TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Which countries perform best in mathematics? The latest international assessment offers a snapshot of how 15-year-old students perform in math across countries and economies around the world.
China ranks first in mathematics, with an average PISA score of 612, nearly 150 points above the OECD average. Asian education systems dominate the top of the ranking, occupying seven of the 10 highest positions.
The ranking is based on mathematics scores from the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), published in September 2026, as reported by Visual Capitalist.
Top 10 Countries With the Best Math Skills in 2026
1. China — 612
China ranks first in mathematics with an average PISA score of 612. Its score is 49 points higher than Singapore, which ranks second.
For this ranking, China represents the four participating jurisdictions of Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
2. Singapore — 563
Singapore ranks second with an average mathematics score of 563.
The country is one of seven Asian education systems among the top 10 and trails China by 49 points.
3. Macao — 549
Macao ranks third globally with an average PISA mathematics score of 549.
It is one of three Asian economies occupying the top four positions in the ranking, alongside Singapore and Taiwan.
4. Taiwan — 546
Taiwan ranks fourth with an average score of 546.
Its result places it just three points behind Macao and among the four highest-performing participants in mathematics.
5. Japan — 525
Japan ranks fifth globally with a mathematics score of 525.
The result keeps Japan among the leading Asian education systems, although it trails Taiwan by 21 points.
6. Korea — 522
Korea ranks sixth with an average mathematics score of 522.
Its score is tied with Hong Kong, placing both participants in sixth and seventh positions respectively.
7. Hong Kong — 522
Hong Kong also recorded an average score of 522, tying Korea.
The result places Hong Kong seventh in the global ranking and maintains the strong presence of East Asian education systems near the top.
8. Estonia — 508
Estonia ranks eighth with an average mathematics score of 508.
It is the highest-ranked European country in the top 10, breaking the concentration of East Asian education systems at the top of the list.
9. Switzerland — 499
Switzerland ranks ninth with an average score of 499.
Its result places the country among the 10 highest-performing participants in mathematics in the latest PISA assessment.
10. United Kingdom — 488
The United Kingdom rounds out the top 10 with an average mathematics score of 488.
The UK ranks ahead of several other major Western economies, while Canada sits one place higher at 11th.
Where the United States and Canada Rank
Canada ranks 11th overall with an average mathematics score of 485, placing it 22 points above the OECD average.
The country also ranks ahead of several major European economies, including Germany, France, Spain and Italy.
The United States ranks 27th with a score of 463, exactly matching the OECD average.
Elsewhere, Australia ranks 17th with 478 points, while New Zealand ties for 14th with a score of 480.
Math Scores Decline Across the OECD
The latest PISA results point to a broader decline in mathematics performance. Across OECD countries, average math scores fell by 22 points between 2015 and 2025, equivalent to slightly more than one year of learning. Declines were also recorded among non-OECD participants.
PISA also found an association between digital leisure use and student outcomes. Students who spent more than four hours a day on digital leisure activities outside school tended to have lower mathematics scores and a weaker sense of belonging, while moderate digital use was associated with better outcomes than either no use or very high use.
The findings offer more than a ranking of mathematics performance, highlighting broader changes in student achievement worldwide. For a closer look at the wider PISA findings on reading and math skills, read PISA Test Reveals Alarming Drop in Reading and Math Skills.
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