany, this isn't always the case, he said. Greiff cited early childhood education, teacher shortages and digitalization as problem areas.