How do Canadian students’ PISA scores compare with those of their international peers?

Canadian students rank among the top performers globally in science, mathematics, and reading, according to the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) scores published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Canadian students scored 510 points in science, 490 in reading, and 485 in mathematics, placing them above the OECD average and ranking them among the upper tier of participating countries and economies. Canadian students outperformed the OECD average in all three subjects: 84% reached baseline proficiency in science, compared with 72% across the OECD; 74% did so in mathematics, compared with 65%; and 78% in reading, compared with 65%. In Canada, the gap between the top and bottom performers was narrower than across OECD countries. More students in Canada were top performers in at least one subject than the OECD average. At the same time, a larger proportion of students achieved a minimum level of proficiency in all three subjects than the OECD average.

While Canadian students performed well in PISA 2025, scores in science, mathematics, and reading have shown a long-term gradual decline. Science scores dropped by five points from 2022, while reading and mathematics scores declined by 12 and 17 points, respectively. Canada’s scores in all three subjects are the lowest ever observed in the country, and significantly below the results from just over a decade ago. Canada’s declining scores are part of a broader trend affecting most participating countries and economies.

Canadian students excel in science

PISA 2025 included 91 participating countries and economies across the OECD and partnering nations. Students scored 482 points in science, 463 points in mathematics, and 461 points in reading, on average across OECD countries. In science, only one non-OECD country (Singapore) and three OECD countries (Japan, Estonia, and South Korea) outperformed Canada. In reading, only six countries and three economies outperformed Canada, while in mathematics, only five countries and four economies achieved better results.

Girls outperformed boys in reading, trail in science and mathematics

In Canada, girls outperformed boys in reading by 22 points. Girls scored 501 points in reading compared with 479 for boys. The OECD notes that a 20-point difference is significant because it is roughly equivalent to a year of schooling. Meanwhile, science scores were almost identical, with boys gaining a slight 4-point edge. In mathematics, boys performed better, recording an average score of 495 compared to 475 for girls, a 20-point gap.

A higher proportion of girls performed above the OECD baseline in reading and science, and trailed boys in mathematics. However when it comes to top performers, boys had a higher proportion in mathematics (13.8%) and science (11.7%).

PISA tests 15-year-old students as they near the end of compulsory education in most countries. It assesses students’ abilities to apply their skills and knowledge in science, mathematics and reading to real-world scenarios. PISA is conducted every three years, with the main focus of each edition rotating between the three main domain subjects. Science was the major focus in 2025. Learn more about global PISA trends here.