Madrid leads PISA in Spain, but its pupils also lose points

In Mathematics, Madrid students score 477 points, compared with 457 for Spain and 463 for the OECD and the EU. In Science they reach 495 points, 18 more than the Spanish average and above the OECD's 482. In Reading they score 469 points, and only Asturias, with 471, achieves a higher score among the communities with comparable results.

But first place conceals an important nuance: Madrid has also worsened compared with the previous PISA. In 2022 it had achieved 494 points in Mathematics, 502 in Science and 496 in Reading. It has therefore lost 17 points in Mathematics, seven in Science and 27 in reading comprehension in three years. The region rises in the ranking because the deterioration has been even greater in much of Spain and in other education systems.

The national decline is particularly strong. Spain now obtains 457 points in Mathematics, 451 in Reading and 477 in Science. The OECD notes that Spanish results are among the lowest observed in the country and that Mathematics and Reading have fallen particularly since 2022; in Science, the difference from the previous cycle is not statistically significant.

That said, it is not true that half of Spanish students fail to reach the basic level. In Science, 76% reach at least Level 2 established by PISA; in Mathematics, 67% do so, and in Reading, 68%. Put another way, approximately one in four pupils in Science and one in three in Mathematics and Reading remain below that threshold.

The new report also once again focuses on digital habits, but without establishing a simple cause-and-effect relationship between screens and poorer grades. The OECD observes that the increase in time spent in front of devices and the decline in reading for pleasure have coincided with the deterioration in reading comprehension, and notes that those who read paper books more often tend to achieve better results. The organisation itself warns that these data do not prove that a particular digital activity is the direct cause of the decline.

In Spain, 29% of students say that their classmates are frequently distracted by digital devices during Science classes. Those studying in classrooms where that distraction is reported score 16 points less in this subject even after adjusting for socioeconomic profile, although this is a statistical association and not proof of causality. At the same time, 86% of Spanish pupils already study in centres that report banning mobile phones on their premises.

The results arrive precisely with the start of the 2026–2027 school year and leave Madrid in an unusual position: it is the community with the country's highest estimated average performance, but its scores are worse than three years ago. This double picture — relative leadership and absolute decline — best sums up Madrid's 2025 PISA.