PISA: in Morocco, 87% of 15-year-old students are below the minimum reading level

The figures were published this Tuesday, September 8, by the OECD, in its country note on Morocco for the PISA 2025 survey. Moroccan students’ performance remains far below the averages observed in the organization’s countries.

In reading, only 13% of Moroccan students reach at least level 2, considered by PISA to be the minimum proficiency threshold. The OECD average stands at 69%. In other words, 87% of the young Moroccans assessed remain below this threshold.

Level 2 corresponds in particular to the ability to identify the main idea of a medium-length text, locate information based on explicit criteria, and reflect on the form or purpose of a text. Almost no Moroccan students reach levels 5 or 6, reserved for the highest-performing readers.

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The situation is only slightly better in mathematics. Only 16% of students reach the minimum level, compared with an average of 65% in the OECD. This means that 84% remain below the level required, in particular, to represent a simple situation mathematically, compare two routes, or convert prices into another currency.

In science, 23% of students reach level 2 or above, compared with 74% in the OECD. Once again, almost no Moroccan students are among the highest performance levels.

Results deteriorate further in reading and mathematics

The comparison with PISA 2022 confirms a further deterioration. At the time, 19% of Moroccan students reached the minimum level in reading and 18% in mathematics. In 2025, only 13% and 16%, respectively, do so. Average results are declining in reading and mathematics, while remaining generally stable in science.

Compared with 2018, the proportion of low-performing students increased by 14 points in reading and by eight points in mathematics and science.

The OECD nevertheless offers an important qualification. The number of 15-year-olds eligible to participate in PISA increased by more than 30% in Morocco between 2018 and 2025, while this age group remained relatively stable in the population. This development reflects a significant expansion of secondary-school enrollment, particularly among young people who had previously been more excluded from the education system.

The organization therefore estimates that the inclusion of a greater number of students from disadvantaged populations explains part of the apparent decline in results. For students whose educational circumstances were comparable throughout the period, performance would have held up better in science and mathematics, but not in reading.

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The PISA 2025 survey covered 6,978 students in Morocco across 179 schools. They represent approximately 535,800 15-year-olds, or 87% of the entire age group. The OECD specifies that the Moroccan data meet all of its quality criteria.

At the international level, the decline in performance is not limited to Morocco. The OECD observes a further historic drop in reading and mathematics results in many countries. But the gap remains considerable: while 69% of OECD students reach the minimum reading level, only 13% do so in Morocco.