Israel's PISA Test Scores Plummet to All-Time Lows

Israel has experienced a significant decline in its performance on the 2025 PISA test, which assesses the academic abilities of 10th graders in mathematics, reading, and science. The results mark the lowest scores ever recorded for Israel in all three subjects, falling considerably below the OECD average and placing the country in the bottom quartile of developed nations. Overall, Israel's average score across the three areas dropped by 29 points, the second-steepest decline among 75 participating countries, surpassed only by Latvia.

In mathematics, Israel's score of 433 is 25 points lower than in 2022 and 30 points below the OECD average of 463. This represents a significant drop from its peak score of 470 in 2015, and Israel has fallen to 43rd place globally and 33rd among developed nations. The science score also saw a sharp decline of 23 points from 2022, reaching 442, which is 40 points below the OECD average of 482. Israel's global ranking in science has slipped to 43rd, and 32nd among developed countries.

The most dramatic decrease was observed in reading, where Israel's score fell by 38 points from 2022 to 436, the second-largest drop worldwide. This score is 50 points below the 2012 peak and significantly lower than the OECD average. Consequently, Israel's global ranking in reading has dropped to 37th, and 31st among developed nations.

The PISA results also highlight a widening gap between high-achieving and struggling students. In all three subjects, Israel now ranks 31st out of 35 developed countries in the number of high-achievers, while the proportion of students falling below the minimum proficiency level has increased substantially. Specifically, 46% of students in mathematics scored below level 2, compared to the OECD average of 34%, and only 5% achieved high-level scores, below the developed nations' average of 8%.

Education Minister Yoav Kisch responded by stating that the results reflect the challenges faced by the education system during the ongoing war, including community evacuations and disruptions to learning. He asserted that Israel maintained its 2018 ranking in reading and science and only dropped one place in mathematics, viewing the results as a testament to the system's resilience. The Ministry of Education added that efforts to improve performance began before the results were received, acknowledging the impact of wartime conditions on learning.