Overview

• Global exam results reveal a sharp decline in math performance among 15-year-olds, with the US and UK seeing some of the most significant drops.
• Despite the decline, the US and UK slightly improved their global rankings due to even greater declines in other countries.
• Only a few countries, including Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, and Australia, maintained high levels of math performance through the pandemic.
• Reading and science scores in the US were above the international average, while the UK achieved its lowest scores in mathematics and science since 2006.
• Experts suggest the pandemic's disruption to education is only partially to blame, with long-term issues in education systems also contributing to the drop in performance.