Availability of high-quality school education
Data on the attainment scores of 15 year old students in the UK and internationally, over time.
Summary main findings
In 2018, the average attainment score for 15 year olds in the UK in reading, maths and science was 504 out of 1,000 – up from 495 in 2006.
Between 2006 and 2018, the UK’s average attainment score was higher than the international average for OECD countries.
In 2018, UK students scored above the OECD averages in reading (504), maths (502), and science (505).
The average attainment score for students in OECD countries was 487 in 2018, up from 485 in 2006 – it peaked at 493 in 2012.
By year
Visualisation for by year
Average pupil attainment score (out of 1,000) in reading, maths and science, over time (UK and OECD average, 2006 to 2018)
Click or tap on legend items to toggle visibility
Data for by year
| Year | UK | International Average (OECD) |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 504 | 487 |
| 2015 | 498 | 490 |
| 2012 | 499 | 493 |
| 2009 | 494 | 490 |
| 2006 | 495 | 485 |
| 2003 | 507 | 494 |
| 2000 | 523 | 493 |
Download for by year
For the full download file, see Download the data.
About the data
Data source
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)
Time period
2006 to 2018
Geographic area
UK
What the data measures
The data shows the performance of 15 year old students in maths, science and reading in the UK, over time. It also shows the international average, measured in OECD countries.
The data is designed to evaluate education systems by measuring performance and comparing it internationally.
Things you need to know
The data acts as a proxy measure of opportunities for high-quality school education.
Average scores for students aged 15 years in reading, mathematics and science range from 0 to 1,000. Read more about the PISA 2018 results.
Type of data
Survey data
Full report
Read more in State of the Nation 2023 on GOV.UK.
Download the data
Download full dataset (CSV, 2KB)
This file contains the following variables:
- Indicator code
- Indicator name
- Area name
- Time period
- Age
- Sex
- Value
- Standard error
- Unit