Skip to content
PISA reading performance

PISA Reading Scores by Country 2026: Data & Rankings

The 2026 label denotes publication currency. The reported scores come from the OECD PISA 2022 assessment cycle, with countries and economies ordered by mean reading performance on the PISA scale.

Assessment year: 2022 Coverage: 80 reported systems Unit: PISA score points Main source: OECD PISA 2022

Reading Score Statistics

Snapshot values use the OECD PISA 2022 reading table and the published 2018-to-2022 change column.

Highest reported score
543
Singapore, PISA 2022 reading
OECD average
476
Mean reading score across OECD countries
Lowest reported score
329
Cambodia, PISA 2022 reading
Score spread
214
Difference between highest and lowest reported systems
Above OECD average
20
Systems classified above the OECD average in reading
Comparable change data
71
Systems with a reported 2018-to-2022 reading change

PISA Reading Ranking Visual Summary

The chart shows the first 15 systems in the OECD score order. The full ranking table follows as visible HTML data.

Highest reported PISA reading scores, 2022

Mean reading performance, score points

Singapore is the only reported system above 540 points; the next four systems are grouped tightly between 515 and 516 points.

Chart analysis
  • Singapore leads the reported table with 543 reading score points.
  • Ireland and Japan both show rounded mean scores of 516.
  • The first 11 systems in the chart are at or above 500 score points.
  • Denmark, ranked 15th in this visual subset, reports 489 points.

Full PISA Reading Score Table

Rank order follows the OECD PISA 2022 reading score table. The change column reports score-point movement from PISA 2018 where OECD published a comparable value.

Rank Country / economy Reading score vs OECD average Change from 2018 Year Source Note
1Singapore543Above OECD average-72022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
2Ireland*516Above OECD average-22022OECD PISA 2022sampling caution
3Japan516Above OECD average+122022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
4Korea515Above OECD average+12022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
5Chinese Taipei515Above OECD average+132022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
6Estonia511Above OECD average-122022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
7Macao (China)510Above OECD average-152022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
8Canada*507Above OECD average-132022OECD PISA 2022sampling caution
9United States*504Above OECD average-12022OECD PISA 2022sampling caution
10New Zealand*501Above OECD average-52022OECD PISA 2022sampling caution
11Hong Kong (China)*500Above OECD average-252022OECD PISA 2022sampling caution
12Australia*498Above OECD average-52022OECD PISA 2022sampling caution
13United Kingdom*494Above OECD average-102022OECD PISA 2022sampling caution
14Finland490Above OECD average-302022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
15Denmark*489Above OECD average-122022OECD PISA 2022sampling caution
16Poland489Above OECD average-232022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
17Czech Republic489Above OECD average-22022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
18Sweden487Above OECD average-192022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
19Switzerland483Above OECD average-12022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
20Italy482Above OECD average+52022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
21Austria480Not different from OECD average-42022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
22Germany480Not different from OECD average-182022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
23Belgium479Not different from OECD average-142022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
24Portugal477Not different from OECD average-152022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
25Norway477Not different from OECD average-232022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
26Croatia475Not different from OECD average-32022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
27Latvia*475Not different from OECD average-42022OECD PISA 2022sampling caution
28Spain474Not different from OECD averagenot reported2022OECD PISA 2022short-term change not reported
29France474Not different from OECD average-192022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
30Israel474Not different from OECD average+32022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
31Hungary473Not different from OECD average-32022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
32Lithuania472Not different from OECD average-42022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
33Slovenia469Below OECD average-272022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
34Viet Nam**462Below OECD averagenot reported2022OECD PISA 2022reading scale linkage caution
35Netherlands*459Below OECD average-262022OECD PISA 2022sampling caution
36Türkiye456Below OECD average-102022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
37Chile448Below OECD average-42022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
38Slovak Republic447Below OECD average-112022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
39Malta445Below OECD average-32022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
40Serbia440Below OECD average+12022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
41Greece438Below OECD average-192022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
42Iceland436Below OECD average-382022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
43Uruguay430Below OECD average+32022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
44Brunei Darussalam429Below OECD average+212022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
45Romania428Below OECD average+12022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
46Ukrainian regions (18 of 27)428Below OECD averagenot reported2022OECD PISA 2022partial regional coverage
47Qatar419Below OECD average+122022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
48United Arab Emirates417Below OECD average-142022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
49Mexico415Below OECD average-52022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
50Costa Rica415Below OECD average-112022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
51Moldova411Below OECD average-132022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
52Brazil410Below OECD average-32022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
53Jamaica*410Below OECD averagenot reported2022OECD PISA 2022sampling caution
54Colombia409Below OECD average-42022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
55Peru408Below OECD average+82022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
56Montenegro405Below OECD average-162022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
57Bulgaria404Below OECD average-162022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
58Argentina401Below OECD average-12022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
59Panama*392Below OECD average+152022OECD PISA 2022sampling caution
60Malaysia388Below OECD average-272022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
61Kazakhstan386Below OECD average-12022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
62Saudi Arabia383Below OECD average-172022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
63Thailand379Below OECD average-142022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
64Mongolia378Below OECD averagenot reported2022OECD PISA 2022short-term change not reported
65Guatemala374Below OECD average+52022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
66Georgia374Below OECD average-62022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
67Paraguay373Below OECD average+32022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
68Baku (Azerbaijan)365Below OECD average-242022OECD PISA 2022city-level economy reporting
69El Salvador365Below OECD averagenot reported2022OECD PISA 2022short-term change not reported
70Indonesia359Below OECD average-122022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
71North Macedonia359Below OECD average-342022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
72Albania358Below OECD average-472022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
73Dominican Republic351Below OECD average+102022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
74Palestinian Authority349Below OECD averagenot reported2022OECD PISA 2022short-term change not reported
75Philippines347Below OECD average+72022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
76Kosovo342Below OECD average-112022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
77Jordan342Below OECD averagenot reported2022OECD PISA 2022short-term change not reported
78Morocco339Below OECD average-202022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
79Uzbekistan336Below OECD averagenot reported2022OECD PISA 2022short-term change not reported
80Cambodia329Below OECD average+82022OECD PISA 2022standard reporting
Table analysis
  • The table includes 80 reported country/economy entries from the OECD PISA 2022 reading score table.
  • 20 systems are classified above the OECD average in reading.
  • 12 systems are classified as not different from the OECD average.
  • 48 systems are classified below the OECD average.
  • The reported score spread is 214 points, from Singapore at 543 to Cambodia at 329.
  • 71 systems have a comparable 2018-to-2022 change value in the OECD summary table.
  • Among systems with comparable change data, Brunei Darussalam has the largest reported gain at +21 points.
  • Among systems with comparable change data, Albania has the largest reported decline at -47 points.
  • Country and economy names follow OECD PISA reporting, including Baku (Azerbaijan), Macao (China), Chinese Taipei and Ukrainian regions (18 of 27).

Score Distribution and Short-Term Change

Distribution bands use the 2022 score table. Change calculations use the OECD-reported 2018-to-2022 score movement.

Reported systems by reading score band

Count of systems in each PISA 2022 reading score band

The two largest bands are 400-449 and below 400, each with 22 reported systems.

Chart analysis
  • 11 systems report reading scores of 500 or higher.
  • 22 systems fall in the 400-449 band.
  • 22 systems fall below 400 points.
  • The 450-479 band contains 14 systems, including several systems near the OECD average classification boundary.

Selected reading score movement, 2018 to 2022

PISA reading score points; 2018 values are derived from OECD-reported change

Selected systems show different directions between 2018 and 2022; the lines are a visual summary, not a causal interpretation.

Trend analysis
  • The OECD average declined from 486 to 476 reading score points.
  • Japan increased from 504 to 516 based on the reported +12 change.
  • Finland declined from 520 to 490 based on the reported -30 change.
  • Brunei Darussalam increased from 408 to 429, the largest reported gain in the table.
  • Albania declined from 405 to 358, the largest reported decline in the table.
Country / economy 2018 score 2022 score Change Direction Method
Brunei Darussalam408429+21increase2022 score minus OECD change
Panama*377392+15increase2022 score minus OECD change
Chinese Taipei502515+13increase2022 score minus OECD change
Japan504516+12increase2022 score minus OECD change
Qatar407419+12increase2022 score minus OECD change
Dominican Republic341351+10increase2022 score minus OECD change
Hong Kong (China)*525500-25decline2022 score minus OECD change
Netherlands*485459-26decline2022 score minus OECD change
Slovenia496469-27decline2022 score minus OECD change
Malaysia415388-27decline2022 score minus OECD change
Finland520490-30decline2022 score minus OECD change
North Macedonia393359-34decline2022 score minus OECD change
Iceland474436-38decline2022 score minus OECD change
Albania405358-47decline2022 score minus OECD change
Table analysis
  • The movement table includes the largest positive and negative reported changes where OECD published a 2018 comparison.
  • Brunei Darussalam moved from 408 to 429, a +21-point change.
  • Albania moved from 405 to 358, a -47-point change.
  • Derived 2018 scores are arithmetic reconstructions from the published 2022 score and the OECD change column.

Reading Score Interpretation Notes

These notes describe the table structure and the limits of score-order comparisons.

Rounded Score Order

Several systems have the same rounded score. The rank column follows the displayed OECD order, not an independent statistical rank range.

OECD Average Classification

Systems near 476 may be classified above, below, or not different from the OECD average because PISA estimates include sampling uncertainty.

Change Coverage

The 2018-to-2022 change column is reported only where OECD provides comparable short-term change data.

Special Coverage Labels

Asterisks and named subnational entries follow OECD reporting notes, including sampling cautions and partial-region reporting.

Source and Methodology

Main source OECD, PISA 2022 Results Volume I, Table I.B1.2.2, mean score and variation in reading performance. OECD PISA 2022 Results Volume I
Dataset source OECD PISA 2022 Database and annex tables. OECD PISA 2022 Database
Indicator Mean reading performance of 15-year-old students on the PISA reading scale.
Assessment year 2022. The 2026 wording is publication currency, not a 2026 assessment cycle.
Coverage 80 reported country/economy systems in the OECD reading score summary used here.
Unit PISA score points. Scores are rounded to whole points as presented in OECD summary reporting.
Change method The change column is OECD-reported movement from PISA 2018 to PISA 2022. Reconstructed 2018 scores in the movement table equal 2022 score minus reported change.
Missing values “not reported” means the OECD summary table did not provide a comparable 2018-to-2022 change value for that entry.

The table preserves OECD country/economy naming, including special entries such as Baku (Azerbaijan), Macao (China), Chinese Taipei and Ukrainian regions (18 of 27). Classification against the OECD average follows the OECD summary categories shown with the reading score table.

Methodological Safety Note

PISA scores are sample-based estimates. Small differences in rounded scores should not be read as exact performance gaps. The ranking is limited to reported PISA 2022 participating systems and does not measure national education quality by itself.

📌

Part of: Student Achievement — Complete Guide

📌  More from Student Achievement

See All Student Achievement →