Which EU Countries Have the Highest PISA Scores?

Key Takeaways

• PISA assesses 15-year-olds on their ability to apply knowledge in reading, mathematics, and science.
• Estonia ranked first in the EU across all three PISA domains. It recorded scores of 511.0 in reading, 509.9 in mathematics, and 525.8 in science.
• Estonian schools operated with high autonomy. Principals controlled teacher hiring, and teachers selected their own learning materials.
• Family background shaped student results less in Estonia than in most EU countries. One in ten disadvantaged students scored in the top quarter of mathematics.
• Germany’s mathematics score fell from 500 in 2018 to 474.8 in 2022. It is one of the steepest declines among OECD countries.
• Two factors drove Germany’s decline: poor digital preparedness during the pandemic and a gap in early language support for students with migration backgrounds.

EU Countries Ranked by PISA Reading, Mathematics, and Science Scores

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Learn something new about Germany every week and make informed decisions with confidence.

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Learn something new about Germany every week and make informed decisions with confidence.

Estonia Ranks First in the EU Across All Three PISA Domains

PISA assesses 15-year-olds on their ability to apply knowledge in reading, mathematics, and science. The OECD average was 476 in reading, 472 in mathematics, and 485 in science.

Estonia scores 509.9 in mathematics, 525.8 in science, and 511.0 in reading. It ranks first in the EU across all three domains. Finland had been Europe’s top PISA performer in earlier cycles. Estonia’s mathematics score now exceeds Finland’s 2022 result of 484.1 by more than 25 points.

Two structural features explain Estonia’s PISA results. Principals control teacher hiring in 94% of schools. Teachers also select their own learning materials. Most education systems give a central authority control over both. In Estonia, both decisions belong to the school and the teacher. This lets schools and teachers adapt to their students rather than follow a national standard.

Equity is a second factor. In Estonia, family background shapes student results less than in most EU countries. One in ten disadvantaged students scores in the top quarter of mathematics. Estonia also experienced less learning disruption during the pandemic than most EU countries. Schools kept running because digital tools were already in place.

Germany Recorded One of the Steepest PISA Mathematics Declines Among OECD Countries

Germany scored 500 in mathematics in 2018. By 2022, the score had fallen to 474.8. The decline of more than 25 points was one of the steepest recorded among OECD countries.

Two factors are linked to the decline in Germany’s math PISA score. 

• Germany was poorly prepared for distance learning during the pandemic. German students received more printed materials than digital resources.
• The country’s gap in early language support. Students with migration backgrounds often lack proficiency in academic German when they start school. This affects their ability to follow subject content, including mathematics.

In reading, Germany scored 479.8. That is close to the OECD average of 476. In science, Germany scored 492.4, against an OECD average of 485.

The 2022 results point to structural conditions as a differentiating factor. Estonia built school autonomy, equity mechanisms, and digital infrastructure before the pandemic. Germany entered the same period without those foundations in place. Its scores reflect that.