PISA 2025: Macao students ranked world number one in computational problem solving 

Macao students performed strongly across the four key skills of the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), earning first place globally in computational problem solving (also known as Learning in the Digital World), third place in science and mathematics and fifth place in reading. 

The 2025 results of the triennial worldwide academic competency study were published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on 8 September 2026, with over 760,000 students from 91 countries and economies taking part in the assessment, representing roughly 33 million 15-year-olds worldwide.

What were Macao’s PISA 2025 scores?

In computational problem solving, Macao topped the rankings with a mean score of 572 points, beating the OECD average of 500 points and the results of other participants such as second and third place holders Singapore (563) and Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang (B-S-J-Z, 560).

The SAR also scored higher than the OECD average of 482 points in science, earning a third place score of 541 points. This figure was behind B-S-J-Z (597) and Singapore (560), but ahead of Chinese Taipei (540) and Japan (538). 

Macao’s maths result was similar, with its mean score of 549 points putting it in third place. The city exceeded the 463 benchmark, but lagged behind B-S-J-Z (612) and Singapore (563). Its score was still higher than that of Chinese Taipei (546) and Japan (525). 

Meanwhile, Macao’s reading score of 501 surpassed the average score of 461, putting it in fifth place together with South Korea, behind Singapore (535), B-S-J-Z (527), Chinese Taipei (508) and Japan (503). 

How did Macao do compared to 2022?

Overall, Macao’s 2025 PISA scores dropped across the three categories of mathematics, science and reading in comparison to the 2022 results. Computational problem solving was introduced in 2025, meaning that there was no earlier basis for comparison. 

For mathematics, Macao’s score fell by three points against the 2022 result, while for science and reading, the score fell by two and nine points respectively. 

[See more: International Schools in China’s Greater Bay Area: 2026 Guide]

Commenting on Macao’s PISA 2025 results, a research team from the University of Macau’s Educational Testing and Assessment Research Centre said it “shows that Macao students have a solid command of STEM.” 

The team noted that Macao students had solid “programming and modelling skills in digital learning environments” and were able to deal with difficult tasks by combining skills sets such as computational thinking, mathematical reasoning and scientific inquiry.

How did Hong Kong perform in the PISA test?

Much like Macao, Hong Kong exceeded the PISA 2025 average scores across the four core skills. The city ranked sixth globally in computational problem solving (545), seventh in mathematics (522), 15th in reading (480) and 16th in scientific literacy (496). 

When compared to the PISA 2022, however, Hong Kong’s current results represent a decline. In mathematics, the city’s score fell by 18 points, while in scientific literacy and reading, the points dipped by 24 points and 20 points respectively. 

In a statement published on 8 September 2026, Hong Kong’s Education Bureau noted that the decline was partly a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, which adversely impacted students “during their critical developmental period.”

What was the worldwide performance like in the 2025 PISA test?

Worldwide, the various PISA participants saw a decline in their results, with the OECD reporting that the 2025 result was “the lowest average ever recorded…in mathematics and reading.”

According to the organisation, the average mathematics scores of OECD countries plummeted by 22 points from 2015 to 2025. Similarly, reading skills dipped 28 points over that decade. 

The OECD cited digital distractions, greater screen time and a slump in reading for pleasure as some of the reasons behind the lowering of academic scores.