France's PISA 2025 Results: Steady in Science, Sliding in Maths and Reading

France ranked 27th in PISA 2025, with 15-year-olds scoring 483 in science, 458 in maths and 456 in reading. Maths fell 16 points and reading 18 points since 2022, giving France its lowest PISA results on record.

Pupils at the École Lavoisier in Paris in 1921. Photo: Agence Rol, via Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

By the UISC BD Editorial Desk · United Information Service Center · Published 14 September 2026 · 4-minute read

"Classement PISA 2026" has been one of the fastest-rising searches in France on Google Trends since the OECD published the study on 8 September.

France's Scores

Overall position: 27th.
Science: 483 (down 4 points).
Mathematics: 458 (down 16 points on 2022).
Reading: 456 (down 18 points on 2022).

According to French education media, these are France's lowest results ever in the PISA survey.

Reading the Numbers

Science held up best. A four-point drop is small compared with the other subjects, and science was the main focus of the 2025 round.

Reading and maths fell sharply. Declines of 16 and 18 points in a single three-year cycle are significant, suggesting many students are struggling with core skills.

The International Picture

France is far from alone. The OECD reported that average performance across its member countries dropped to the lowest level ever measured by PISA in both maths and reading. More than 760,000 students in 91 countries and economies took part.

What PISA Measures

PISA does not test memorised curriculum content. It asks whether 15-year-olds can apply reading, maths and science to real-life situations — interpreting a text, solving a practical problem or evaluating scientific evidence.

Why a Rank Isn't the Whole Story

PISA is based on a representative sample of students, so each score carries a margin of error, and countries a few points apart may be statistically tied. For families and teachers, the more useful signals are the long-term trend and how many students reach the basic level of proficiency — the point at which young people can use reading and maths confidently in everyday life.

Priorities for Improvement

Across countries, education researchers point to similar levers:

Reading fluency and comprehension in the early years.
Number sense and problem-solving taught with plenty of practice.
Teacher training and attractive careers to keep good teachers in classrooms.
Support for disadvantaged students, where gaps tend to be largest.
Healthy digital habits, since distraction can affect concentration and learning.

For Parents

Encourage reading for pleasure — books, magazines, comics.
Talk about maths in daily life, from budgets to recipes.
Keep in touch with teachers and ask how to help at home.

Compare Other Countries

See our reports on Germany, Spain, Australia and Mexico.

Sources

"La France stagne à la 27e place : ce qu'il faut retenir du classement PISA 2026," franceinfo — franceinfo.fr
"PISA 2025 : la France recule encore," VousNousIls — vousnousils.fr
"PISA 2025 results (Volume I): France country note," OECD (PDF) — oecd.org
"Classement PISA 2026 : les résultats de la France," Nomad Education — nomadeducation.fr

classement pisa 2026 (1)

PISA 2025 France: 27th Place and Lowest-Ever Scores in Maths and Reading