PISA Scores By Country

One of the most globally recognized benchmarks is the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), a triennial survey run by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) which assesses 15-year-olds' abilities in reading, mathematics, and science. The data leveraged below is the results of the 2022 exam.

Key findings from the data offer valuable insights:

• Geographically, Asian countries stand tall when it comes to PISA scores, with five regions - Singapore, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea - occupying the top five positions
• Lower-income countries such as Vietnam outpace wealthier nations like the United States in these metrics.
• Nordic countries, renowned for their educational models, show a mixed bag of results. Estonia performs exceptionally well, whereas Norway, typically considered a leader in education, lags behind.
• The United States' position, though not among the top performers, is ahead of several European economic powerhouses, including France, Germany, and Italy.

The ten countries with the highest PISA scores in 2022 are Singapore, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Estonia, Canada, Ireland, and Switzerland. Singapore takes the top spot with an impressive overall PISA score of 560. Macau comes second, trailing some way behind Singapore, with a commendable score of 535. Taiwan and Japan share the third position, both reporting an overall PISA score of 533.

South Korea follows closely in fourth position with a score of 523, whereas Hong Kong recognizes a score of 520. Estonia, renowned for its high educational standards, comes next with a strong score of 516. Canada and Ireland also reflect high standards of education, with overall PISA scores of 506 and 504 respectively.

Lastly, Switzerland places tenth with an overall PISA score of 498, solidifying its position among the ten countries with the highest PISA scores.

10 Countries with Highest PISA Scores:

1. Singapore - 560

2. Macau - 535

3. Taiwan - 533

4. Japan - 533

5. South Korea - 523

6. Hong Kong - 520

7. Estonia - 516

8. Canada - 506

9. Ireland - 504

10. Switzerland - 498

The ten countries with the lowest PISA scores in the 2022 report are Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, Kosovo, Uzbekistan, the Philippines, Morocco, Jordan, El Salvador, Paraguay, and Palestine.

Cambodia has the lowest PISA score with 337 points. The Dominican Republic is ranked second lowest, with a score of 350. Following closely, Kosovo scores 351 points, and Uzbekistan's total score is of 352.

Next, the Philippines records an overall PISA score of 353, and Morocco follows with 356 points. Jordan's total score is 359, a point lower than the PISA scores of El Salvador and Paraguay, both of which scored 360 points.

Last on the list, but marginally better than the others, Palestine scores an overall PISA of 361. 

10 Countries with the Lowest PISA Scores in 2022:

1. Cambodia - 337

2. Dominican Republic - 350

3. Kosovo - 351

4. Uzbekistan - 352

5. Philippines - 353

6. Morocco - 356

7. Jordan - 359

8. El Salvador - 360

9. Paraguay - 360

10. Palestine - 361

To sort the data in the table, click on the column headers.

Year - 2022

Source - Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

Methodology - The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) calculates average scores by combining the math, science, and reading results of a representative sample of 15-year-old students, using statistical methods to ensure the scores are comparable across countries.