Canada’s average PISA scores have been sliding across all three subjects since the early 2000s, with the steepest drops between 2018 and 2025 revealed by the latest cycle released last week. However, the averages hide a sharper story. Since 2006, all three subjects have shifted from having more top performers than low performers to having more students at the bottom than at the top. That is the real signal: scores are not simply falling on average. The student population is becoming increasingly polarized, with fewer students excelling and more falling behind.
For more on Canada’s falling math scores, see here.
Note: Difference shows the percent of top performers (Level 5 or above) minus the percent of low performers (below Level 2). Positive means more top performers than low performers; negative means the reverse.
Source: OECD, PISA 2025 Database
