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PISA Results Australia: Record-Low Maths and What Parents Can Do
Australia's PISA maths score fell to 478, a record low. What the results show, why primary school foundations matter, and practical steps for parents.
Read the guideKey points
In the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025, released in September 2026, Australia's average maths score fell to 478, its lowest on record [1][2].
Australia still scored above the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average of 463 and ranked 16th in maths, but only 49 per cent of students met the national proficiency standard [1].
PISA tests 15-year-olds, yet Australian research shows maths skills at the start of school are linked to NAPLAN results years later [3].
For parents of primary children, the most useful response is steady, low-pressure practice of core number skills.
What did PISA 2025 show for Australia?
PISA is an international assessment of 15-year-old students run by the OECD. In Australia it is managed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). The 2025 round included 14,658 Australian students from 766 schools [1].
Australian students recorded these average scores [1]:
Area — Australia — OECD average — Australia's rank
Mathematics — 478 — 463 — 16th
Reading — 491 — 461 — 10th
Science — 509 — 482 — 10th
Mathematics fell 9 points since 2022 and 46 points since 2003. Reading fell 7 points since 2022 and 37 points since 2000. Science has been stable since 2015 [1]. The ABC reported that the maths decline since 2003 is equivalent to slightly more than two years of learning [2].
Why are the maths results a concern?
The headline scores are only part of the picture. ACER reported that 49 per cent of Australian students met the national proficiency standard in maths, compared with 55 per cent in reading and 60 per cent in science [1].
Maths also showed the widest spread of results. About 29 per cent of students were low performers and 10 per cent were high performers [1]. In other words, a large group of teenagers is leaving the middle years without secure maths skills.
Is there any good news?
Yes. Australia remains above the OECD average in all three main areas. ACER's Dr Eveline Gebhardt described Australia as still "a high-performing education system" [1]. Australia's ranking in maths also moved from 17th to 16th, because results fell in many other countries too [1].
PISA 2025 also included a new area, Learning in the Digital World. Australian students scored 532 points, well above the OECD average of 500 [1].
What might be behind the decline?
There is no single cause, and commentators disagree. The ABC reported that Australian students were more likely than the OECD average to report noise and disorder in class (41 per cent compared with 31 per cent) [2]. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare has linked falling results to time spent online, while others point to the curriculum or school funding [4].
It is sensible to treat any single explanation with caution. What is clearer is where maths learning begins.
Why primary school matters for a test of 15-year-olds
Secondary maths builds on skills learned much earlier: counting, place value, number facts, fractions and reasoning with numbers. A student who is unsure of these in Year 7 has less capacity left for algebra and problem solving.
Research supports this. A 2023 study by the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) followed 2,459 Australian children from school entry in 2009 to their Year 5 NAPLAN results in 2014 [3]. It found that children's Year 5 results could be traced back to skills measured at the start of school. Early number skills such as recognising numbers 1 to 10, counting to 20 and one-to-one correspondence were among the useful predictors [3].
A 2025 Dutch study of 1,252 children reached a similar conclusion: early numeracy levels strongly predicted maths achievement in the middle primary years [5].
National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) results released in August 2026 add a local warning sign. Year 3 numeracy results were the lowest since 2023, with 11 per cent of Year 3 students in the "Needs additional support" category [6]. You can read more in our guide on how to read your child's NAPLAN report (noooli.com/learn/how-to-read-your-childs-naplan-report).
What can parents of primary children reasonably do?
Parents do not need to become maths teachers. Small, consistent habits can help.
Keep practice short and regular:
Ten minutes on most days is more manageable than a long session once a week. Short practice helps skills such as addition and multiplication facts become automatic, which frees up attention for harder problems.
Focus on the foundations:
For younger children, that means counting, comparing numbers and understanding what numbers mean. For older children, it means place value, times tables, fractions and mental calculation. Our guide to what the curriculum expects each year (noooli.com/learn/is-my-child-on-track) sets out the main skills by year level.
Talk about maths in daily life:
Cooking, shopping, sharing food, reading clocks and planning a trip all involve maths. Asking "how did you work that out?" builds reasoning as well as accuracy.
Watch attitudes, including your own:
Children notice when adults say "I was never good at maths". A calm, matter-of-fact approach makes it easier for a child to keep trying after a mistake.
Talk to the teacher early:
If your child seems unsure of basic skills, raise it with the teacher before it becomes a larger gap. Schools can explain what they are seeing in class and what support is available.
What PISA does not tell you about your child
PISA reports on national and state trends, not individual students. It does not tell you how your own child is going. Your child's school reports, conversations with teachers and NAPLAN reports are better guides.
The national results are a reason for attention, not alarm. The years before high school are where parents can help most.
How Noooli can help
Noooli offers short daily maths practice, about 10 minutes, for children from Kindergarten to Year 6, aligned to the Australian Curriculum. Parents can see their child's progress. You can also download free printable maths worksheets (noooli.com/worksheets/maths) with answer keys, no sign-up needed.
References
1. Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), "PISA 2025: Australian students outperform OECD average in world's largest learning assessment", 2026. https://www.acer.org/au/news/article/pisa-2025-australian-students-outperform-oecd-average-in-worlds-largest-learning-assessment
2. ABC News, "Australian students record worst-ever reading and maths results in international PISA test", 8 September 2026. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-08/australia-records-worst-ever-reading-and-maths-results-pisa/107101504
3. Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO), "Which skills are important for future literacy and numeracy learning?", 2023. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED673988.pdf
4. EducationHQ, "Australia a 'strong performer' in PISA 2025 despite plunging maths and reading results", 9 September 2026. https://educationhq.com/news/australia-a-strong-performer-in-pisa-2025-despite-plunging-maths-and-reading-results-214764/
5. Dierkx, V., van de Rijt, B., Hessen, D., van Luit, H. and van Viersen, S., "Early numeracy development as a foundation of mathematics achievement in primary education", Learning and Individual Differences, 2025. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1041608025000822
6. Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), "Latest NAPLAN data shows improvements in national numeracy levels alongside areas for continued attention", 5 August 2026. https://www.acara.edu.au/docs/default-source/media-releases/media-release-latest-naplan-data-shows-improvements-in-numeracy-levels-alongside-areas-for-continued-action-5-8-26.pdf
Common questions
What was Australia's maths score in PISA 2025?
Australian students scored an average of 478 points in mathematics in PISA 2025, above the OECD average of 463 but 9 points lower than in 2022 and 46 points lower than in 2003. Australia ranked 16th for maths. Only 49 per cent of students met the national proficiency standard.
Does PISA test primary school children?
No. PISA assesses 15-year-old students, most of whom are in secondary school. However, the maths skills PISA measures build on foundations laid in primary school, such as number sense, place value and fluency with basic facts. Australian research shows early numeracy skills predict later NAPLAN results.
What can parents of primary children do about falling maths results?
Parents can keep maths practice short and regular, talk about numbers in everyday life, check that basic facts are becoming automatic, and speak with the teacher early if a child seems to be falling behind. Calm, consistent support matters more than long sessions or expensive programs.
