The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025 results have been released, ranking countries based on their students' performance in mathematics. Mauritius has emerged as the top-performing African country, with 407 points. The island nation is followed by Morocco with 355 points, Kenya with 326 points, Zambia with 314 points, and Rwanda with 312 points. These five countries are the only African participants in the PISA 2025 assessment.
Globally, the top spots in the PISA 2025 rankings are dominated by Asian countries. The combined Chinese jurisdictions of Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang, known as B-S-J-Z (China), have taken the top spot with 612 points, followed by Singapore with 563 points, Macao with 549 points, and Taipei, China with 546 points. The performance of these countries highlights the significant disparities in educational outcomes worldwide.
In comparison to other countries, Mauritius ranks 56th globally out of 89 countries and economies with comparable results in mathematics. The country's score of 407 points is 56 points lower than the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average of 463 points. This indicates that while Mauritius has performed well among African countries, it still lags behind the top-performing countries.
A comparison between Mauritius and Singapore illustrates the significant differences in educational outcomes. Singapore, a small island nation like Mauritius, has scored 563 points in mathematics, 156 points higher than Mauritius. The proportion of students achieving the highest levels of proficiency also varies greatly between the two countries. In Singapore, 37% of students have reached levels 5 or 6 in mathematics, compared to only 1% in Mauritius.
Mauritius has shown a decline in its performance since its previous participation in PISA in 2010. In 2010, Mauritius scored 420 points in mathematics, 13 points higher than its 2025 score. However, the National Centre for PISA Mauritius notes that the gap between Mauritius and the OECD average has narrowed, from 76 points in 2010 to 56 points in 2025.
Despite the decline, Mauritius remains the top-performing African country among the five participants in PISA 2025. Its score is also higher than that of several OECD member countries, including Mexico, Costa Rica, and Colombia. This highlights the achievements of Mauritius in education, even if it still lags behind the top-performing countries globally.
The PISA 2025 results have implications for education policy and reform. The significant disparities in educational outcomes between countries highlight the need for continued investment in education and efforts to improve student performance. For African countries, the results provide a benchmark for evaluating their education systems and identifying areas for improvement.
Key points
- Mauritius tops African countries in PISA 2025 with 407 points in mathematics.
- The country ranks 56th globally, 56 points lower than the OECD average.
- Significant disparities in educational outcomes exist between countries, with Asian countries dominating the top spots.
