Norway is facing fresh concerns over student performance after the latest PISA results showed another significant decline in reading and mathematics among Norwegian pupils.

The results from the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment indicate that Norwegian students have continued to lose ground in key academic areas. The findings were presented on September 8, 2026, as countries participating in the international assessment released their latest results.

According to Norway’s Ministry of Education, 34 percent of tenth-grade students during the 2024–25 school year recorded results that placed them among low-performing students in reading. The situation was particularly concerning among boys, who recorded a higher proportion of low performance.

The new figures have renewed attention on the challenges facing Norway’s education system. Reading and mathematics are considered fundamental skills because they influence students’ ability to succeed across other subjects and later participate effectively in education and working life.

The decline is not limited to one particular group. The latest assessment points to a broader deterioration in academic performance compared with earlier PISA cycles.

Norwegian Education Minister Kari Nessa Nordtun said the results demonstrate that the country needs to take the decline seriously. The government is expected to use the findings to examine how schools can provide stronger support to students who are struggling academically.

The PISA assessment evaluates the knowledge and skills of students around the age of 15 across participating countries and economies. Its results allow governments to compare educational outcomes internationally and identify areas where their education systems may need improvement.

For Norway, the latest results are particularly significant because the country has traditionally placed strong emphasis on providing broad access to high-quality education.

The government now faces the challenge of determining why student performance has weakened and what measures can reverse the trend. Possible areas of attention include basic skills, classroom learning, support for students who fall behind and differences in performance between boys and girls.

The new figures are likely to fuel further discussion among education authorities, teachers, researchers and parents about how Norwegian schools can improve learning outcomes.

The PISA 2025 results therefore provide an important warning for Norway’s education system, with the latest data showing that improving reading and mathematics performance will remain a major challenge for policymakers.