Brazilian education continues to perform far below developed countries, but the gap has narrowed over the past two decades. The result can be found in the latest findings from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) for 2025, released Tuesday (Sep. 8) by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Conducted every three years by the organization, PISA assesses the knowledge of 15-year-old students in mathematics, reading, and science.

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With the 2025 results – which remained stable compared to 2022 – Brazil continues to rank below the OECD average in all three subjects. Scores were 408 in reading, 377 in math, and 409 in science. In that same order, the average for 23 OECD countries was 466 in reading, 469 in math, and 486 in science. Every 20 points is equivalent to one school year. In math, for example, Brazil is about 4.6 years behind other OECD members.

The gap, however, was once much wider – as shown by a comparison of data from 2006 and 2025. The performance gap relative to the OECD average narrowed from 102 to 58 in reading (a 44-point reduction), from 131 to 92 in math (39 points), and from 113 to 77 in science (36 points).

Last year’s study involved 760,000 students from 91 countries. Brazil participated in the study with 30,140 students. The Brazilian participants consisted of 72.4 percent of students from public schools, almost all of which (96.9%) were located in urban areas. About 84.7 percent were enrolled in the 1st or 2nd year of high school at the time of the tests, which were administered from April to May 2025. In this edition, the focus was on students’ science literacy, which had the largest number of test items. In fact, it was in science that Brazil’s score improved the most compared to the previous assessment cycle (2022), jumping from 403 to 409 points.

Computational tools

The year 2025 marks the ninth cycle of the PISA assessment since its launch in 2000, when Brazil joined the program. Since then, the country has participated in every assessment. In this edition, as is customary, PISA introduced a new domain. The chosen topic was Learning in the Digital World, which encompassed two attributes – problem-solving through computational tools and self-regulated learning processes.

In releasing the first volume of results, the OECD provided the averages and proficiency levels for problem-solving through computational tools. Results on the second attribute, however, will be released in 2027.

In the first attribute, Brazil scored 406 points, below the OECD average (500). Among the 19 selected countries, South Korea had the highest average (538), while Paraguay had the lowest (352).

Cell phones in schools

In the 2025 PISA, students also answered contextual questionnaires, which covered the use of cell phones in the classroom. The results showed that 81 percent of the Brazilian students in the survey attended schools with restrictions on the use of these devices. In 2022, that figure was 37 percent. The Brazilian proportion far exceeds the OECD average (49%).

In its previous report, from 2022, the OECD had noted that excessive use of digital devices affects student performance in all countries analyzed.

Curiosity and perseverance

In 2025, 72 percent of Brazilian students reported having an interest in a variety of subjects, while 59 percent said they try harder when faced with challenges. At the same time, the percentage of students who consider school a waste of time fell to 16 percent – significantly lower than the OECD average (24%) and 6.9 percentage points lower than in 2022.

The data also show that valuing school makes a difference in learning. In Brazil, students who recognize the value of education and reject the idea that school is a waste of time score, on average, 35 points higher in science than their peers – an impact greater than that observed in the OECD average (27 points).

Environment

The results indicate that Brazilian students are among the most engaged with environmental issues. In Brazil, 84 percent believe they can have a positive impact on the environment, 87 percent trust in the power of collective action to address environmental challenges, and 77 percent say they know how to work as a team to bring about positive change. These percentages are higher than the OECD average, the Ministry of Education noted.

Understanding PISA

Coordinated by the OECD, PISA is an international assessment administered every three years to 15-year-old students. It is considered the largest study on education in the world and evaluates the extent to which students of this age – who are nearing what is considered the end of compulsory education in most countries (equivalent to high school) – have acquired the knowledge and skills essential for full participation in social and economic life.

In Brazil, the assessment is coordinated by the National Institute for Educational Studies and Evaluation (INEP), which selects participating schools, organizes the testing, and analyzes the data. Brazil has participated in PISA since 2000. The assessment is sample-based and is not administered to all 15-year-old students.

The test seeks to measure young people’s ability to apply their knowledge of mathematics, reading, and science in real-life situations and compares the performance of educational systems across different countries. In each edition, one of these three areas receives greater emphasis. In 2025, the main focus was on science, in addition to the introduction of a foreign language assessment and a new domain on learning in the digital world.

The OECD is an international organization that brings together 38 countries, including some of the world’s largest economies, to produce studies, statistics, and recommendations on public policy and economic and social development. Despite not being a member, Brazil participates in the organization’s programs, including PISA. In 2022, the country received a formal invitation to begin the accession process, but admission depends on meeting a series of requirements and gaining approval from member countries.