According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Peruvian 15-year-old student performance in Mathematics and Reading declined significantly in 2025 compared to 2022, effectively erasing the learning gains the country had achieved following the 2015 evaluations. The findings come from the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which evaluated 6,991 students across 260 schools in Peru, representing approximately 519,700 young people or 86% of the national 15-year-old population.
Decline in Math and Reading Scores
The 2025 PISA results show that Peru lost 9 points in Mathematics and 18 points in Reading between 2022 and 2025. Science performance recorded a minor variation of minus two points, which the OECD stated is not statistically significant. The average scores for Peruvian students stood at 402 points in Mathematics, 407 in Reading, and 406 in Science. According to the OECD, these recent drops reversed the progress that Peru had secured in the years after 2015.
The assessment tracks whether students master knowledge and skills needed to solve real-world problems and think critically. PISA establishes Level 2 as the basic proficiency threshold where students can apply knowledge to simple situations. In Mathematics, only 30% of Peruvian students reached Level 2 or higher, leaving 7 out of 10 students below the basic competency line, compared to an OECD average of 65%. In Reading, 42% reached the minimum threshold against an OECD average of 69%, while Science recorded 47% reaching Level 2 compared to the OECD average of 74%.
Did You Know? Peru has participated in the PISA evaluations since 2001, and the 2025 testing cycle sampled 6,991 students from 260 schools nationwide to represent roughly 519,700 of the country’s 15-year-old population.
Socioeconomic Divides and School Conditions
Performance disparities persist across socioeconomic groups within the country. According to the OECD data, students in the top 25% by socioeconomic status outperformed the bottom 25% by 78 points in Science. Socioeconomic status accounted for 14% of the performance differences in Peruvian science scores, slightly higher than the 12% OECD average. However, the data also shows that the socioeconomic gap in Science narrowed between 2015 and 2025 due to performance improvements among more disadvantaged students.
Technology Integration and Student Attitudes
Peruvian students demonstrated strong academic curiosity despite the score declines. The evaluation found that 81% of students reported feeling curious about many things, and 74% stated they put in extra effort when tasks became difficult. Furthermore, only 14% viewed school as a waste of time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the PISA evaluation?
PISA evaluates 15-year-old students to measure how well they master knowledge and skills needed to solve problems, think critically, and handle real-world situations, while also collecting data on learning environments and school conditions.
How did Peruvian scores change between 2022 and 2025?
Peruvian students lost 9 points in Mathematics and 18 points in Reading, while Science remained virtually unchanged with a variation of minus two points.
What percentage of Peruvian students reached the basic proficiency threshold?
Only 30% of Peruvian students reached the basic Level 2 threshold in Mathematics, 42% reached it in Reading, and 47% reached it in Science.
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