Worst results in 20 years
Argentina's performance in the 2025 PISA tests, released Tuesday, marks its lowest in two decades. The country obtained 393 points in science, 389 in reading, and 367 in mathematics, all below its 2022 scores. In math, the result is the worst in the entire historical series since Argentina began participating in the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment. The country ranked 72nd overall among 91 participating education systems, with positions 71 in science, 62 in reading, and 75 in math.[S1][S4][S5]
Compared to the 2022 edition, Argentina lost 13 points in science, 12 in reading, and 11 in mathematics. This is the first time in the comparable series that the country has declined in all three areas simultaneously. The drop occurred even as the global average also fell, but Argentina's decline was steeper. Only eight countries fell more in the three-year period. The best performers were Georgia, Cambodia, Jordan, and Montenegro.[S1][S4]
Alarming math results
In mathematics, only 24% of Argentine students reached the basic proficiency level (level 2 or higher), meaning 76% fell below the minimum threshold. This proportion worsened from 73% in 2022 and 69% in 2018. Nearly no student achieved the highest levels (5 or 6). The country's 367 points represent a 2.9% drop from the 378 points obtained in 2022. In the regional comparison, Argentina's share of students below the minimum was higher than in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru, Mexico, Chile, and Uruguay, but lower than in Guatemala, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Ecuador.[S2][S3][S5]
The low performance extends to other areas. In reading, 59% of students did not reach the minimum level, and only 1% achieved the highest levels. In science, 59% also fell short of basic competencies. Overall, 48.8% of Argentine 15-year-olds performed poorly in all three subjects simultaneously, compared to 19.7% on average in OECD countries. Only 1.2% of Argentine students reached high performance levels in at least one area, versus 11.9% in the OECD.[S1][S4]
Regional standing and causes
Argentina's regional position has slipped. With 393 points in science, it tied with Ecuador but remained below Peru (406), Brazil (409), Mexico (414), Colombia (414), Chile (442), and Uruguay (445). Argentine students only outperformed those in El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, and Paraguay. In math, Argentina ranked eighth among the 13 Latin American countries evaluated. The test involved 11,093 students from 412 schools in Argentina, representing about 609,100 15-year-olds.[S1][S2][S4]
The Ministry of Human Capital attributed the decline to educational policies implemented during the governments of Néstor and Cristina Kirchner, which it said caused a deterioration across the system. The ministry, led by Sandra Pettovello, has launched two federal programs: the National Literacy Plan and the National Mathematics Plan. The OECD also noted a global phenomenon of 'hasty readers' who answer quickly and incorrectly, but this does not fully explain Argentina's steep decline, which started from an already low base.[S6]
