TIMSS Science Scores by Country 2026: Statistics & Rankings
Latest available TIMSS science rankings use the 2023 assessment cycle. Scores are reported on the TIMSS achievement scale for Grade 4 and Grade 8 participating education systems.
Executive Snapshot
Rankings cover reported TIMSS 2023 science results, not a separate 2026 assessment.
Participating education systems with reported science scores.
Participating education systems with reported science scores.
Singapore, TIMSS 2023 science scale.
Singapore, TIMSS 2023 science scale.
Top Grade 4 Science Scores
Visual summary of the highest reported Grade 4 TIMSS 2023 science scale scores.
Grade 4 science ranking leaders
Top 20 participating education systems, TIMSS 2023.
The chart is a ranked visual extract. The full table includes all reported Grade 4 and Grade 8 science values in the selected source coverage.
Data analysis
- Grade 4 scores are concentrated near and above the TIMSS international scale center of 500 among the leading systems.
- Several systems are marked as fifth-grade participants in the source; those grade notes are retained in the table.
- Rank comparisons should stay within the same grade and subject.
TIMSS Science Scores by Country and Education System
Sortable table of reported TIMSS 2023 science scores for Grade 4 and Grade 8. “Not assessed” means no reported score in that grade table.
| Grade 4 rank | Education system | Grade 4 score | Grade 8 rank | Grade 8 score | Grade note | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore | 607 | 1 | 606 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 2 | South Korea | 583 | 4 | 545 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 3 | Chinese Taipei | 573 | 2 | 572 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 4 | Turkey | 570 | 7 | 530 | Grade 4 value reported for fifth-grade students | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 5 | England | 556 | 5 | 531 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 6 | Japan | 555 | 3 | 557 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 7 | Poland | 550 | Not assessed | Not assessed | Grade 4 only in selected table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 8 | Australia | 550 | 13 | 520 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 9 | Hong Kong | 545 | 8 | 528 | Education system reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 10 | Finland | 542 | 6 | 531 | Grade 4 value reported for fifth-grade students | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 11 | Lithuania | 537 | 14 | 519 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 12 | Macau | 536 | Not assessed | Not assessed | Grade 4 only in selected table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 13 | Sweden | 533 | 12 | 521 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 14 | Ireland | 532 | 10 | 525 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 15 | United States | 532 | 15 | 513 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 16 | Norway | 530 | 21 | 488 | Grade 4 value reported for fifth-grade students | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 17 | Bulgaria | 530 | Not assessed | Not assessed | Grade 4 only in selected table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 18 | Romania | 526 | 27 | 466 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 19 | Czech Republic | 526 | 9 | 527 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 20 | Slovenia | 526 | Not assessed | Not assessed | Grade 4 only in selected table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 21 | Latvia | 526 | Not assessed | Not assessed | Grade 4 only in selected table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 22 | Hungary | 524 | 11 | 522 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 23 | Denmark | 522 | Not assessed | Not assessed | Grade 4 only in selected table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 24 | Canada | 521 | Not assessed | Not assessed | Grade 4 national value in selected table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 25 | Slovakia | 521 | Not assessed | Not assessed | Grade 4 only in selected table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 26 | New Zealand | 517 | 18 | 502 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 27 | Netherlands | 517 | Not assessed | Not assessed | Grade 4 only in selected table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 28 | Germany | 515 | Not assessed | Not assessed | Grade 4 only in selected table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 29 | Portugal | 511 | 17 | 506 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 30 | Italy | 511 | 20 | 501 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 31 | Serbia | 510 | Not assessed | Not assessed | Grade 4 only in selected table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 32 | Spain | 504 | Not assessed | Not assessed | Grade 4 only in selected table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 33 | United Arab Emirates | 495 | 22 | 486 | National value; emirate benchmarking systems excluded from main rank table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 34 | Albania | 491 | Not assessed | Not assessed | Grade 4 only in selected table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 35 | Belgium (Flemish) | 489 | Not assessed | Not assessed | Regional education system reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 36 | France | 488 | 23 | 486 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 37 | Cyprus | 487 | 26 | 475 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 38 | Belgium (French) | 481 | Not assessed | Not assessed | Regional education system reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 39 | Chile | 479 | 29 | 455 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 40 | Bahrain | 475 | 30 | 452 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 41 | Qatar | 472 | 24 | 481 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 42 | Kazakhstan | 467 | 32 | 443 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 43 | Georgia | 465 | 31 | 448 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 44 | Montenegro | 461 | Not assessed | Not assessed | Grade 4 only in selected table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 45 | Armenia | 457 | Not assessed | Not assessed | Grade 4 only in selected table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 46 | Belize | 448 | Not assessed | Not assessed | Grade 4 only in selected table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 47 | North Macedonia | 439 | Not assessed | Not assessed | Grade 4 only in selected table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 48 | Oman | 433 | 28 | 456 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 49 | Iran | 432 | 37 | 419 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 50 | Saudi Arabia | 429 | 36 | 419 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 51 | Brazil | 425 | 34 | 420 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 52 | Azerbaijan | 422 | 39 | 411 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 53 | Jordan | 418 | 38 | 413 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 54 | Uzbekistan | 412 | 40 | 396 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 55 | Kosovo | 403 | Not assessed | Not assessed | Grade 4 only in selected table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 56 | Morocco | 390 | 43 | 327 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 57 | Kuwait | 373 | 35 | 420 | Standard grade reporting | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| 58 | South Africa | 308 | 42 | 362 | Grade 4 value reported for fifth-grade students; Grade 8 value reported for ninth-grade students | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| Not assessed | Austria | Not assessed | 16 | 512 | Grade 8 only in selected table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| Not assessed | Malta | Not assessed | 19 | 501 | Grade 8 only in selected table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| Not assessed | Israel | Not assessed | 25 | 481 | Grade 8 only in selected table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| Not assessed | Malaysia | Not assessed | 33 | 426 | Grade 8 only in selected table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| Not assessed | Palestine | Not assessed | 41 | 393 | Grade 8 only in selected table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
| Not assessed | Cote d’Ivoire | Not assessed | 44 | 186 | Grade 8 only in selected table | 2023 | IEA TIMSS 2023 |
Data analysis
- Grade 4 and Grade 8 rankings are separate measurement populations and should not be merged into one rank.
- Education systems with “not assessed” values are present because the other grade has a reported score in the same TIMSS science cycle.
- Benchmarking participants such as Dubai, Ontario, Quebec, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi are excluded from the main country/economy rank table to keep the ranking scope consistent.
Grade 8 Science Change Since 2019
Selected comparable systems where a four-year change is reported in the TIMSS 2023 Grade 8 science table.
Selected Grade 8 science score movement
2019 values are derived from the reported 2023 score and reported four-year change.
The chart uses selected systems for readability. It should be read as a grade-specific assessment-cycle comparison.
| Education system | 2019 score | 2023 score | Change | Calculation note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore | 608 | 606 | -2 | Reported 2023 score minus reported change |
| Chinese Taipei | 574 | 572 | -2 | Reported 2023 score minus reported change |
| Japan | 570 | 557 | -13 | Reported 2023 score minus reported change |
| South Korea | 561 | 545 | -16 | Reported 2023 score minus reported change |
| England | 517 | 531 | +14 | Reported 2023 score minus reported change |
| Finland | 544 | 531 | -13 | Reported 2023 score minus reported change |
| Turkey | 515 | 530 | +15 | Reported 2023 score minus reported change |
| Hong Kong | 525 | 528 | +3 | Reported 2023 score minus reported change |
| United States | 522 | 513 | -9 | Reported 2023 score minus reported change |
| United Arab Emirates | 473 | 486 | +13 | Reported 2023 score minus reported change |
| South Africa | 370 | 362 | -8 | Reported 2023 score minus reported change; ninth-grade reporting |
| Morocco | 394 | 327 | -67 | Reported 2023 score minus reported change |
Trend notes
- TIMSS is a four-year assessment cycle, so annual trend lines are not used.
- Change values are descriptive score-point differences, not percentage changes.
- Longer trend analysis should use the TIMSS international database or official trend exhibits for each participating system.
Source and Methodology
Source year, assessment population, and ranking scope are separated from the 2026 page year.
Primary source
IEA, TIMSS 2023 International Results in Mathematics and Science.
Result portal
TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center, TIMSS 2023 results.
Data unit
Average science achievement score on the TIMSS scale. The scale center is 500.
Coverage rule
Main rankings include participating countries, economies, and education systems with reported Grade 4 or Grade 8 science scores. Benchmarking participants are not mixed into the main rank table.
Methodological Safety Note
Science scores are comparable within the same TIMSS subject, grade, and assessment cycle. Grade 4 and Grade 8 results describe different student populations. Some systems are tested at fifth or ninth grade because of national grade structures; those notes should remain attached to any ranking or comparison. Score differences should not be interpreted as causal evidence about curriculum, funding, or school quality without further analysis.