480 points. The lowest score since PISA measurements began in 2000.
In December 2023, the OECD published the results of PISA 2022. For Germany, the results in reading literacy were disappointing: 480 points, a decline of 18 points compared to 2018. This puts Germany just barely above the OECD average of 476 points.
But what lies behind these numbers? And what do they mean for families, teachers, and schools?
What the numbers show
26 percent of the 15-year-olds tested in Germany do not reach even competency level II. This means: more than one in four young people cannot read a simple text with comprehension. Connecting information, drawing conclusions, following an argument: all of this is difficult for these students.
For comparison: in 2015, Germany’s reading score was still 509 points, well above the OECD average. The decline of 29 points within seven years is among the steepest in all of Western Europe.
Germany is not alone
The decline in reading literacy is not a German phenomenon. Nearly all Western European countries are losing points, some even significantly more.
| Country | 2012 | 2015 | 2018 | 2022 | Change since 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 523 | 521 | 518 | 516 | -2 |
| Estonia | 516 | 519 | 523 | 511 | -12 |
| Switzerland | 509 | 492 | 484 | 483 | -1 |
| Germany | 508 | 509 | 498 | 480 | -18 |
| Austria | 490 | 485 | 484 | 480 | -4 |
| Belgium | 509 | 499 | 493 | 479 | -14 |
| France | 505 | 499 | 493 | 474 | -19 |
| Netherlands | 511 | 503 | 485 | 459 | -26 |
Source: OECD PISA 2022 Results Volume I, OECD Education GPS
The Netherlands experienced the steepest decline with 26 points since 2018. France lost 19 points, Belgium 14. Ireland and Estonia, by contrast, remain remarkably stable: both countries have stayed above 510 points for years.
This shows: the decline is structural and affects the entire Western European region. But it is not inevitable.
Three interconnected causes
The performance decline does not have one cause, but several that reinforce each other.
The social gap is widening
The dependence of reading literacy on students’ socioeconomic background is particularly pronounced in Germany. The strongest-performing 25 percent of students score 113 points ahead of the weakest-performing 25 percent. In 2009, this gap was only 104 points (OECD Country Note Germany).
Young people with a migration background score an average of 67 points lower than those without. However, this is not due to migration background itself: PISA researchers explain the difference partly by the fact that families with migration history are more often socially disadvantaged (PISA 2022 Summary, TU Munich).
COVID-19 intensified existing problems
The pandemic did not cause the decline, but accelerated it. In Germany, remote learning took place far less frequently via digital devices than the OECD average, and much more frequently via printed materials for self-study. For children from households with few reading incentives, this approach was particularly disadvantageous.
Reading competes with new media
According to the JIM Study 2025, 91 percent of young people use AI-powered tools as their primary research medium. Reading as an active, sustained activity loses ground to passive consumption. This is not a moral judgment, but a shift that schools and families must shape consciously.
What the IGLU study adds
The negative trend does not start with 15-year-olds. The IGLU Study 2021 shows that 25 percent of fourth-graders do not reach the minimum reading level. The average score declined from 548 points (2006) to 524 points (2021) (McElvany et al., IGLU 2021).
Currently, the IGLU survey 2026 is underway, led by Prof. Nele McElvany at TU Dortmund. Whether the measures taken since 2021 are having an effect will be reflected in the results (News4teachers, May 2026).
What is already happening
The next PISA round is also complete: PISA 2025 was conducted in spring 2025, and results will be released on September 8, 2026. Whether the downward trend has slowed or continued to accelerate, we will know then.
Looking even further ahead is PISA 2029: Reading will be the main domain again, and for the first time, media and AI literacy (MAIL) will also be tested as a separate area. The OECD is acknowledging that reading literacy and critical engagement with AI-generated content can no longer be viewed separately.
What Ireland and Estonia do differently
Ireland (516 points) and Estonia (511 points) demonstrate that stable reading literacy is possible even under pandemic conditions. Both countries have systematically invested in early reading support for years and rely on individualized materials tailored to each student’s reading level.
This is no accident. It is the result of deliberate educational policy decisions.
The numbers show: reading literacy does not decline because children are less capable. It declines because reading has less space in children’s daily lives. Whoever returns that space changes the curve.
What you can do
Behind the big numbers are concrete children who read every day or who do not. Three things that demonstrably help:
For parents: 10 minutes of daily reading, where your child chooses the topic, works better than one hour of forced reading on weekends. Interest beats obligation.
For teachers: Differentiation is the key. When twelve children are reading at twelve different levels, each needs material that matches their level. Not one text for everyone.
For school principals: The Startchancen Program offers concrete funding. Check whether your school is eligible to participate and use the socio-pedagogical resources for targeted reading support.
This is exactly where we come in with MichMatz ReadMe: an app that adapts stories to each child’s interests and reading level. Teachers maintain control over topic, difficulty, and language. Children get texts they actually want to read.
Reading literacy is not fate. It is a decision we can make every day.
The MichMatz Team