09/08/2026September 8, 2026German students post dismal scores in latest PISA academic assessment
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released its 2025 PISA study in Paris on Tuesday and the results are shocking.
According to the study, overall proficiency in reading, math and science has fallen significantly among 15-year-old pupils in 90 countries, with German pupils faring particularly poorly — posting their worst scores ever in the OECD’s Program for International Student Assessment, which has tracked the academic performance since 2000.
“We are seeing historically low levels of proficiency,” said Samuel Greiff of the Technical University of Munich.
Released every three years, the 2025 assessment documented a major drop in German students’ reading proficiency as well as significant dips in math and science skills since 2022.
“We aren’t dramatically behind,” said Greiff. “But we are not living up to our own standards as an education nation. We are not among the top performers.”
Among the factors contributing to Germany’s poor scores were the education system’s failings regarding early childhood education, teaching staffing, and digitalization.
Social media use was cited as a particular problem, leading Germany’s Federal Commissioner for Drug Issues and Addiction Hendrik Streeck to ask, “How much scientific evidence do we need before we do something? Studies show that early, problematic social media consumption measurably impacts scholastic performance.”
Roughly one-third of German students also told pollsters they considered school a “waste of time.”