Cyprus ranks last in EU in PISA 2025 educational assessment

Cypriot 15-year-old students have recorded the lowest performance in the EU in the 2025 OECD PISA international assessment, specifically in natural sciences and reading comprehension, while ranking second-to-last in mathematics. Minister of Education Athena Michaelidou stated that 43% of students fail to meet basic skill levels across these three subjects, a stark contrast to the 21% average across the European Union.

A significant trend highlighted in the report is the lack of student engagement with the assessment. Approximately 25% of students spent fewer than 10 seconds on their answers, and the rate of unanswered questions is double the EU average. Officials noted that while this lack of seriousness is not the sole cause of the poor performance, it is a critical factor that must be addressed before the next cycle in 2028.

Interestingly, data revealed that students with an immigrant background outperformed their native Cypriot peers in all three subjects. The Ministry of Education has announced that measures are already being implemented to improve learning quality, aiming to enhance educational outcomes and address the lack of student motivation observed in the current cycle.