TOKYO - Japanese students were among the top scorers in reading, science and math in an international learning assessment conducted in 2025, despite their average scores falling in all three categories, a global survey showed Wednesday.
In the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's test taken by more than 760,000 15-year-olds in 91 countries and economies, Japan ranked top among the 38 OECD members, whose average scores for the three subjects declined.
Japan slipped to fifth place in science, down from second in the previous test in 2022. The country dropped from third to fourth in reading and remained fifth in mathematics.
Among all participating economies, China -- represented by students in Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang -- had the top scores in science and mathematics, while Singapore ranked first in reading.
The OECD test called Program for International Student Assessment also showed a widening gap between high- and low-scoring Japanese students, while the average reading score declined.
The average reading score among students in Japan slipped 13 points to 503. While the score for understanding longer texts was mostly unchanged from the previous assessment, reading fluency for shorter texts, or the ability to read them quickly and accurately, declined.
Meanwhile, Japanese students' average scores in science and math dropped to 538 and 525, down 9 and 11 points, respectively, although the differences from the previous test were not considered statistically significant.
The proportion of Japanese students deemed to be at the lowest level of proficiency grew in all three sections, while the proportion at higher levels remained mostly unchanged. They also used artificial intelligence less frequently in their studies than students in other OECD members.
The results come amid discussions by the education ministry's Central Council for Education on curriculum guidelines that are expected to emphasize the use of AI and information evaluation.
