The OECD published the latest PISA results on Tuesday, covering 91 countries and about 760,000 students. The data show that reading skills have declined in many parts of the world compared with previous assessment cycles.
Quantitative findings
- Average reading scores among students in OECD member countries fell by 28 points between 2015 and 2025.
- In other countries, the decrease was 16 points over the same period.
- On the PISA scale, a 20-point decline corresponds roughly to the loss of one school year of learning.
The deterioration appears across general text comprehension, the ability to evaluate information critically, and the skill of linking different pieces of evidence.
Possible causes: AI, social media and reading habits
Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education, says students are processing texts more hastily: they read faster but less accurately, and favour instinctive responses over critical ones. He described reading as the "mother of all competencies," foundational to learning other subjects.
The survey highlights the role of technology: 46 percent of students report using AI-based chatbots weekly or more often for study. The OECD and related research suggest frequent use can do more harm than good — for example, while homework grades may improve with AI help, performance on exams without such tools can drop sharply. The report cites a recent study of Chinese students that supports this pattern.
Interestingly, since 2018 the greatest declines in reading ability have been observed among students from wealthier families: although they still outperform less affluent peers on average, the gap has narrowed significantly.
Links to other subject areas and potential consequences
Where reading performance fell the most, mathematics and science results tended to decline more as well. The OECD warns that weakening reading skills could have long-term impacts on workforce capabilities and, consequently, economic growth.
School policies and possible responses
Schleicher notes that bans on mobile phones in schools are the only measure shown to slow the decline in some education systems. The OECD and experts say stronger pedagogical and systemic responses will be required to reverse the trend, with particular emphasis on developing information-processing and critical-thinking skills.
Closing note
The PISA results have prompted wide international concern about the future of education. Central to the debate are the educational effects of technology — including artificial intelligence and social media — and the role of school policies and teaching practices.
An AI assistant contributed to preparing this article; our journalists edited and verified the final content.
