Public discussion often treats PISA rankings as if they were one fixed world table. They are not. PISA is a triennial OECD assessment of 15-year-olds, built around reading, mathematics, and science, and it measures how well students apply knowledge in unfamiliar settings rather than how well they repeat a national syllabus. That distinction matters for any serious country comparison. It also matters for timing: as of 2026, the latest fully released PISA cycle is still 2022. PISA 2025 has not yet produced published country rankings, and official results are expected later. For that reason, a 2000–2026 analysis has to treat PISA 2022 as the latest complete global ranking record.
Four Facts Change How PISA Country Rankings Should Be Read
- PISA reports separate scores for mathematics, reading, and science.
- OECD does not publish one official combined overall score for all subjects.
- Even within one subject, exact rank positions should be read carefully because results are based on samples.
- The phrase “PISA 2026 ranking” usually refers to the latest available PISA 2022 results, not a new 2026 test cycle.
What PISA Rankings Measure and What They Do Not
PISA follows students who are around 15 years old and compares how well they can use knowledge in real-world situations. The test is not designed as a simple memory exam and it does not measure every part of an education system. It focuses on three core domains: mathematics, reading, and science.
Because OECD does not combine those three areas into one official global score, the overall ranking tables on this page use an editorial method: Overall Score = Mathematics + Reading + Science divided by three. This makes country-by-country comparison easier, but the official PISA results should still be understood by subject.
PISA Cycles From 2000 to 2026
| Cycle | Main Domain | Participation | Main Ranking Pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Reading | 43 countries/economies | Finland became the early reading benchmark, while East Asian systems were already strong in quantitative domains. |
| 2003 | Mathematics | 41 countries/economies | Finland stayed near the top; Hong Kong-China, Japan, and Korea stood out in mathematics and science. |
| 2006 | Science | 57 countries/economies | Finland led science, Korea rose strongly in reading, and the top mathematics group was tightly clustered. |
| 2009 | Reading | 65 countries/economies | Shanghai-China entered the ranking and reset the upper benchmark in reading and mathematics. |
| 2012 | Mathematics | 65 countries/economies | Shanghai-China and Singapore widened the top end of mathematics performance. |
| 2015 | Science | 72 countries/economies | Singapore became the clearest cross-subject reference point. |
| 2018 | Reading | 79 countries/economies | B-S-J-Z China and Singapore led the top group; Estonia became one of the strongest OECD performers. |
| 2022 | Mathematics | 81 countries/economies | Singapore led mathematics, while OECD averages fell sharply in mathematics and reading after the disruption years. |
| 2026 Position | No new official ranking release yet | PISA 2025 results pending | The latest validated global picture still rests on PISA 2022. |
PISA 2022 Overall Ranking by Country
The table below gives a full 81-country/economy view of PISA 2022. The ranking is ordered by the editorial overall score, calculated from mathematics, reading, and science. This is not an official OECD combined ranking, but it is a practical way to compare the latest complete PISA results in one table.
Method: Overall Score = (Mathematics + Reading + Science) ÷ 3. OECD publishes the subject scores separately; the combined score below is an editorial calculation for easier comparison.
| Rank | Country / Economy | Overall Score | Mathematics | Reading | Science |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore | 559.7 | 575 | 543 | 561 |
| 2 | Macao | 535.0 | 552 | 510 | 543 |
| 3 | Chinese Taipei | 533.0 | 547 | 515 | 537 |
| 4 | Japan | 533.0 | 536 | 516 | 547 |
| 5 | South Korea | 523.3 | 527 | 515 | 528 |
| 6 | Hong Kong | 520.0 | 540 | 500 | 520 |
| 7 | Estonia | 515.7 | 510 | 511 | 526 |
| 8 | Canada | 506.3 | 497 | 507 | 515 |
| 9 | Ireland | 504.0 | 492 | 516 | 504 |
| 10 | Switzerland | 498.0 | 508 | 483 | 503 |
| 11 | Australia | 497.3 | 487 | 498 | 507 |
| 12 | Finland | 495.0 | 484 | 490 | 511 |
| 13 | New Zealand | 494.7 | 479 | 501 | 504 |
| 14 | United Kingdom | 494.3 | 489 | 494 | 500 |
| 15 | Poland | 492.3 | 489 | 489 | 499 |
| 16 | Czech Republic | 491.3 | 487 | 489 | 498 |
| 17 | Denmark | 490.7 | 489 | 489 | 494 |
| 18 | United States | 489.3 | 465 | 504 | 499 |
| 19 | Sweden | 487.7 | 482 | 487 | 494 |
| 20 | Belgium | 486.3 | 489 | 479 | 491 |
| 21 | Austria | 486.0 | 487 | 480 | 491 |
| 22 | Slovenia | 484.7 | 485 | 469 | 500 |
| 23 | Latvia | 484.0 | 483 | 475 | 494 |
| 24 | Germany | 482.3 | 475 | 480 | 492 |
| 25 | Netherlands | 480.0 | 493 | 459 | 488 |
| 26 | France | 478.3 | 474 | 474 | 487 |
| 27 | Portugal | 477.7 | 472 | 477 | 484 |
| 28 | Hungary | 477.3 | 473 | 473 | 486 |
| 29 | Spain | 477.3 | 473 | 474 | 485 |
| 30 | Lithuania | 477.0 | 475 | 472 | 484 |
| 31 | Italy | 476.7 | 471 | 482 | 477 |
| 32 | Norway | 474.3 | 468 | 477 | 478 |
| 33 | Croatia | 473.7 | 463 | 475 | 483 |
| 34 | Vietnam | 467.7 | 469 | 462 | 472 |
| 35 | Israel | 465.7 | 458 | 474 | 465 |
| 36 | Turkey | 461.7 | 453 | 456 | 476 |
| 37 | Malta | 459.0 | 466 | 445 | 466 |
| 38 | Slovakia | 457.7 | 464 | 447 | 462 |
| 39 | Iceland | 447.3 | 459 | 436 | 447 |
| 40 | Serbia | 442.3 | 440 | 440 | 447 |
| 41 | Ukraine | 439.7 | 441 | 428 | 450 |
| 42 | Brunei | 439.0 | 442 | 429 | 446 |
| 43 | Greece | 436.3 | 430 | 438 | 441 |
| 44 | Chile | 434.7 | 412 | 448 | 444 |
| 45 | Romania | 428.0 | 428 | 428 | 428 |
| 46 | United Arab Emirates | 426.7 | 431 | 417 | 432 |
| 47 | Uruguay | 424.7 | 409 | 430 | 435 |
| 48 | Qatar | 421.7 | 414 | 419 | 432 |
| 49 | Moldova | 415.0 | 417 | 411 | 417 |
| 50 | Bulgaria | 414.0 | 417 | 404 | 421 |
| 51 | Kazakhstan | 411.3 | 425 | 386 | 423 |
| 52 | Mexico | 406.7 | 395 | 415 | 410 |
| 53 | Mongolia | 405.0 | 425 | 378 | 412 |
| 54 | Montenegro | 404.7 | 406 | 405 | 403 |
| 55 | Malaysia | 404.3 | 409 | 388 | 416 |
| 56 | Costa Rica | 403.7 | 385 | 415 | 411 |
| 57 | Cyprus | 403.3 | 418 | 381 | 411 |
| 58 | Peru | 402.3 | 391 | 408 | 408 |
| 59 | Colombia | 401.0 | 383 | 409 | 411 |
| 60 | Brazil | 397.3 | 379 | 410 | 403 |
| 61 | Jamaica | 396.7 | 377 | 410 | 403 |
| 62 | Argentina | 395.0 | 378 | 401 | 406 |
| 63 | Thailand | 394.0 | 394 | 379 | 409 |
| 64 | Saudi Arabia | 387.3 | 389 | 383 | 390 |
| 65 | Georgia | 382.7 | 390 | 374 | 384 |
| 66 | Azerbaijan | 380.7 | 397 | 365 | 380 |
| 67 | Panama | 379.0 | 357 | 392 | 388 |
| 68 | North Macedonia | 376.0 | 389 | 359 | 380 |
| 69 | Indonesia | 369.3 | 366 | 359 | 383 |
| 70 | Albania | 367.3 | 368 | 358 | 376 |
| 71 | Guatemala | 363.7 | 344 | 374 | 373 |
| 72 | Palestinian Authority | 361.3 | 366 | 349 | 369 |
| 73 | El Salvador | 360.7 | 343 | 365 | 374 |
| 74 | Paraguay | 359.7 | 338 | 373 | 368 |
| 75 | Jordan | 359.3 | 361 | 342 | 375 |
| 76 | Morocco | 356.3 | 365 | 339 | 365 |
| 77 | Philippines | 352.7 | 355 | 347 | 356 |
| 78 | Uzbekistan | 351.7 | 364 | 336 | 355 |
| 79 | Kosovo | 351.3 | 355 | 342 | 357 |
| 80 | Dominican Republic | 350.0 | 339 | 351 | 360 |
| 81 | Cambodia | 337.3 | 336 | 329 | 347 |
What the PISA 2022 Ranking Shows
Singapore stands clearly at the top of the 2022 table, with the highest score in mathematics, reading, and science. Macao, Chinese Taipei, Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong also sit in the leading group, showing the strong position of East Asian education systems in this cycle.
Among European systems, Estonia is the strongest performer in this overall average table. Ireland, Switzerland, Finland, the United Kingdom, Poland, Czech Republic, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Austria, Slovenia, Latvia, Germany, France, Portugal, Spain, Lithuania, Italy, Norway, and Croatia all remain within the upper half of the 81-country list.
Turkey ranks 36th in this editorial overall table, with an average score of 461.7. Its subject scores are 453 in mathematics, 456 in reading, and 476 in science. Science is Turkey’s strongest area in the 2022 results.
OECD Average in PISA 2022
| Area | OECD Average |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | 472 |
| Reading | 476 |
| Science | 485 |
The OECD average gives a useful reference point. Countries above these numbers performed above the OECD average in that subject, while countries below them performed below the OECD average. In 2022, the largest OECD-wide concern was mathematics, where the average fell sharply compared with 2018.
Historical PISA Rankings by Year
The historical tables below use the same editorial method as the 2022 table. For each PISA cycle, the overall score is calculated as the average of mathematics, reading, and science scores. Because older PISA cycles had different participant lists, each year should be read within its own cycle rather than as a perfectly fixed all-time league table.
PISA 2018 Overall Ranking by Average Score
PISA 2018 focused mainly on reading. The table below ranks countries and economies by an editorial average of mathematics, reading, and science. Spain is listed separately because its 2018 reading score was not available in the published comparison table used here, so a three-subject overall score was not calculated.
| Rank | Country / Economy | Overall Score | Mathematics | Reading | Science |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B-S-J-Z China | 578.7 | 591 | 555 | 590 |
| 2 | Singapore | 556.3 | 569 | 549 | 551 |
| 3 | Macao | 542.3 | 558 | 525 | 544 |
| 4 | Hong Kong | 530.7 | 551 | 524 | 517 |
| 5 | Estonia | 525.3 | 523 | 523 | 530 |
| 6 | Japan | 520.0 | 527 | 504 | 529 |
| 7 | South Korea | 519.7 | 526 | 514 | 519 |
| 8 | Canada | 516.7 | 512 | 520 | 518 |
| 9 | Chinese Taipei | 516.7 | 531 | 503 | 516 |
| 10 | Finland | 516.3 | 507 | 520 | 522 |
| 11 | Poland | 513.0 | 516 | 512 | 511 |
| 12 | Ireland | 504.7 | 500 | 518 | 496 |
| 13 | Slovenia | 503.7 | 509 | 495 | 507 |
| 14 | United Kingdom | 503.7 | 502 | 504 | 505 |
| 15 | New Zealand | 502.7 | 494 | 506 | 508 |
| 16 | Netherlands | 502.3 | 519 | 485 | 503 |
| 17 | Sweden | 502.3 | 502 | 506 | 499 |
| 18 | Denmark | 501.0 | 509 | 501 | 493 |
| 19 | Germany | 500.3 | 500 | 498 | 503 |
| 20 | Belgium | 500.0 | 508 | 493 | 499 |
| 21 | Australia | 499.0 | 491 | 503 | 503 |
| 22 | Switzerland | 498.0 | 515 | 484 | 495 |
| 23 | Norway | 496.7 | 501 | 499 | 490 |
| 24 | Czech Republic | 495.3 | 499 | 490 | 497 |
| 25 | United States | 495.0 | 478 | 505 | 502 |
| 26 | France | 493.7 | 495 | 493 | 493 |
| 27 | Portugal | 492.0 | 492 | 492 | 492 |
| 28 | Austria | 491.0 | 499 | 484 | 490 |
| 29 | Latvia | 487.3 | 496 | 479 | 487 |
| 30 | Russia | 481.7 | 488 | 479 | 478 |
| 31 | Iceland | 481.3 | 495 | 474 | 475 |
| 32 | Lithuania | 479.7 | 481 | 476 | 482 |
| 33 | Hungary | 479.3 | 481 | 476 | 481 |
| 34 | Italy | 477.0 | 487 | 476 | 468 |
| 35 | Luxembourg | 476.7 | 483 | 470 | 477 |
| 36 | Belarus | 472.3 | 472 | 474 | 471 |
| 37 | Croatia | 471.7 | 464 | 479 | 472 |
| 38 | Slovakia | 469.3 | 486 | 458 | 464 |
| 39 | Israel | 465.0 | 463 | 470 | 462 |
| 40 | Turkey | 462.7 | 454 | 466 | 468 |
| 41 | Ukraine | 462.7 | 453 | 466 | 469 |
| 42 | Malta | 459.0 | 472 | 448 | 457 |
| 43 | Greece | 453.3 | 451 | 457 | 452 |
| 44 | Serbia | 442.3 | 448 | 439 | 440 |
| 45 | Cyprus | 438.0 | 451 | 424 | 439 |
| 46 | Chile | 437.7 | 417 | 452 | 444 |
| 47 | United Arab Emirates | 433.7 | 435 | 432 | 434 |
| 48 | Malaysia | 431.0 | 440 | 415 | 438 |
| 49 | Romania | 428.0 | 430 | 428 | 426 |
| 50 | Bulgaria | 426.7 | 436 | 420 | 424 |
| 51 | Moldova | 424.3 | 421 | 424 | 428 |
| 52 | Uruguay | 423.7 | 418 | 427 | 426 |
| 53 | Brunei | 423.0 | 430 | 408 | 431 |
| 54 | Montenegro | 422.0 | 430 | 421 | 415 |
| 55 | Albania | 419.7 | 437 | 405 | 417 |
| 56 | Jordan | 416.0 | 400 | 419 | 429 |
| 57 | Mexico | 416.0 | 409 | 420 | 419 |
| 58 | Costa Rica | 414.7 | 402 | 426 | 416 |
| 59 | Qatar | 413.3 | 414 | 407 | 419 |
| 60 | Thailand | 412.7 | 419 | 393 | 426 |
| 61 | Colombia | 405.3 | 391 | 412 | 413 |
| 62 | Azerbaijan (Baku) | 402.3 | 420 | 389 | 398 |
| 63 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 402.3 | 406 | 403 | 398 |
| 64 | Kazakhstan | 402.3 | 423 | 387 | 397 |
| 65 | Peru | 401.7 | 400 | 401 | 404 |
| 66 | Brazil | 400.3 | 384 | 413 | 404 |
| 67 | North Macedonia | 400.0 | 394 | 393 | 413 |
| 68 | Argentina | 395.0 | 379 | 402 | 404 |
| 69 | Georgia | 387.0 | 398 | 380 | 383 |
| 70 | Saudi Arabia | 386.0 | 373 | 399 | 386 |
| 71 | Indonesia | 382.0 | 379 | 371 | 396 |
| 72 | Lebanon | 376.7 | 393 | 353 | 384 |
| 73 | Morocco | 368.0 | 368 | 359 | 377 |
| 74 | Panama | 365.0 | 353 | 377 | 365 |
| 75 | Kosovo | 361.3 | 366 | 353 | 365 |
| 76 | Philippines | 350.0 | 353 | 340 | 357 |
| 77 | Dominican Republic | 334.3 | 325 | 342 | 336 |
| — | Spain | N/A | 481 | N/A | 483 |
Method note: Overall Score = Mathematics + Reading + Science divided by three. Spain is not ranked in this editorial overall table because the reading score is not available in the published 2018 comparison data used here.
PISA 2015 Overall Ranking by Average Score
PISA 2015 focused mainly on science. The table below ranks countries and economies by an editorial average of mathematics, reading, and science. OECD does not publish one official combined PISA score, so the overall score is calculated here only for easier comparison.
| Rank | Country / Economy | Overall Score | Mathematics | Reading | Science |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore | 551.7 | 564 | 535 | 556 |
| 2 | Hong Kong | 532.7 | 548 | 527 | 523 |
| 3 | Japan | 528.7 | 532 | 516 | 538 |
| 4 | Macao | 527.3 | 544 | 509 | 529 |
| 5 | Estonia | 524.3 | 520 | 519 | 534 |
| 6 | Canada | 523.7 | 516 | 527 | 528 |
| 7 | Chinese Taipei | 523.7 | 542 | 497 | 532 |
| 8 | Finland | 522.7 | 511 | 526 | 531 |
| 9 | South Korea | 519.0 | 524 | 517 | 516 |
| 10 | B-S-J-G China | 514.3 | 531 | 494 | 518 |
| 11 | Ireland | 509.3 | 504 | 521 | 503 |
| 12 | Slovenia | 509.3 | 510 | 505 | 513 |
| 13 | Germany | 508.0 | 506 | 509 | 509 |
| 14 | Netherlands | 508.0 | 512 | 503 | 509 |
| 15 | Switzerland | 506.3 | 521 | 492 | 506 |
| 16 | New Zealand | 505.7 | 495 | 509 | 513 |
| 17 | Denmark | 504.3 | 511 | 500 | 502 |
| 18 | Norway | 504.3 | 502 | 513 | 498 |
| 19 | Poland | 503.7 | 504 | 506 | 501 |
| 20 | Belgium | 502.7 | 507 | 499 | 502 |
| 21 | Australia | 502.3 | 494 | 503 | 510 |
| 22 | Vietnam | 502.3 | 495 | 487 | 525 |
| 23 | United Kingdom | 499.7 | 492 | 498 | 509 |
| 24 | Portugal | 497.0 | 492 | 498 | 501 |
| 25 | France | 495.7 | 493 | 499 | 495 |
| 26 | Sweden | 495.7 | 494 | 500 | 493 |
| 27 | Austria | 492.3 | 497 | 485 | 495 |
| 28 | Russia | 492.0 | 494 | 495 | 487 |
| 29 | Spain | 491.7 | 486 | 496 | 493 |
| 30 | Czech Republic | 490.7 | 492 | 487 | 493 |
| 31 | United States | 487.7 | 470 | 497 | 496 |
| 32 | Latvia | 486.7 | 482 | 488 | 490 |
| 33 | Italy | 485.3 | 490 | 485 | 481 |
| 34 | Luxembourg | 483.3 | 486 | 481 | 483 |
| 35 | Iceland | 481.0 | 488 | 482 | 473 |
| 36 | Croatia | 475.3 | 464 | 487 | 475 |
| 37 | Lithuania | 475.0 | 478 | 472 | 475 |
| 38 | Hungary | 474.7 | 477 | 470 | 477 |
| 39 | Israel | 472.0 | 470 | 479 | 467 |
| 40 | CABA (Argentina) | 468.7 | 456 | 475 | 475 |
| 41 | Malta | 463.7 | 479 | 447 | 465 |
| 42 | Slovakia | 463.0 | 475 | 453 | 461 |
| 43 | Greece | 458.7 | 454 | 467 | 455 |
| 44 | Kazakhstan | 447.7 | 460 | 427 | 456 |
| 45 | Chile | 443.0 | 423 | 459 | 447 |
| 46 | Malaysia | 440.0 | 446 | 431 | 443 |
| 47 | Bulgaria | 439.7 | 441 | 432 | 446 |
| 48 | Cyprus | 437.7 | 437 | 443 | 433 |
| 49 | Romania | 437.7 | 444 | 434 | 435 |
| 50 | United Arab Emirates | 432.7 | 427 | 434 | 437 |
| 51 | Uruguay | 430.0 | 418 | 437 | 435 |
| 52 | Turkey | 424.3 | 420 | 428 | 425 |
| 53 | Trinidad and Tobago | 423.0 | 417 | 427 | 425 |
| 54 | Argentina | 422.0 | 409 | 425 | 432 |
| 55 | Moldova | 421.3 | 420 | 416 | 428 |
| 56 | Montenegro | 418.7 | 418 | 427 | 411 |
| 57 | Costa Rica | 415.7 | 400 | 427 | 420 |
| 58 | Mexico | 415.7 | 408 | 423 | 416 |
| 59 | Albania | 415.0 | 413 | 405 | 427 |
| 60 | Thailand | 415.0 | 415 | 409 | 421 |
| 61 | Colombia | 410.3 | 390 | 425 | 416 |
| 62 | Qatar | 407.3 | 402 | 402 | 418 |
| 63 | Georgia | 405.3 | 404 | 401 | 411 |
| 64 | Jordan | 399.0 | 380 | 408 | 409 |
| 65 | Indonesia | 395.3 | 386 | 397 | 403 |
| 66 | Brazil | 395.0 | 377 | 407 | 401 |
| 67 | Peru | 394.0 | 387 | 398 | 397 |
| 68 | Lebanon | 376.3 | 396 | 347 | 386 |
| 69 | Tunisia | 371.3 | 367 | 361 | 386 |
| 70 | North Macedonia | 369.0 | 371 | 352 | 384 |
| 71 | Kosovo | 362.3 | 362 | 347 | 378 |
| 72 | Algeria | 362.0 | 360 | 350 | 376 |
| 73 | Dominican Republic | 339.3 | 328 | 358 | 332 |
Method note: Overall Score = Mathematics + Reading + Science divided by three. This table includes country/economy entries with complete 2015 mathematics, reading, and science scores in the comparison data used here.
PISA 2012 Overall Ranking by Average Score
PISA 2012 focused mainly on mathematics. The table below ranks countries and economies by an editorial average of mathematics, reading, and science. OECD does not publish one official combined PISA score, so the overall score is calculated here only for easier comparison.
| Rank | Country / Economy | Overall Score | Mathematics | Reading | Science |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shanghai-China | 587.7 | 613 | 570 | 580 |
| 2 | Singapore | 555.3 | 573 | 542 | 551 |
| 3 | Hong Kong | 553.7 | 561 | 545 | 555 |
| 4 | South Korea | 542.7 | 554 | 536 | 538 |
| 5 | Japan | 540.3 | 536 | 538 | 547 |
| 6 | Chinese Taipei | 535.3 | 560 | 523 | 523 |
| 7 | Finland | 529.3 | 519 | 524 | 545 |
| 8 | Estonia | 526.0 | 521 | 516 | 541 |
| 9 | Liechtenstein | 525.3 | 535 | 516 | 525 |
| 10 | Macao | 522.7 | 538 | 509 | 521 |
| 11 | Canada | 522.0 | 518 | 523 | 525 |
| 12 | Poland | 520.7 | 518 | 518 | 526 |
| 13 | Netherlands | 518.7 | 523 | 511 | 522 |
| 14 | Switzerland | 518.3 | 531 | 509 | 515 |
| 15 | Vietnam | 515.7 | 511 | 508 | 528 |
| 16 | Germany | 515.3 | 514 | 508 | 524 |
| 17 | Ireland | 515.3 | 501 | 523 | 522 |
| 18 | Australia | 512.3 | 504 | 512 | 521 |
| 19 | Belgium | 509.7 | 515 | 509 | 505 |
| 20 | New Zealand | 509.3 | 500 | 512 | 516 |
| 21 | United Kingdom | 502.3 | 494 | 499 | 514 |
| 22 | Austria | 500.7 | 506 | 490 | 506 |
| 23 | Czech Republic | 500.0 | 499 | 493 | 508 |
| 24 | France | 499.7 | 495 | 505 | 499 |
| 25 | Slovenia | 498.7 | 501 | 481 | 514 |
| 26 | Denmark | 498.0 | 500 | 496 | 498 |
| 27 | Norway | 496.0 | 489 | 504 | 495 |
| 28 | Latvia | 494.0 | 491 | 489 | 502 |
| 29 | United States | 492.0 | 481 | 498 | 497 |
| 30 | Luxembourg | 489.7 | 490 | 488 | 491 |
| 31 | Italy | 489.7 | 485 | 490 | 494 |
| 32 | Spain | 489.3 | 484 | 488 | 496 |
| 33 | Portugal | 488.0 | 487 | 488 | 489 |
| 34 | Hungary | 486.3 | 477 | 488 | 494 |
| 35 | Iceland | 484.7 | 493 | 483 | 478 |
| 36 | Lithuania | 484.0 | 479 | 477 | 496 |
| 37 | Croatia | 482.3 | 471 | 485 | 491 |
| 38 | Sweden | 482.0 | 478 | 483 | 485 |
| 39 | Russia | 481.0 | 482 | 475 | 486 |
| 40 | Israel | 474.0 | 466 | 486 | 470 |
| 41 | Slovakia | 472.0 | 482 | 463 | 471 |
| 42 | Greece | 465.7 | 453 | 477 | 467 |
| 43 | Turkey | 462.0 | 448 | 475 | 463 |
| 44 | Serbia | 446.7 | 449 | 446 | 445 |
| 45 | Cyprus | 442.3 | 440 | 449 | 438 |
| 46 | United Arab Emirates | 441.3 | 434 | 442 | 448 |
| 47 | Romania | 440.7 | 445 | 438 | 439 |
| 48 | Bulgaria | 440.3 | 439 | 436 | 446 |
| 49 | Thailand | 437.3 | 427 | 441 | 444 |
| 50 | Chile | 436.3 | 423 | 441 | 445 |
| 51 | Costa Rica | 425.7 | 407 | 441 | 429 |
| 52 | Mexico | 417.3 | 413 | 424 | 415 |
| 53 | Kazakhstan | 416.7 | 432 | 393 | 425 |
| 54 | Montenegro | 414.0 | 410 | 422 | 410 |
| 55 | Malaysia | 413.0 | 421 | 398 | 420 |
| 56 | Uruguay | 412.0 | 409 | 411 | 416 |
| 57 | Brazil | 402.0 | 391 | 410 | 405 |
| 58 | Jordan | 398.0 | 386 | 399 | 409 |
| 59 | Argentina | 396.7 | 388 | 396 | 406 |
| 60 | Tunisia | 396.7 | 388 | 404 | 398 |
| 61 | Albania | 395.0 | 394 | 394 | 397 |
| 62 | Colombia | 392.7 | 376 | 403 | 399 |
| 63 | Indonesia | 384.3 | 375 | 396 | 382 |
| 64 | Qatar | 382.7 | 376 | 388 | 384 |
| 65 | Peru | 375.0 | 368 | 384 | 373 |
Method note: Overall Score = Mathematics + Reading + Science divided by three. This table includes country/economy entries with complete 2012 mathematics, reading, and science scores in the comparison data used here.
PISA 2009 Overall Ranking by Average Score
PISA 2009 focused mainly on reading. The table below ranks countries and economies by an editorial average of mathematics, reading, and science. OECD does not publish one official combined PISA score, so the overall score is calculated here only for easier comparison.
| Rank | Country / Economy | Overall Score | Mathematics | Reading | Science |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shanghai-China | 577.0 | 600 | 556 | 575 |
| 2 | Hong Kong-China | 545.7 | 555 | 533 | 549 |
| 3 | Finland | 543.7 | 541 | 536 | 554 |
| 4 | Singapore | 543.3 | 562 | 526 | 542 |
| 5 | South Korea | 541.0 | 546 | 539 | 538 |
| 6 | Japan | 529.3 | 529 | 520 | 539 |
| 7 | Canada | 526.7 | 527 | 524 | 529 |
| 8 | New Zealand | 524.0 | 519 | 521 | 532 |
| 9 | Chinese Taipei | 519.3 | 543 | 495 | 520 |
| 10 | Australia | 518.7 | 514 | 515 | 527 |
| 11 | Netherlands | 518.7 | 526 | 508 | 522 |
| 12 | Liechtenstein | 518.3 | 536 | 499 | 520 |
| 13 | Switzerland | 517.3 | 534 | 501 | 517 |
| 14 | Estonia | 513.7 | 512 | 501 | 528 |
| 15 | Germany | 510.0 | 513 | 497 | 520 |
| 16 | Belgium | 509.3 | 515 | 506 | 507 |
| 17 | Macao-China | 507.7 | 525 | 487 | 511 |
| 18 | Iceland | 501.0 | 507 | 500 | 496 |
| 19 | Poland | 501.0 | 495 | 500 | 508 |
| 20 | Norway | 500.3 | 498 | 503 | 500 |
| 21 | United Kingdom | 500.0 | 492 | 494 | 514 |
| 22 | Denmark | 499.0 | 503 | 495 | 499 |
| 23 | Slovenia | 498.7 | 501 | 483 | 512 |
| 24 | France | 497.0 | 497 | 496 | 498 |
| 25 | Ireland | 497.0 | 487 | 496 | 508 |
| 26 | United States | 496.3 | 487 | 500 | 502 |
| 27 | Hungary | 495.7 | 490 | 494 | 503 |
| 28 | Sweden | 495.3 | 494 | 497 | 495 |
| 29 | Czech Republic | 490.3 | 493 | 478 | 500 |
| 30 | Portugal | 489.7 | 487 | 489 | 493 |
| 31 | Slovakia | 488.0 | 497 | 477 | 490 |
| 32 | Austria | 486.7 | 496 | 470 | 494 |
| 33 | Latvia | 486.7 | 482 | 484 | 494 |
| 34 | Italy | 486.0 | 483 | 486 | 489 |
| 35 | Spain | 484.0 | 483 | 481 | 488 |
| 36 | Luxembourg | 481.7 | 489 | 472 | 484 |
| 37 | Lithuania | 478.7 | 477 | 468 | 491 |
| 38 | Croatia | 474.0 | 460 | 476 | 486 |
| 39 | Greece | 473.0 | 466 | 483 | 470 |
| 40 | Russia | 468.3 | 468 | 459 | 478 |
| 41 | Dubai (United Arab Emirates) | 459.3 | 453 | 459 | 466 |
| 42 | Israel | 458.7 | 447 | 474 | 455 |
| 43 | Turkey | 454.3 | 445 | 464 | 454 |
| 44 | Serbia | 442.3 | 442 | 442 | 443 |
| 45 | Chile | 439.0 | 421 | 449 | 447 |
| 46 | Bulgaria | 432.0 | 428 | 429 | 439 |
| 47 | Uruguay | 426.7 | 427 | 426 | 427 |
| 48 | Romania | 426.3 | 427 | 424 | 428 |
| 49 | Thailand | 421.7 | 419 | 421 | 425 |
| 50 | Mexico | 420.0 | 419 | 425 | 416 |
| 51 | Trinidad and Tobago | 413.3 | 414 | 416 | 410 |
| 52 | Montenegro | 404.0 | 403 | 408 | 401 |
| 53 | Jordan | 402.3 | 387 | 405 | 415 |
| 54 | Brazil | 401.0 | 386 | 412 | 405 |
| 55 | Colombia | 398.7 | 381 | 413 | 402 |
| 56 | Kazakhstan | 398.3 | 405 | 390 | 400 |
| 57 | Argentina | 395.7 | 388 | 398 | 401 |
| 58 | Tunisia | 392.0 | 371 | 404 | 401 |
| 59 | Azerbaijan | 388.7 | 431 | 362 | 373 |
| 60 | Indonesia | 385.3 | 371 | 402 | 383 |
| 61 | Albania | 384.3 | 377 | 385 | 391 |
| 62 | Qatar | 373.0 | 368 | 372 | 379 |
| 63 | Panama | 369.0 | 360 | 371 | 376 |
| 64 | Peru | 368.0 | 365 | 370 | 369 |
| 65 | Kyrgyzstan | 325.0 | 331 | 314 | 330 |
Method note: Overall Score = Mathematics + Reading + Science divided by three. This table includes country/economy entries with complete 2009 mathematics, reading, and science scores in the comparison data used here.
PISA 2006 Overall Ranking by Average Score
PISA 2006 focused mainly on science. The table below ranks countries and economies by an editorial average of mathematics, reading, and science. OECD does not publish one official combined PISA score, so the overall score is calculated here only for easier comparison.
| Rank | Country / Economy | Overall Score | Mathematics | Reading | Science |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finland | 552.7 | 548 | 547 | 563 |
| 2 | South Korea | 541.7 | 547 | 556 | 522 |
| 3 | Hong Kong-China | 541.7 | 547 | 536 | 542 |
| 4 | Canada | 529.3 | 527 | 527 | 534 |
| 5 | Chinese Taipei | 525.7 | 549 | 496 | 532 |
| 6 | New Zealand | 524.3 | 522 | 521 | 530 |
| 7 | Netherlands | 521.0 | 531 | 507 | 525 |
| 8 | Australia | 520.0 | 520 | 513 | 527 |
| 9 | Liechtenstein | 519.0 | 525 | 510 | 522 |
| 10 | Japan | 517.3 | 523 | 498 | 531 |
| 11 | Estonia | 515.7 | 515 | 501 | 531 |
| 12 | Switzerland | 513.7 | 530 | 499 | 512 |
| 13 | Belgium | 510.3 | 520 | 501 | 510 |
| 14 | Macao-China | 509.3 | 525 | 492 | 511 |
| 15 | Ireland | 508.7 | 501 | 517 | 508 |
| 16 | Slovenia | 505.7 | 504 | 494 | 519 |
| 17 | Germany | 505.0 | 504 | 495 | 516 |
| 18 | Sweden | 504.0 | 502 | 507 | 503 |
| 19 | Czech Republic | 502.0 | 510 | 483 | 513 |
| 20 | Austria | 502.0 | 505 | 490 | 511 |
| 21 | United Kingdom | 501.7 | 495 | 495 | 515 |
| 22 | Denmark | 501.0 | 513 | 494 | 496 |
| 23 | Poland | 500.3 | 495 | 508 | 498 |
| 24 | Iceland | 493.7 | 506 | 484 | 491 |
| 25 | France | 493.0 | 496 | 488 | 495 |
| 26 | Hungary | 492.3 | 491 | 482 | 504 |
| 27 | Norway | 487.0 | 490 | 484 | 487 |
| 28 | Luxembourg | 485.0 | 490 | 479 | 486 |
| 29 | Latvia | 485.0 | 486 | 479 | 490 |
| 30 | Slovakia | 482.0 | 492 | 466 | 488 |
| 31 | Lithuania | 481.3 | 486 | 470 | 488 |
| 32 | Croatia | 479.0 | 467 | 477 | 493 |
| 33 | Spain | 476.3 | 480 | 461 | 488 |
| 34 | Portugal | 470.7 | 466 | 472 | 474 |
| 35 | Italy | 468.7 | 462 | 469 | 475 |
| 36 | Russia | 465.0 | 476 | 440 | 479 |
| 37 | Greece | 464.0 | 459 | 460 | 473 |
| 38 | Israel | 445.0 | 442 | 439 | 454 |
| 39 | Turkey | 431.7 | 424 | 447 | 424 |
| 40 | Chile | 430.3 | 411 | 442 | 438 |
| 41 | Serbia | 424.0 | 435 | 401 | 436 |
| 42 | Uruguay | 422.7 | 427 | 413 | 428 |
| 43 | Thailand | 418.3 | 417 | 417 | 421 |
| 44 | Bulgaria | 416.3 | 413 | 402 | 434 |
| 45 | Romania | 409.7 | 415 | 396 | 418 |
| 46 | Mexico | 408.7 | 406 | 410 | 410 |
| 47 | Azerbaijan | 403.7 | 476 | 353 | 382 |
| 48 | Jordan | 402.3 | 384 | 401 | 422 |
| 49 | Montenegro | 401.0 | 399 | 392 | 412 |
| 50 | Indonesia | 392.3 | 391 | 393 | 393 |
| 51 | Brazil | 384.3 | 370 | 393 | 390 |
| 52 | Argentina | 382.0 | 381 | 374 | 391 |
| 53 | Colombia | 381.0 | 370 | 385 | 388 |
| 54 | Tunisia | 377.0 | 365 | 380 | 386 |
| 55 | Qatar | 326.3 | 318 | 312 | 349 |
| 56 | Kyrgyzstan | 306.0 | 311 | 285 | 322 |
Method note: Overall Score = Mathematics + Reading + Science divided by three. This table includes country/economy entries with complete 2006 mathematics, reading, and science scores in the comparison data used here. The United States is not ranked in this editorial overall table because its 2006 reading score was not fully comparable in the published PISA 2006 data.
PISA 2003 Overall Ranking by Average Score
PISA 2003 focused mainly on mathematics. The table below ranks countries and economies by an editorial average of mathematics, reading, and science. OECD does not publish one official combined PISA score, so the overall score is calculated here only for easier comparison.
| Rank | Country / Economy | Overall Score | Mathematics | Reading | Science |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finland | 545.0 | 544 | 543 | 548 |
| 2 | Hong Kong-China | 533.0 | 550 | 510 | 539 |
| 3 | South Korea | 530.7 | 542 | 534 | 516 |
| 4 | Liechtenstein | 528.7 | 536 | 525 | 525 |
| 5 | Canada | 526.3 | 532 | 528 | 519 |
| 6 | Japan | 526.0 | 534 | 498 | 546 |
| 7 | New Zealand | 522.0 | 523 | 522 | 521 |
| 8 | Australia | 524.7 | 524 | 525 | 525 |
| 9 | Netherlands | 525.0 | 538 | 513 | 524 |
| 10 | Macao-China | 516.7 | 527 | 498 | 525 |
| 11 | Belgium | 515.0 | 529 | 507 | 509 |
| 12 | Switzerland | 513.0 | 527 | 499 | 513 |
| 13 | Ireland | 507.7 | 503 | 515 | 505 |
| 14 | Sweden | 509.7 | 509 | 514 | 506 |
| 15 | Czech Republic | 509.3 | 516 | 489 | 523 |
| 16 | France | 506.0 | 511 | 496 | 511 |
| 17 | Germany | 498.7 | 503 | 491 | 502 |
| 18 | Austria | 496.0 | 506 | 491 | 491 |
| 19 | Denmark | 493.7 | 514 | 492 | 475 |
| 20 | Iceland | 494.0 | 515 | 492 | 475 |
| 21 | Poland | 493.3 | 490 | 497 | 493 |
| 22 | Hungary | 491.3 | 490 | 482 | 502 |
| 23 | Norway | 493.7 | 495 | 500 | 486 |
| 24 | United States | 489.7 | 483 | 495 | 491 |
| 25 | Luxembourg | 489.0 | 493 | 479 | 495 |
| 26 | Slovakia | 487.3 | 498 | 469 | 495 |
| 27 | Spain | 484.3 | 485 | 481 | 487 |
| 28 | Latvia | 481.0 | 483 | 491 | 469 |
| 29 | Italy | 476.3 | 466 | 476 | 487 |
| 30 | Portugal | 471.7 | 466 | 478 | 471 |
| 31 | Russia | 463.3 | 468 | 442 | 480 |
| 32 | Greece | 463.0 | 445 | 472 | 472 |
| 33 | Serbia | 430.0 | 437 | 412 | 441 |
| 34 | Turkey | 432.7 | 423 | 441 | 434 |
| 35 | Uruguay | 427.3 | 422 | 434 | 426 |
| 36 | Thailand | 416.3 | 417 | 420 | 412 |
| 37 | Mexico | 397.3 | 385 | 400 | 407 |
| 38 | Brazil | 385.3 | 356 | 403 | 397 |
| 39 | Indonesia | 378.0 | 360 | 382 | 392 |
| 40 | Tunisia | 376.3 | 359 | 375 | 395 |
Method note: Overall Score = Mathematics + Reading + Science divided by three. This table includes country/economy entries with complete 2003 mathematics, reading, and science scores in the comparison data used here. The United Kingdom is not ranked because its PISA 2003 data were disqualified due to a low response rate.
PISA 2000 Overall Ranking by Average Score
PISA 2000 was the first PISA cycle and focused mainly on reading. The table below ranks countries and economies by an editorial average of mathematics, reading, and science. OECD does not publish one official combined PISA score, so the overall score is calculated here only for easier comparison.
| Rank | Country / Economy | Overall Score | Mathematics | Reading | Science |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan | 543.0 | 557 | 522 | 550 |
| 2 | South Korea | 541.3 | 547 | 525 | 552 |
| 3 | Finland | 540.0 | 536 | 546 | 538 |
| 4 | Canada | 532.0 | 533 | 534 | 529 |
| 5 | New Zealand | 531.3 | 537 | 529 | 528 |
| 6 | Australia | 529.7 | 533 | 528 | 528 |
| 7 | United Kingdom | 528.0 | 529 | 523 | 532 |
| 8 | Ireland | 514.3 | 503 | 527 | 513 |
| 9 | Austria | 513.7 | 515 | 507 | 519 |
| 10 | Sweden | 512.7 | 510 | 516 | 512 |
| 11 | Belgium | 507.7 | 520 | 507 | 496 |
| 12 | France | 507.3 | 517 | 505 | 500 |
| 13 | Switzerland | 506.3 | 529 | 494 | 496 |
| 14 | Iceland | 505.7 | 514 | 507 | 496 |
| 15 | Norway | 501.3 | 499 | 505 | 500 |
| 16 | Czech Republic | 500.3 | 498 | 492 | 511 |
| 17 | United States | 498.7 | 493 | 504 | 499 |
| 18 | Denmark | 497.3 | 514 | 497 | 481 |
| 19 | Liechtenstein | 491.0 | 514 | 483 | 476 |
| 20 | Hungary | 488.0 | 488 | 480 | 496 |
| 21 | Germany | 487.0 | 490 | 484 | 487 |
| 22 | Spain | 486.7 | 476 | 493 | 491 |
| 23 | Poland | 477.3 | 470 | 479 | 483 |
| 24 | Italy | 474.0 | 457 | 487 | 478 |
| 25 | Russia | 466.7 | 478 | 462 | 460 |
| 26 | Portugal | 461.0 | 454 | 470 | 459 |
| 27 | Greece | 460.7 | 447 | 474 | 461 |
| 28 | Latvia | 460.3 | 463 | 458 | 460 |
| 29 | Luxembourg | 443.3 | 446 | 441 | 443 |
| 30 | Mexico | 410.3 | 387 | 422 | 422 |
| 31 | Brazil | 368.3 | 334 | 396 | 375 |
Method note: Overall Score = Mathematics + Reading + Science divided by three. This table includes country/economy entries with complete PISA 2000 mathematics, reading, and science scores in the comparison data used here. The Netherlands is not ranked because its PISA 2000 data were disqualified from the main analysis.
PISA Rankings Summary by Year
The table below summarizes the leading country or economy in each PISA cycle from 2000 to 2022, using the same editorial overall average method applied in the historical tables above. Since OECD does not publish one official combined PISA ranking, this summary is based on the average of mathematics, reading, and science scores.
| PISA Cycle | Main Domain | Top Country / Economy by Editorial Overall Score | Overall Score | Mathematics | Reading | Science |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Mathematics | Singapore | 559.7 | 575 | 543 | 561 |
| 2018 | Reading | B-S-J-Z China | 578.7 | 591 | 555 | 590 |
| 2015 | Science | Singapore | 551.7 | 564 | 535 | 556 |
| 2012 | Mathematics | Shanghai-China | 587.7 | 613 | 570 | 580 |
| 2009 | Reading | Shanghai-China | 577.0 | 600 | 556 | 575 |
| 2006 | Science | Finland | 552.7 | 548 | 547 | 563 |
| 2003 | Mathematics | Finland | 545.0 | 544 | 543 | 548 |
| 2000 | Reading | Japan | 543.0 | 557 | 522 | 550 |
This summary shows how the top of PISA changed over time. Finland shaped the early 2000s, Shanghai-China led the 2009 and 2012 cycles, and Singapore became the clearest top performer in the later period. The table should be read as an editorial comparison, not as an official OECD combined ranking.
What Changed Across PISA Rankings From 2000 to 2026
The long PISA record does not show one permanent winner. It shows changing groups of strong performers. Finland shaped the early years, especially in reading and science. Korea, Japan, Hong Kong-China, Chinese Taipei, Macao, Shanghai-China, B-S-J-Z China, and Singapore repeatedly appeared in the top bands across different cycles. In the later period, Singapore became the clearest cross-subject reference point.
Among OECD countries, Estonia became one of the most important long-term stories. It combined strong science, reading, and mathematics results with a stable position near the top of the European group. Canada, Ireland, Finland, Japan, Korea, Poland, and several other systems also remained important reference points across different PISA cycles.
Why One Universal PISA Rank Does Not Exist
A clean “overall PISA ranking by country” sounds convenient, but it compresses away part of the real picture. PISA has three core subjects, not one. A system can be very strong in mathematics but less dominant in reading, or strong in science but closer to average in another subject. That is why this page uses an editorial average only as a practical comparison tool.
Small differences should also be read carefully. If two countries are separated by one or two score points, that does not necessarily mean one education system is meaningfully better than the other. Larger gaps, repeated performance across cycles, and subject-level strength are more useful than treating every exact rank as final.
Where the Picture Stands in 2026
By 2026, the most defensible country reading is still anchored in PISA 2022. There is no newer official full ranking release yet. That means the latest validated global position remains shaped by Singapore’s leadership, the strong performance of several East Asian systems, Estonia’s high standing in Europe, and the broad OECD decline in mathematics and reading between 2018 and 2022.
Read in that way, PISA becomes more useful. It is not just a single scoreboard. It is a two-decade record of student performance, subject strengths, changing country positions, and the pressure points facing education systems around the world.
Sources and Method
The subject scores in the tables are based on published PISA mathematics, reading, and science results. The overall score was calculated by averaging the three subject scores for each country or economy. This combined value is used only for readability and comparison. It is not an official OECD combined ranking.
Sources: OECD PISA 2022 Results Volume I, OECD PISA programme information, OECD PISA participants and cycle information, and published PISA country/economy score tables.