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According to the latest data from the OECD’s 2025 PISA report, Gen Z’s academic skills are falling behind, with literacy, mathematics, and science skills all underdeveloped compared to students from ten years ago. What’s causing the change?
New research suggests that Gen Z is struggling to develop basic academic skills compared to students from previous generations.
According to the OECD’s 2025 PISA report, published this week, reading levels for teenagers have fallen to their lowest since 2000, when PISA first began. Mathematics and science scores have also alarmingly declined, with all three academic areas shrinking compared to a decade ago.
OECD’s PISA project tests approximately 760,000 15-year-olds from 91 countries and economies. Across all students, reading scores have dropped from 489 in 2015 to 466 in 2025. Mathematics has fallen 22 points in the same time period to 463, while science is down 7 points to 482. Of the 74 countries with comparable data, 56 saw a ‘significant decline’ in reading, with the OECD citing information evaluation, connecting multiple sources, critical thinking, and short attention spans as particularly problematic skill issues.
Not all countries have seen downward trends at an equal rate, mind.
As The Economist points out, China is vastly ahead of everyone else, though scores are only given from four rich provinces and not the entire country. Singapore, Macau, Taiwan, and Japan are all following behind. Estonia is the ‘best’ in the West, and Turkey is rising in the ranks. Britain also came out well, ranking in the top ten across all three disciplines and holding its previous scores relatively steady (as a Brit myself, that came as a welcome surprise).
Looking at the wider picture, however, it’s clear that academic skills amongst young people are dwindling rather than thriving. One in five students is now classed as a ‘low’ performer in science, maths, and reading, compared to 16% in 2022. These are students who fail to reach a basic ‘level two’ proficiency in these academic areas. Skill sets appear to be diminishing in key areas, leaving younger Gen Z and Gen Alpha in a potentially worse position when it comes to job opportunities, lifetime wealth, and basic cognitive ability – especially in the age of AI.
So, what’s causing all this doom and gloom?
The OECD does attempt to cite potential factors in its report. It says that students are increasingly struggling with tasks that require sustained engagement, with more giving hasty answers and being unwilling to put effort into low-stakes exams. There is a broader sense that students are less curious and eager to persevere when needed. Social media and intense phone use are no doubt contributors, which is partly why governments are currently trying to regulate platforms like Instagram and YouTube.
Shifting reading habits are also mentioned, as Gen Z spends less time enjoying books outside of school time compared to previous generations. In the UK, the National Literacy Trust found that only one in three children aged 8 to 18 spent time reading in their free time in 2025. This is a 36% decrease compared to 2005 levels, with the decline being ‘especially steep’ among boys aged 11 to 16. The OECD says that longer screen time and less reading have ‘coincided with weaker literacy outcomes,’ pointing to a wider trend that prioritises digitalisation and screen time over traditional literature.
As with most things these days (it feels, at least), AI is also a major part of the conversation surrounding critical thinking skills. The PISA report concludes that AI can assist learning, but only when it supplements human thinking rather than outright replacing it. Students using tools like ChatGPT excessively tended to perform worse, as their cognitive abilities were essentially being outsourced. This dependence during formative years may be impacting young people’s ability to think for themselves, to plan essays, or to complete basic problems.
We don’t have the answers on how to improve, unfortunately, particularly as many are in disagreement as to whether students should prioritise ‘soft skills’ compared to rigid, traditional academia and teaching. Different countries have entirely separate approaches, but the decline across the board for almost everyone should be ringing alarm bells. At the very least, more attention needs to be given to Gen Z and Gen Alpha’s relationship with AI and its impact on cognitive thinking and planning. With warnings this week about the dangers of unregulated ‘superintelligence,’ it might be in the best interest of governments to standardise and regulate sooner rather than later.
See also:
- Is Gen Z running out of friends?
- Did Meta fail to protect Gen Z?
- Does ‘nickel-and-diming’ make Gen Z stingy?
