Nearly one in two Greek 15-year-olds fails to reach basic proficiency in mathematics, according to the latest PISA results, highlighting Greece’s continued struggle to close the education gap with other developed countries.
Greek students remain well below the OECD average across all core subjects, and while the gap has narrowed slightly in some areas, the improvement is largely due to a historic decline in international performance rather than significant gains in Greece.
A Global Downturn Hits Historic Lows
The broader picture drawn by the OECD points to a widespread crisis across education systems. Globally, teenager performance in mathematics and reading has dropped to the lowest levels recorded since the program began.
Between 2015 and 2025, the OECD average fell by 28 points in reading and 22 points in math. Even countries celebrated for strong academic traditions, such as Finland and Estonia, posted substantial declines. East Asian systems—notably Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, and Korea—continue to dominate the top ranks.
Long-term disruptions from the pandemic, shifting study habits, screen-driven attention deficits, and new digital distractions have taken a toll worldwide. Roughly one in five students across OECD member states now tests below the baseline proficiency level in all three core subjects.
Greece’s Reality: Stuck Below the Baseline
In Greece, the PISA 2025 results show performance remains anchored below the OECD average across every evaluated subject:
• Mathematics: Greece scored 424 points against the OECD average of 463 (a 6-point decline from 2022, compared to an 11-point drop across the OECD).
• Reading: Greece posted 423 points, trailing the OECD average of 461 (a 16-point drop for both Greece and the OECD average).
• Science: Greek students achieved 434 points compared to the OECD average of 482 (a 7-point drop for Greece versus 5 points across the OECD).
Because Greece’s dip was somewhat smaller than the steep declines seen in several European neighbors, the performance gap narrowed on paper. However, this convergence is deceptive: the starting baseline remains dangerously low. With nearly 50% of Greek 15-year-olds lacking basic mathematical literacy, the findings underscore deep-seated inefficiencies in the national curriculum.
Widening Inequities, Staff Shortages, and School Culture
Beyond raw test scores, the 2025 assessment highlights systemic challenges within Greek schools:
1. Socioeconomic divide: Family background continues to heavily dictate academic success. In mathematics, the score gap between the top 10% and bottom 10% of socioeconomic groups widened between 2022 and 2025. Even Greece’s most privileged students score well below their peers in top-performing nations.
2. Support staff deficits: A striking 78% of students in Greece attend schools where principals report severe shortages of auxiliary and support personnel—double the OECD average of 39%.
3. Peer support and home engagement: While 77% of Greek students report turning to teachers for help, only 70% lean on classmates (compared to an 82% OECD average). Meanwhile, parental involvement has dipped, with 71% of students discussing school topics with their parents at least once a week, down from 77% in 2022.
AI in the Classroom and Smartphone Bans
On the technology front, Greece has enforced a strict ban on cellphones, with 98% of schools prohibiting them (up from 95% in 2022), compared to just 49% across the OECD. At the same time, Generative AI has rapidly woven itself into daily homework routines: 29% of Greek students report using AI for initial research, 25% for drafting essays, and 24% for summarizing texts, while only 16% say they never use AI tools.
From Stagnation to Meaningful Reform
The PISA 2025 findings leave Greek education at a critical juncture. Dodging an outright collapse in test scores has halted a steeper multi-year slide, but it falls well short of a turnaround. Tackling functional illiteracy, promoting critical thinking, supporting disadvantaged students, and addressing persistent school staffing shortages remain urgent priorities if the country hopes to shift from relative stagnation to genuine educational progress.
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