Mexico's PISA 2025 Results: What the Numbers Show and Where to Focus

Mexican 15-year-olds scored 388 in maths, 408 in reading and 414 in science in PISA 2025. Maths and reading fell again from 2022, while science edged up, and Mexico's average of 403 was the second-lowest among OECD countries.

Students in a high school classroom. Photo: Harrison Keely, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

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

"PISA 2026 resultados" is one of the biggest breakout education searches in Mexico on Google Trends since the OECD released the study on 8 September.

Mexico's Scores Over Time

Mathematics: 409 (2018) → 395 (2022) → 388 (2025)
Reading: 420 (2018) → 415 (2022) → 408 (2025)
Science: 419 (2018) → 410 (2022) → 414 (2025)

Reading the Trend

Maths and reading have declined in each of the last two cycles, a pattern seen in many countries since the pandemic disrupted schooling.

Science — the main focus of PISA 2025 — improved by four points compared with 2022, a small but positive sign.

How Mexico Compares

According to analysis by the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO), Mexico's average across the three subjects was 403, the second-lowest among the 38 OECD member countries, ahead of only Colombia (398).

Across the OECD as a whole, the organisation reported record-low average performance in maths and reading.

About the Mexican Sample

7,843 students from 297 schools took part in Mexico, representing around 1.58 million 15-year-olds.

What PISA Measures

The OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment tests 15-year-olds every few years. Rather than checking memorised facts, it asks whether students can apply reading, maths and science to real situations — understanding a text, solving a practical problem or judging scientific evidence. Because it is sample-based, small differences between countries may not be statistically significant, and long-term trends are often the most useful guide.

Priorities for Improvement

Education specialists in Mexico and internationally commonly highlight:

Foundational literacy and numeracy in the early grades.
Teacher training and support, including coaching in the classroom.
Regular assessment to identify students who are falling behind.
Keeping young people in school, particularly in rural and lower-income communities.
Access to learning materials and connectivity.

What Families Can Do

Read with children every day, in Spanish or Indigenous languages spoken at home.
Practise maths through everyday tasks — shopping, cooking and games.
Encourage curiosity about how things work, which builds scientific thinking.
Stay in contact with teachers about progress.

Compare Other Countries

See our PISA reports on Spain, France, Germany and Australia.

Sources

"PISA 2025," IMCO — imco.org.mx
"En México, los alumnos de 15 años mantienen puntajes bajos en ciencia, matemáticas y lectura," La Jornada — jornada.com.mx
"México se rezaga en matemáticas y lectura: PISA," El Universal — eluniversal.com.mx
"Resultados de México en PISA 2025," Educación Futura — educacionfutura.org

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PISA 2025 Mexico: Results in Maths, Reading and Science Explained