OCDE - PISA 2025 Results (Volume I) - Nueva Zelanda de 2026

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PISA 2025 RESULTS (VOLUME I) – COUNTRY NOTES: NEW ZEALAND © OECD 2026

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) assesses the knowledge, skills and attitudes of 15-year-old students. The tests explore how well students can solve complex problems , think critically and communicate effectively; data collected through questionnaires describe the context in which students learn. This gives insights into how well education systems are preparing student s for real life challenges and future success. New Zealand has participated in PISA since 2000. By compa ring results internationally, policy makers and educators in New Zealand can learn f rom other countries’ policies and practices. Fifteen-year-old students in New Zealand and the context in which they learn Figure 1. A multi-dimensional dashboard of student learning

New Zealand2  PISA 2025 RESULTS (VOLUME I) – COUNTRY NOTES: NEW ZEALAND © OECD 2026

Notes: Due to missing data, not all countries and economies are included in every dimension. F or each dimension, the top country/economy and the OECD average are highlighed; truancy values are sorted in descending order, so that values shown to the right correspond to lower levels of truancy.

For indicators derived from students’ and principals’ reports, differences between countries and economies should be interpre ted with caution, as they may reflect variations in response behaviour rather than true underlying differences. Non-response to questionnaires, cultural norms, as well as differing interpretations of questions can influence these indicators.

Definitions: Values that are not reported as percentages correspond to mean values of the corresponding questionnaire indices. Percentages are defined as follows: Percentage of students scoring above a baseline level of proficiency : students scoring at or above Level 2 in science, mathematics and reading; at or above Level 3 in computational problem solving; Growth mindset: Percentage of students who disagree or strongly disagree with the statement “You have a certain amount of intelligence, and you really can’t do much to change it”; Value of learning at

mathematics and reading; at or above Level 3 in computational problem solving; Growth mindset: Percentage of students who disagree or strongly disagree with the statement “You have a certain amount of intelligence, and you really can’t do much to change it”; Value of learning at school: Percentage of students who disagree or strongly disagree that “School has done little to prepare me for adult life when I leave school”; Absence of bullying: Percentage of students who reported never or almost never being victim of any type of bullying act (among a list of five different types of acts); Truancy: Percentage of students who reported that in the two weeks prior to the PISA test they had skipped at least one class or day of school; Academic resilience in science: Percentage of students from the bottom quarter of socio-economic status (disadvantaged students) who scored in the top quarter of performance amongst students in their own country/economy; Beliefs in social mobility: Percentage of students who disagree or strongly disagree with the statement “Your status in s ociety is something that you can’t really change very much”; No shortage of teaching staff: Percentage of students in schools whose principal reported that the school’s capacity to provide instruction is not at all hindered by a lack of teaching staff; Peer-to-peer tutoring: Percentage of students in schools whose principal reported that peerto-peer tutoring is provided; Learning to assess AI-generated content in class : Percentage of students who reported that, in their school lessons, they assess the quality of information generated by Artificial Intelligence chatbots (e.g. ChatGPT) sometimes, often or very often; School policy: cell phone bans in school : Percentage of students in schools whose principal reported that the use of cell phon es is not allowed on the school premises; School policy: subject-specific guidelines on digital devices : Percentage of students in schools whose principal reported that the school has formal guidelines for the use of digital devices for teaching and learning in specific subjects.

Source: Figure I.1.2.

An interactive dashboard is available at https://www.oecd.org/en/data/dashboards/pisa-education-and-skills.html 3

school has formal guidelines for the use of digital devices for teaching and learning in specific subjects.

Source: Figure I.1.2.

An interactive dashboard is available at https://www.oecd.org/en/data/dashboards/pisa-education-and-skills.html 3

PISA 2025 RESULTS (VOLUME I) – COUNTRY NOTES: NEW ZEALAND © OECD 2026

Notes on data quality in PISA 2025 This edition of PISA includes data from 91 countries and economies. While t he vast majority of countries and economies met PISA’s technical standards, a small number did not. In particular, caution is required when interpreting results of countries and economies mentioned in this note with an asterisk () next to their names: their results could be affected by greater uncertainty, or even be biased, because one or more PISA sampling standards were not met. For more information, see the Reader’s Guide in PISA 2025 Results, Volume I and Chapter 18 (Data Adjudication) in the PISA 2025 Technical Report. In New Zealand, student response rates in 2025 fell below the minimum target, and student exclusions exceeded the tolerance set by PISA technical standards. School participation rates also fell short of the target. A thorough and detailed analysis was submitted to investigate whether bias would result from non-response. The analysis implies that the reported mean scores (based on r esponding students) may be higher, by about 10 to 15 points on the PISA scale, than hy pothetical mean scores that considered also non-respondents. Because PISA 2022 results were also biase d in the same direction, and to a similar extent, trend comparisons between 2022 and 2025 are unlikely to be affected. How well did 15-year-old students in New Zealand do on the test? Trends in science, mathematics and reading performance Figure 2. Trends in performance in science, mathematics and reading

Note: White dots indicate mean scores that are not statistically significantly above/below PISA 2025 mean scores. An interactive version of this

Trends in science, mathematics and reading performance Figure 2. Trends in performance in science, mathematics and reading

Note: White dots indicate mean scores that are not statistically significantly above/below PISA 2025 mean scores. An interactive version of this figure is available at https://www.oecd.org/en/data/dashboards/pisa-education-and-skills/performance-trends.html.

Source: Tables I.B1.2a.36-38 • Average 2025 results in New Zealand were about the same as in 2022 in mathematics, readin g and science. • In science, results have been stable for over a decade. In contrast, in reading and mathematics, PISA 2025 results were below those observed in 2018 and 2015, reflecting a downward trend that began even earlier. • Over the most recent period (2022 to 2025), the gap between the highest-scorin g students (10% with the highest scores) and the weakest students (10% with the lowest scores) did not change significantly in mathematics and science, while it widened in reading.4  PISA 2025 RESULTS (VOLUME I) – COUNTRY NOTES: NEW ZEALAND © OECD 2026

• Compared to 2015 the proportion of low-performing students (scoring below proficiency Level 2) increased by eight percentage points in mathematics; increased by five per centage points in reading; and did not change significantly in science.

How does New Zealand compare? • Students in New Zealand scored higher than the OECD average in mathematics, reading and science (Figure 3). • More students in New Zealand than on average across OECD countries were top perf ormers (Level 5 or 6) in at least one subject. At the same time, a larger proportion of students than on average across OECD countries achieved a minimum level of proficiency (Level 2 or higher) i n all three subjects (Figure 4). • In computational problem solving, the mean score of students in New Zealand was higher than the OECD average (Figure 3).

average across OECD countries achieved a minimum level of proficiency (Level 2 or higher) i n all three subjects (Figure 4). • In computational problem solving, the mean score of students in New Zealand was higher than the OECD average (Figure 3). Figure 3. Mean performance in science, mathematics, reading and computational problem solving New Zealand, OECD average and selected comparison countries/economies

Notes: Comparison countries/economies include the highest-performing countries and econom ies overall and the highest-performing OECD countries; for comparisons with all remaining PISA 2025 participants, see source T ables and Figures. Horizontal lines that extend beyond the markers represent a measure of uncertainty associated with mean scores (the 95% confidence interval).

Source: Tables I.B1.2a.1-3 and Tables I.2.1, I.2.4, I.2.o1 and I.2.o2 5

PISA 2025 RESULTS (VOLUME I) – COUNTRY NOTES: NEW ZEALAND © OECD 2026

What students know and can do in science Figure 4. Proficiency in science, mathematics and reading among 15-year-old students New Zealand and OECD average

Source: Tables I.B1.2a.10-12 • Some 81% of students in New Zealand attained Level 2 or higher in science (OECD average: 74%). At a minimum, these students can recognize the correct explanation for familiar scientific phenomena and can use such knowledge to identify, in simple cases, whether a conclusion is valid based on the data provided. Over 85% of students in top performers B-S-J-Z (China), Mac ao

(China), Singapore, Estonia, Japan, Chinese Taipei and Korea (in descending order of that share) performed at this level or above. • In New Zealand, 13% of students were top performers in science, meaning that they were proficient at Level 5 or 6 (OECD average: 7%). These students can creatively and autonomously apply their knowledge of and about science to a wide variety of situations, including unfamiliar ones.

• In New Zealand, 13% of students were top performers in science, meaning that they were proficient at Level 5 or 6 (OECD average: 7%). These students can creatively and autonomously apply their knowledge of and about science to a wide variety of situations, including unfamiliar ones.

What students know and can do in mathematics • In New Zealand, 71% of students attained at least Level 2 proficiency in mathematics (OE CD average: 65%). At a minimum, these students can interpret and recognize, without direct instructions, how a simple situation can be represented mathematically (e.g. c omparing the total distance across two alternative routes, or converting prices into a different currency). • Some 11% of students in New Zealand were top performers in mathematics, meaning that t hey attained Level 5 or 6 in the PISA mathematics test (OECD average: 8%). The large st shares of students attaining Level 5 or 6 were observed in Seven Asian countries and econo mies: B-S-J-Z (China) (54%), Singapore (37%), Chinese Taipei (32%), Macao (China) (29%), Korea (23%), Japan (22%) and Hong Kong (China) (21%). At these levels, students can model complex situations mathematically, and can select, compare and evaluate appropriate problem-solv ing strategies for dealing with them. In 13 countries and economies participating in PISA 2025, more than 10% of students attained Level 5 or 6 proficiency.6  PISA 2025 RESULTS (VOLUME I) – COUNTRY NOTES: NEW ZEALAND © OECD 2026

What students know and can do in reading • Some 77% of students in New Zealand attained Level 2 or higher in reading (OECD average: 69%). At a minimum, these students can identify the main idea in a text of moderate length, find information based on explicit, though sometimes complex criteria, and can reflect on the purpose and form of texts when explicitly directed to do so. The share of 15-year-old students who attained

At a minimum, these students can identify the main idea in a text of moderate length, find information based on explicit, though sometimes complex criteria, and can reflect on the purpose and form of texts when explicitly directed to do so. The share of 15-year-old students who attained minimum levels of proficiency in reading (Level 2 or higher) varied from 93% in B-S-J-Z (China) to 4% in Rwanda. • In New Zealand, 14% of students scored at Level 5 or higher in reading (OECD average: 6%). These students can comprehend lengthy texts, deal with concepts that are abstract or counterintuitive, and establish distinctions between fact and opinion, based on implicit cues pertaining to the content or source of the information. Performance gaps within New Zealand Figure 5. Science performance and socio-economic status of students and schools

Source: Tables I.B1.2b.7 and Table I.B1.2b.11; and OECD, PISA 2025 Database.

Notes: The left-hand chart shows how the performance of students at different levels of socio-economic status compares to the performance of students with similar socio-economic background across OECD countries on average. The shaded area represents a measure of uncertainty

(the 95% confidence interval). Percentages reported on the chart correspond to the per centage of students in New Zealand that are in each international quartile of socio-economic status. The right-hand chart plots the performance and average socio-economic status of schools that participated in PISA (only schools with students in the modal grade for 15-year-olds are shown). The size of dots is proportional to the population of 15-year-old students that each school represents. Socio-economic disparities • The PISA index of economic, social and cultural status is computed in such a way that all students taking the PISA test, regardless of the country where they live, can be placed on the same socioeconomic scale. This means that it is possible to use this index to compare the performance of students of similar socio-economic background in different countries. In New Zea land, 52% of 7

taking the PISA test, regardless of the country where they live, can be placed on the same socioeconomic scale. This means that it is possible to use this index to compare the performance of students of similar socio-economic background in different countries. In New Zea land, 52% of 7

PISA 2025 RESULTS (VOLUME I) – COUNTRY NOTES: NEW ZEALAND © OECD 2026

students (the largest share) were in the top international quartile of the socio -economic scale, meaning that they were among the most advantaged students who took the PISA test in 202 5. Their average score in science was 550 score points (Figure 5, left chart); one of the highest for students of similar socio-economic background. • The PISA index of economic, social and cultural status can also be used to or der students from the most disadvantaged to the most advantaged within each country and economy, and to create four groups of students of equal size (each comprising 25% of the population of 15-year -old students in each country/economy). In New Zealand socio-economically advantaged students (the top 25% in terms of socio-economic status) outperformed disadvantaged students (the bottom 25%) by 89 score points in science. This is similar to the average difference between th e two groups (85 score points) across OECD countries. • Between 2015 and 2025, the gap in science performance between the top and the bottom 25% of students in terms of socio-economic status remained stable in New Zealand, while the average gap across OECD countries narrowed. Over this period, performance remained stable both among advantaged and disadvantaged students. • Socio-economic status was a predictor of performance in science in all PISA-participating countries and economies. It accounted for 11% of the variation in science performance in PISA 2025 in New Zealand (compared to 12% on average across OECD countries). • Some 13% of disadvantaged students in New Zealand were able to score in the top qu arter of

and economies. It accounted for 11% of the variation in science performance in PISA 2025 in New Zealand (compared to 12% on average across OECD countries). • Some 13% of disadvantaged students in New Zealand were able to score in the top qu arter of science performance. These students can be considered academically resilient b ecause, despite their socio-economic disadvantage, they have attained educational excellence by comparison with students in their own country. On average across OECD countries, 12% of disadvantaged students scored in the top quarter of science performance in their own countries. Student attitudes towards school and learning in New Zealand Student curiosity, perseverance and perceived value of school • In New Zealand, 78% of students agree or strongly agree that they are curious about many different things, compared to 73% across OECD countries. Moreover, 63% of students reported th at they apply additional effort when work becomes challenging (OECD average 60%). At the same time, 23% agree or strongly agree that school has been a waste of time (OECD average: 24%). • Between 2022 and 2025, these attitudes changed somewhat in New Zealand. The sh are of students who reported being curious about many different things remained stable; the proportion who reported applying additional effort when work becomes challenging increased by 6.9 percentage points; and the percentage of students who agreed that school had been a waste of time decreased by 4.8 percentage points during this period. • Curiosity, perseverance and valuing school are most often associated with higher science performance. In New Zealand, after accounting for students’ and schools’ socio -economic profile, a one-unit increase in the curiosity index is associated with a difference of 2 4 score points in science performance, compared to an average of 19 score points across OECD countries; a oneunit increase in the perseverance index is associated with a difference of 13 score points in science performance (OECD average: 13 score points); students who perceive greater value in school and disagree that it is a waste of time tend to achieve higher scores in science (by 36 score points )

unit increase in the perseverance index is associated with a difference of 13 score points in science performance (OECD average: 13 score points); students who perceive greater value in school and disagree that it is a waste of time tend to achieve higher scores in science (by 36 score points ) than their peers who feel they are wasting their time at school (OECD average: 27 score points).8  PISA 2025 RESULTS (VOLUME I) – COUNTRY NOTES: NEW ZEALAND © OECD 2026

Student attitudes towards learning • PISA 2025 also asked students about other attitudes towards learning. For example, 74 % of students in New Zealand have a growth mindset (OECD average: 69%), i.e. hold the belief that intelligence can be cultivated through work, effort and feedback. On average across OE CD countries, students with a growth mindset score 28 score points higher in science than those with a fixed mindset. In New Zeal and, this difference is 59 score points, after accounting for students’ and schools’ socio-economic profile. • PISA 2025 data show that there is still room for improvement in terms of students’ self-regulation and goal-setting behaviours. For example, only about 34% of students in New Zealand report that they often or very often plan their approach to studying. Furthermore, 45% of students ask themselves questions about the material to check if they have understood everything (OECD averages: 37% and 49%, respectively). • An autonomous self-regulated learner knows when and where to ask for help. PISA 2025 data show that, in most countries, students tend to rely on their teachers and clas smates for support with their schoolwork. In New Zealand, 80% of students ask their teachers for help when they need it and 88% ask their classmates when they do not fully understand something (OECD averages: 77% and 82%, respectively). • In New Zealand self-regulated goal-setting and help-seeking are positivel y related to science performance, after accounting for students’ and schools’ socio -economic profile. A one-unit

it and 88% ask their classmates when they do not fully understand something (OECD averages: 77% and 82%, respectively). • In New Zealand self-regulated goal-setting and help-seeking are positivel y related to science performance, after accounting for students’ and schools’ socio -economic profile. A one-unit increase in the index of goal-setting is associated with a difference of 6 score poi nts (OECD average: 3 score points).A one-unit increase in the index of help-seeking is associated with a difference of 11 score points (OECD average: 6 score points). How is school life in New Zealand? Perceived shortages of human and material resources • In 2025, 34% of students in New Zealand were in schools whose principals reported that instruction was hindered, at least to some extent, by a perceived lack of teaching staff (OECD average: 39%); the corresponding share for a perceived lack of assisting staff was 18% (OECD average: 39%). The prevalence of perceived teaching staff shortages in New Zealand decreased compared to 2022 (44%). • PISA 2025 data reveal that perceived shortages of material resources remain a concern in most countries and economies. Some 9% of students in New Zealand attended schools whose principals reported that a lack of educational material (e.g. textbooks, IT equipment, librar y or laboratory material) hindered instruction, at least to some extent, and 32% were in schools where a lack of physical infrastructure (e.g. buildings, grounds, heating/cooling systems, lighti ng and acoustic systems) was perceived to hinder instruction. In 2022, the corresponding shares were 10% and 21%, respectively. Digital resources • In New Zealand, students reported spending on average 2.5 hours per day using digital devices at school for learning activities (OECD average: 1.7 hours). At the same time, a non-negligible share of students’ device use on school days is dedicated to non -learning activities: students in New Zealand reported spending 0.9 hours per day using digital devices at schoo l for leisure (OECD

school for learning activities (OECD average: 1.7 hours). At the same time, a non-negligible share of students’ device use on school days is dedicated to non -learning activities: students in New Zealand reported spending 0.9 hours per day using digital devices at schoo l for leisure (OECD average: 1.1 hours). 9

PISA 2025 RESULTS (VOLUME I) – COUNTRY NOTES: NEW ZEALAND © OECD 2026

• In New Zealand, 38% of students reported that their peers are often distracted by the use of digital devices during most or all science lessons (OECD average: 28%). On average across OECD countries, students who reported digital distraction in their science classes sc ore 11 points lower in science than those who reported no digital distraction (after accounting for students’ and schools’ socio-economic profile). New Zealand is among the minority of countries and econo mies in which digital distraction is not associated with significant differences in student performance. • On average across OECD countries, students in schools where cell phone use is not allowed on school premises are about 13% less likely to report digital distraction. In 2025, 89% of students in New Zealand attended schools with such a ban (OECD average: 49%), up from PISA 2022 (18%; OECD average in PISA 2022: 34%). This indicates a substantial increase in the implementation of cell phone bans during this period. • Students in most education systems use AI chatbots for schoolwork, creating new challenges and opportunities for their learning. In New Zealand, 47% of students reported using AI chatbots to help them learn at least once a week (OECD average: 46%). Students also frequently use AI to conduct preliminary research on a new topic (New Zealand: 32%; OECD average: 31%), to summarise a text they had to read (New Zealand: 28%; OECD average: 30%), and to draft text for writing assignments (New Zealand: 24%; OECD average: 29%).Only 16% of students reported never or

text they had to read (New Zealand: 28%; OECD average: 30%), and to draft text for writing assignments (New Zealand: 24%; OECD average: 29%).Only 16% of students reported never or almost never using AI chatbots for any of the schoolwork tasks examined in PISA (OECD average: 14%). Bullying and cyberbullying • In New Zealand, 25% of students reported being victims of at least one form of bullying a few times per month or more in 2025 (OECD average: 20%). The prevalence of bullying increased between PISA 2022 and PISA 2025, as it did in a large majority of participating countries and economies. This rise contrasts with the decline in bullying recorded in New Zealand b etween 2018 and 2022, which was likely linked to the lingering effects of COVID-19 disruptions. • Cyberbullying is relatively uncommon compared with other forms of bullying, but its victims tend to experience significant achievement deficits. In New Zealand, 3% of students rep orted that upsetting information about them was published online, without their consent, at least a few times a month during the 12 months prior to the PISA test (OECD average: 3%). These students scored, on average, 54 points lower in science than their peers. Teacher support and disciplinary climate in science lessons • In New Zealand, 75% of students reported that, in most science lessons, the teacher sho ws an interest in every student’s learning (OECD average: 69%), 69% that the teacher continues teaching until the students understand (OECD average: 66%), 79% that the teacher gives extra hel p when students need it (OECD average: 73%). In 2015, the corresponding shares were 77%, 75% and 83%. • Disciplinary climate in science lessons in 2025 remains a concern in many c ountries and economies: about 24% of students in New Zealand reported that they cannot work well in most or all lessons (OECD average: 19%); 41% reported noise and disorder disrupted most or every

83%. • Disciplinary climate in science lessons in 2025 remains a concern in many c ountries and economies: about 24% of students in New Zealand reported that they cannot work well in most or all lessons (OECD average: 19%); 41% reported noise and disorder disrupted most or every science lesson (OECD average: 31%); 36% of students reported that their classmates do not listen to what the teacher says (OECD average: 29%). • Disciplinary climate and teacher support in science lessons improved betw een 2015 and 2025 on average across OECD countries. In New Zealand, teacher support declined; disciplinary c limate did not change significantly over the period. Countries and economies with an improved disciplinary climate tend to show stability or an increase in their average science performance c ompared to 2015.10  PISA 2025 RESULTS (VOLUME I) – COUNTRY NOTES: NEW ZEALAND © OECD 2026

Parental involvement and support • Student reports of family support substantially decreased in almost all PISA-participating countries and economies between 2022 and 2025. This was also the case in New Zealand. In 2025, 75% of students in New Zealand reported that their parents or guardians asked them, at least once per week, what they did at school , while 43% reported having at least weekly dis cussions about problems they might have at school. In 2022, the corresponding shares were 81% and 55%, respectively. Truancy and lateness • In 2025, around 32% of students in New Zealand reported having skipped at least one day of school in the two weeks prior to the test (OECD average: 22%); 21% reported skipping at least one class (OECD average: 24%); 51% reported arriving late for school (OECD average: 50%). In previous years, the corresponding shares were 39%, 25% and 49% (in 2022); 29%, 26% and 48% (in 2018). Student readiness for environmental challenges

previous years, the corresponding shares were 39%, 25% and 49% (in 2022); 29%, 26% and 48% (in 2018). Student readiness for environmental challenges • In New Zealand, 81% of students reached at least baseline proficiency (Level 2) in en vironmental science. On average across OECD countries, 74% of students achieve this level, with more than 85% reaching it in seven countries and economies. • PISA 2025 shows that students in most education systems report strong pro-environme ntal attitudes, although fewer feel confident about how to collaborate effectively. In New Zealand, 83% of students believe that they can positively impact the environment (OECD av erage: 81%); 85% believe that collective action can address environmental problems (OECD average: 82%) ; 71% report knowing how to work with others to positively impact the environment (OECD average: 68%). • In New Zealand, 55% of students reported that they are somewhat or very interested in contributing to protecting the environment in their future jobs (OECD average: 62%). • Most students engaged in environment-related activities at least once over the 12 months prior to the PISA test. On average across OECD countries, the most common forms of engagement are discussing with friends and family how to have a positive impact on the environment (New Zealand: 48%; OECD average: 56%) and making purchasing decisions based on the sustainabil ity of products (OECD average: 54%; 45% in New Zealand). Key Features of PISA 2025 in New Zealand The content • The PISA 2025 survey focused on science, with mathematics and reading as minor areas; an assessment of learning in the digital world measured students’ computational problem -solving skills and their ability to self-direct their learning in a digital envi ronment. Results for s