Irish teens top EU reading rankings, but warning signs remain

Ireland's 15-year-olds have claimed the top spot for reading among all 27 EU countries, while also finishing third in science and fourth in mathematics in the latest PISA international education study. The results, published from assessments carried out in spring 2025, place Irish students well above EU and OECD averages across all three core domains.

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) runs every four years and measures how well 15-year-old students perform in reading, mathematics and science. The next cycle is due in 2029. In Ireland, 6,356 students from 172 schools took part between March and April, with 91 countries and economies participating globally, up from 81 in 2022.

What do the PISA results say about Irish schools?

Irish students also scored above the EU and OECD averages in computational problem solving. The study found that Ireland has a considerably lower proportion of low performers, meaning students who lack key skills and competences, compared with the average across the OECD and EU. That is a genuine achievement and reflects years of investment in education.

However, the report also shows that Ireland does not have as high a share of top performers as its strong overall results might suggest. In other words, while fewer students are being left behind, we are not producing as many exceptional scores as some of our international peers.

Are reading and maths scores declining in Ireland?

Yes, and this is the part we cannot ignore. While Ireland's performance remains above average, reading and mathematics scores are significantly lower than in previous PISA cycles. This mirrors a broader international trend, with declines observed across all three domains in both the OECD and the EU. The good news is that Ireland's decline has been less severe than elsewhere.

Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton acknowledged the mixed picture.