In Intelligence Competition, Asian Students Lead the World

Asian education systems dominate the top positions in science proficiency according to the results of the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

PISA is an assessment organised by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for 15-year-old students. PISA 2025 tests science, mathematics, and reading, with science serving as the primary focus.

The science assessment does not merely test the ability to memorise facts, but also the ability to explain phenomena scientifically, evaluate investigations and evidence, and assess scientific information to assist in decision-making. PISA 2025 also measures computational problem-solving skills.

More than 760,000 students participated in PISA 2025 across 91 countries and economies, representing approximately 33 million 15-year-olds worldwide.

The PISA 2025 results show that six of the seven education systems with the highest science scores originate from Asia. Estonia was the only European education system to feature in the top seven.

Asia Dominates PISA 2025 Science Scores

Below is the list of countries and education systems with the highest PISA 2025 science scores:

(Note: OECD uses the term “countries and economies” in PISA results. B-S-J-Z (China) refers to Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang, rather than the entire region of China.)

B-S-j-Z (China) recorded the highest science score with 597 points, followed by Singapore with 560 points. Macau recorded 541 points, Taiwan 540 points, and Japan 538 points. Estonia followed with 527 points, while Korea recorded 526 points.

This pattern demonstrates the dominance of Asian education systems at the top. However, PISA results cannot be used to conclude that any specific policy or practice is the primary cause of such achievements.

What Stands Out in Asian Education Systems?

A number of high-achieving Asian education systems possess strong academic expectations and learning environments that support the learning process. However, this does not necessarily mean that specific academic expectations are the direct cause of higher PISA scores.

One factor visible in the PISA 2025 data is the level of digital device distraction in the classroom. In B-S-J-Z (China), Japan, and Korea, fewer than 10% of students reported that their classmates were distracted by digital devices during most or all of their science lessons. The OECD average reached 28%.

The OECD also found that in schools with clear rules regarding mobile phone usage, fewer students reported distractions caused by digital devices. However, the link between device usage rules and science achievement cannot be directly interpreted as a cause-and-effect relationship.

High-achieving education systems also have a larger proportion of high-ability students. In Singapore, for example, 26.1% of students achieved Level 5 or 6 in science, compared to an OECD average of 7.2%.

Furthermore, the OECD noted that some education systems are able to combine high achievement with relatively smaller levels of socio-economic inequality. B-S-J-Z (China), Canada, Estonia, Ireland, Japan, Korea, and Macau all recorded performance above the OECD average with less than 10% variation in science achievement related to students’ socio-economic status.

Additional education outside of school is also part of the educational context in several East Asian regions. In South Korea, for instance, data from Statistics Korea shows that 78.5% of students participated in private education in 2023. Average expenditure on private education reached 434,000 won per student per month, while for students participating in private education, it reached 553,000 won per month. The average time spent reached 7.3 hours per week.

However, the OECD does not isolate additional education, academic expectations, or specific learning environments as the sole cause of the differences in PISA scores. Therefore, the high achievements of Asian education systems must be viewed within a broader context.

USA Above OECD Average

The United States recorded a science score of 502 points, which is 20 points above the OECD average of 482 points. In the rankings by score, the US sits in 13th position. However, the OECD indicates that the US score does not differ statistically significantly from several other education systems nearby, including the UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Finland.

Canada recorded 510 points, while Australia and New Zealand each achieved 509 points. Consequently, these five English-speaking education systems recorded scores between 502 and 511 points, within a 9-point range.

The OECD emphasises that some closely spaced score differences are not statistically significant. Therefore, adjacent positions in the score rankings do not always indicate a meaningful difference in performance.

Estonia Leads Europe

Estonia recorded a score of 527 points and became the education system with the highest science score in Europe in PISA 2025. The UK stood at 511 points, Finland at 504 points, and Switzerland at 501 points.

In other European countries, Germany recorded 486 points, France and Italy recorded 483 points each, while Spain achieved 477 points.

Overall, approximately 74% of students in OECD countries achieved at least Level 2 in science, which is the basic competency level for using scientific knowledge and evidence.

However, the OECD average for science in PISA 2025 reached 482 points, which is the lowest average level ever recorded in PISA. The OECD noted that science performance has declined gradually over the last decade, although science has remained relatively more stable compared to mathematics and reading in more recent periods.

Indonesia Remains Below OECD Average

Indonesia recorded a science score of 389 points in PISA 2025, compared to 383 points in PISA 2022. This means Indonesia’s score increased by 6 points.