Swiss 15-year-olds’ reading and maths scores fell 22 points over the decade to 2025
The Receipt · Friday, 11 September 2026
Why it matters
This is a measured weakening in skills relevant to later schooling, apprenticeships and work, even though Switzerland remains internationally strong and retains higher science and problem-solving results. It provides an outcome baseline for judging any future education reforms, but not yet evidence about which intervention would reverse the decline.
What happened
Swiss 15-year-olds scored 470 points in reading and 499 in mathematics in the 2025 PISA assessment, down 22 points in each subject from 2015. Switzerland nevertheless remained above the OECD average overall, and science performance was comparatively stable at 501 points versus an OECD average of 482; pupils also scored 520 in newly assessed model-based problem-solving. The results show a broad national decline in two core subjects but do not establish whether pandemic disruption, demographic change, curriculum choices or pressure on schools caused it, and the available figures do not identify differences by canton, school type or language group.
Previously
2022–2025 — Across 35 OECD countries, average science performance remained broadly stable, while reading fell by about 14 score points and mathematics by 9 points.(OECD)
Players & places
- Switzerland
- OECD
- University of Bern