Program for International Student Assessment (PISA): 2015 Results - Trends in Student Performance: International Trends in Average Scores

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Trends in Student Performance: International Trends in Average Scores

Science Literacy Reading literacy scale by percentiles Mathematics literacy scale by percentiles

Reading literacy scale by percentiles

Table T3. Average scores and changes in average scores of 15-year-old students on the PISA reading literacy scale, by education system: 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, and 2015
Education system	Average score												Change in average score
	2000		2003		2006		2009		2012		2015		2015-2000				2015-2003			2015-2006			2015-2009				2015-2012
	Score	*s.e.*	Score	*s.e.*	Score	*s.e.*	Score	*s.e.*	Score	*s.e.*	Score	*s.e.*	Difference			*s.e.*	Difference		*s.e.*	Difference		*s.e.*	Difference			*s.e.*	Difference			*s.e.*
Singapore	—	†	—	†	—	†	526	1.1	542	1.4	535	1.6	—			†	—		†	—		†	9	*		3.9	-7			5.7
Hong Kong (China)	525	2.9	510	3.7	536	2.4	533	2.1	545	2.8	527	2.7	1			7.9	17	*	7.1	-9		7.5	-6			4.8	-18	*		6.5
Canada	534	1.6	528	1.7	527	2.4	524	1.5	523	1.9	527	2.3	-8			7.4	-1		6.1	#		†	2			4.4	4			6.1
Finland	546	2.6	543	1.6	547	2.1	536	2.3	524	2.4	526	2.5	-20	*		7.7	-17	*	6.2	-20	*	7.4	-9			4.8	2			6.3
Ireland	527	3.2	515	2.6	517	3.5	496	3.0	523	2.6	521	2.5	-6			7.9	5		6.5	4		7.9	25	*		5.2	-2			6.3
Estonia	—	†	—	†	501	2.9	501	2.6	516	2.0	519	2.2	—			†	—		†	18	*	7.6	18	*		4.9	3			6.1
Korea, Republic of	525	2.4	534	3.1	556	3.8	539	3.5	536	3.9	517	3.5	-7			8.0	-17	*	7.1	-39	*	8.4	-22	*		6.0	-18	*		7.4
Japan	522	5.2	498	3.9	498	3.6	520	3.5	538	3.7	516	3.2	-6			9.1	18	*	7.4	18	*	8.2	-4			5.8	-22	*		7.2
Norway	505	2.8	500	2.8	484	3.2	503	2.6	504	3.2	513	2.5	8			7.8	13	*	6.6	29	*	7.8	10	*		5.0	9			6.7
New Zealand	529	2.8	522	2.5	521	3.0	521	2.4	512	2.4	509	2.4	-20	*		7.7	-12		6.4	-12		7.6	-12	*		4.8	-3			6.3
Germany	484	2.5	491	3.4	495	4.4	497	2.7	508	2.8	509	3.0	25	*		7.8	18	*	7.0	14		8.5	12	*		5.3	1			6.7
Macau (China)	—	†	498	2.2	492	1.1	487	0.9	509	0.9	509	1.3	—			†	11		5.9	16	*	6.8	22	*		3.8	#			†
Poland	479	4.5	497	2.9	508	2.8	500	2.6	518	3.1	506	2.5	27	*		8.5	9		6.6	-2		7.6	5			5.0	-12			6.6
Slovenia	—	†	—	†	494	1.0	483	1.0	481	1.2	505	1.5	—			†	—		†	11		6.8	22	*		3.9	24	*		5.6
Netherlands	—	†	513	2.9	507	2.9	508	5.1	511	3.5	503	2.4	—			†	-10		6.6	-4		7.6	-5			6.6	-8			6.7
Australia	528	3.5	525	2.1	513	2.1	515	2.3	512	1.6	503	1.7	-25	*		7.8	-23	*	6.0	-10		7.1	-12	*		4.5	-9			5.7
Sweden	516	2.2	514	2.4	507	3.4	497	2.9	483	3.0	500	3.5	-16	*		8.0	-14	*	6.9	-7		8.2	3			5.7	17	*		7.0
Denmark	497	2.4	492	2.8	494	3.2	495	2.1	496	2.6	500	2.5	3			7.6	7		6.6	5		7.8	5			4.7	4			6.4
France	505	2.7	496	2.7	488	4.1	496	3.4	505	2.8	499	2.5	-5			7.7	3		6.5	12		8.2	4			5.5	-6			6.5
Belgium	507	3.6	507	2.6	501	3.0	506	2.3	509	2.3	499	2.4	-9			8.0	-8		6.4	-2		7.7	-7			4.8	-10			6.2
Portugal	470	4.5	478	3.7	472	3.6	489	3.1	488	3.8	498	2.7	28	*		8.6	21	*	7.1	26	*	8.0	9			5.3	10			7.0
United Kingdom¹	—	†	—	†	495	2.3	494	2.3	499	3.5	498	2.8	—			†	—		†	3		7.5	4			5.0	-1			6.9
Chinese Taipei	—	†	—	†	496	3.4	495	2.6	523	3.0	497	2.5	—			†	—		†	1		7.8	2			5.0	-26	*		6.6
United States²	504	*7.0*	495	*3.2*	—	†	500	*3.7*	498	*3.7*	497	*3.4*	-7			*10.4*	2		*7.1*	—		†	-3			*6.1*	-1			*7.3*
Spain	493	2.7	481	2.6	461	2.2	481	2.0	488	1.9	496	2.4	3			7.7	15	*	6.4	35	*	7.4	15	*		4.6	8			6.1
Russian Federation	462	4.2	442	3.9	440	4.3	459	3.3	475	3.0	495	3.1	33	*		8.5	52	*	7.4	55	*	8.5	35	*		5.7	19	*		6.8
B-S-J-G (China)	—	†	—	†	—	†	—	†	—	†	494	5.1	—			†	—		†	—		†	—			†	—			†
Switzerland	494	4.2	499	3.3	499	3.1	501	2.4	509	2.6	492	3.0	-2			8.6	-7		7.0	-7		7.9	-8			5.2	-17	*		6.6
Latvia	458	5.3	491	3.7	479	3.7	484	3.0	489	2.4	488	1.8	30	*		8.8	-3		6.8	8		7.8	4			4.9	-1			6.0
Czech Republic	492	2.4	489	3.5	483	4.2	478	2.9	493	2.9	487	2.6	-4			7.7	-1		6.9	5		8.2	9			5.2	-6			6.5
Croatia	—	†	—	†	477	2.8	476	2.9	485	3.3	487	2.7	—			†	—		†	9		7.7	11	*		5.2	2			6.8
Vietnam	—	†	—	†	—	†	—	†	508	4.4	487	3.7	—			†	—		†	—		†	—			†	-21	*		7.8
Austria	492	2.7	491	3.8	490	4.1	—	†	490	2.8	485	2.8	-7			7.8	-6		7.2	-5		8.3	—			†	-5			6.6
Italy	487	2.9	476	3.0	469	2.4	486	1.6	490	2.0	485	2.7	-3			7.9	9		6.7	16	*	7.5	-1			4.6	-5			6.2
Iceland	507	1.5	492	1.6	484	1.9	500	1.4	483	1.8	482	2.0	-25	*		7.2	-10		6.0	-3		7.2	-19	*		4.2	-1			5.9
Luxembourg	—	†	479	1.5	479	1.3	472	1.3	488	1.5	481	1.4	—			†	2		5.8	2		6.9	9	*		3.9	-6			5.7
Israel	452	8.5	—	†	439	4.6	474	3.6	486	5.0	479	3.8	27	*		11.5	—		†	40	*	8.9	5			6.3	-7			8.2
Buenos Aires (Argentina)	—	†	—	†	—	†	—	†	429	9.0	475	7.2	—			†	—		†	—		†	—			†	46	*		12.7
Lithuania	—	†	—	†	470	3.0	468	2.4	477	2.5	472	2.7	—			†	—		†	2		7.7	4			5.0	-5			6.4
Hungary	480	4.0	482	2.5	482	3.3	494	3.2	488	3.2	470	2.7	-10			8.3	-12		6.5	-13		7.8	-25	*		5.4	-19	*		6.7
Greece	474	5.0	472	4.1	460	4.0	483	4.3	477	3.3	467	4.3	-7			9.5	-5		8.0	7		8.9	-16	*		7.0	-10			7.6
Chile	410	3.6	—	†	442	5.0	449	3.1	441	2.9	459	2.6	49	*		8.1	—		†	16		8.7	9			5.3	17	*		6.5
Slovak Republic	—	†	469	3.1	466	3.1	477	2.5	463	4.2	453	2.8	—			†	-17	*	6.8	-14		7.8	-25	*		5.1	-10			7.3
Malta	—	†	—	†	—	†	442	1.6	—	†	447	1.8	—			†	—		†	—		†	5			4.2	—			†
Cyprus	—	†	—	†	—	†	—	†	449	1.2	443	1.7	—			†	—		†	—		†	—			†	-6			5.6
Uruguay	—	†	434	3.4	413	3.4	426	2.6	411	3.2	437	2.5	—			†	2		6.9	24	*	7.9	11	*		5.0	25	*		6.6
Romania	428	3.5	—	†	396	4.7	424	4.1	438	4.0	434	4.1	6			8.7	—		†	38	*	9.1	9			6.7	-4			7.7
United Arab Emirates	—	†	—	†	—	†	—	†	442	2.5	434	2.9	—			†	—		†	—		†	—			†	-8			6.5
Bulgaria	430	4.9	—	†	402	6.9	429	6.7	436	6.0	432	5.0	1			9.8	—		†	30	*	10.8	3			9.0	-4			9.4
Turkey	—	†	441	5.8	447	4.2	464	3.5	475	4.2	428	4.0	—			†	-13		8.8	-19	*	8.8	-36	*		6.3	-47	*		7.8
Costa Rica³	—	†	—	†	—	†	443	3.2	441	3.5	427	2.6	—			†	—		†	—		†	-15	*		5.4	-13			6.8
Trinidad and Tobago	—	†	—	†	—	†	416	1.2	—	†	427	1.5	—			†	—		†	—		†	11	*		3.9	—			†
Montenegro, Republic of	—	†	—	†	392	1.2	408	1.7	422	1.2	427	1.6	—			†	—		†	35	*	6.9	19	*		4.1	5			5.6
Colombia	—	†	—	†	385	5.1	413	3.7	403	3.4	425	2.9	—			†	—		†	40	*	8.8	12	*		5.9	22	*		6.9
Mexico	422	3.3	400	4.1	410	3.1	425	2.0	424	1.5	423	2.6	1			8.0	24	*	7.2	13		7.7	-2			4.7	#			†
Moldova, Republic of	—	†	—	†	—	†	388	2.8	—	†	416	2.5	—			†	—		†	—		†	28	*		5.1	—			†
Thailand	431	3.2	420	2.8	417	2.6	421	2.6	441	3.1	409	3.3	-22	*		8.2	-11		6.9	-8		7.8	-12	*		5.5	-32	*		7.0
Jordan	—	†	—	†	401	3.3	405	3.3	399	3.6	408	2.9	—			†	—		†	8		7.9	3			5.6	9			7.0
Brazil	396	3.1	403	4.6	393	3.7	412	2.7	407	2.0	407	2.8	11			8.0	5		7.6	14		8.1	-4			5.2	1			6.3
Albania	349	3.3	—	†	—	†	385	4.0	394	3.2	405	4.1	56	*		8.6	—		†	—		†	20	*		6.7	11			7.4
Qatar	—	†	—	†	312	1.2	372	0.8	388	0.8	402	1.0	—			†	—		†	90	*	6.8	30	*	●	3.7	14	*		5.4
Georgia	—	†	—	†	—	†	374	2.9	—	†	401	3.0	—			†	—		†	—		†	27	*	●	5.4	—			†
Peru	327	4.4	—	†	—	†	370	4.0	384	4.3	398	2.9	70	*	●	8.6	—		†	—		†	28	*	●	6.0	13			7.4
Indonesia	371	4.0	382	3.4	393	5.9	402	3.7	396	4.2	397	2.9	27	*	●	8.4	16	*	7.0	4		9.3	-4			5.8	1			7.3
Tunisia	—	†	375	2.8	380	4.0	404	2.9	404	4.5	361	3.1	—			†	-14	*	6.8	-19	*	8.3	-43	*	●	5.4	-43	*	●	7.6
Dominican Republic	—	†	—	†	—	†	—	†	—	†	358	3.1	—			†	—		†	—		†	—			†	—			†
Macedonia, Republic of	—	†	—	†	—	†	—	†	—	†	352	1.4	—			†	—		†	—		†	—			†	—			†
Algeria	—	†	—	†	—	†	—	†	—	†	350	3.0	—			†	—		†	—		†	—			†	—			†
Kosovo	—	†	—	†	—	†	—	†	—	†	347	1.6	—			†	—		†	—		†	—			†	—			†
Lebanon	—	†	—	†	—	†	—	†	—	†	347	4.4	—			†	—		†	—		†	—			†	—			†

U.S. states and territories
Massachusetts	—	†	—	†	—	†	—	†	527	6.1	527	6.0	—			†	—		†	—		†	—			†	#			†

● Change in average score is significantly different than the change in the U.S. average score at the .05 level of significance.
— Not available.
† Not applicable.
# Rounds to zero.
* p<.05. Change in average score is significant at the .05 level of statistical significance.
¹ Although the United Kingdom participated in 2000 and 2003, low response rates prevent its results from being included.
² The PISA 2006 reading literacy results are not reported for the United States because of an error in printing the test booklets.
³ For Costa Rica the change between PISA 2009 and PISA 2012 represents change between 2010 and 2012 because these education systems implemented the PISA 2009 assessment in 2010 as part of PISA 2009.
NOTE: Education systems are ordered by 2015 average score. The PISA reading framework was revised in 2009. Because of changes in the framework, it is not possible to compare reading learning outcomes from PISA 2000, 2003, and 2006 with those from PISA 2009, 2012, and 2015. Scores are reported on a scale from 0 to 1,000. Standard error is noted by s.e. Italics indicate non-OECD countries and education systems. B-S-J-G (China) refers to the four PISA participating China provinces: Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Guangdong. Although Argentina, Malaysia, and Kazakhstan participated in PISA 2015, technical problems with their samples prevent results from being discussed in this report.
SOURCE: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, and 2015.