The Leaning Numbers of PISA + + + +

An alarming fall in PISA results among 15 year olds plagues most of the world.

Math and reading takes hard hits in particular. No one really knows why, except that it boils down to a complex mix of culture, upbringing and technology. This map shows the overall difference in all measured countries from 2022 to 2025.

The data stems from the official PISA results. Geographical impact becomes clear with the use of a world map. The rise in Southeast Asia for example becomes obvious. The downside are changes in small countries. They sometimes become almost invisible. This could’ve been counteracted with an equal size hexagonal world map or something similar that evens out country sizes but keeps them somewhat geographically clustered.

The map was published in Aftenposten on September 9, 2026.