Latest Survey: Girls Outperform Boys in Reading Proficiency
The reading proficiency of female students has once again demonstrated superiority over their male counterparts. Results from the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) show that girls recorded higher reading scores in 89 out of the 90 education systems participating in the assessment.
PISA is an assessment organised by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to measure the ability of 15-year-old students to apply their knowledge and skills in reading, mathematics, and science to real-life problems.
The latest PISA results indicate that the reading proficiency gap between female and male students remains wide and has even widened compared to previous assessments.
Females Excel in 8lag 89 Countries
Of the 90 education systems participating in PISA 2025, only Rwanda recorded higher reading scores for boys than for girls, with a difference of six points. Meanwhile, the differences in Kenya and Zambia were not statistically significant.
The largest gap was observed in Finland, where female reading scores reached 498 points, while males only achieved 452 points, representing a 46-point gap. Large gaps were also recorded in Lithuania (44 points), Sweden (41 points), Chinese Taipei (39 points), Poland (37 points), and New Zealand (33 points).
Across OECD countries as a whole, the average reading score for females was 476 points, compared to 446 points for males, resulting in a 30-point difference. Notably, this gap has widened by five points compared to PISA 2022.
Boys Lag Behind at Basic Levels
The disparity is evident not only in average scores but also in basic reading proficiency. The OECD defines Level 2 as the minimum threshold for reading proficiency. At this level, students are able to identify the main idea in slightly longer texts, locate clearly stated information, and understand the purpose and format of a text when provided with guidance.
In OECD countries, 36% of male students failed to reach Level 2, which is significantly higher than the 25% of female students. Conversely, in the highest proficiency group, 7% of female students reached Level 5 or higher, compared to 5% of male students. At Levels 5-6, students are capable of understanding long and complex texts, including abstract concepts, and distinguishing between fact and opinion based on implicit cues within the text or information source.
Why is this Reading Gap Emerging?
These differences do not necessarily indicate innate differences in ability. One factor cited in OECD and UNESCO materials is student engagement with reading activities. UNESCO notes that boys tend to report lower levels of enjoyment and confidence in reading.
Changes in scores over recent years have also widened the gap. Among OECD countries with comparable data, the reading scores of male students dropped by 17 points from 2022 to 2025, while female scores dropped by 12 points. The OECD noted that the gender gap in reading widened by five points during this period.
This reading gap is critical because these skills extend beyond the classroom. The ability to understand text, find information, and evaluate reading content is part of the competencies students use to learn at subsequent educational levels. In the long term, differences in educational achievement are also linked to patterns of participation in higher education and opportunities in the labour market.