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Data profiles:



Italy
Student performance (PISA 2022)
  • In mathematics, the main topic of PISA 2022, 15-year-olds in score 471 points compared to an average of 472 points in OECD countries.
  • On average, 15-year-olds score 482 points in reading compared to an average of 476 points in OECD countries.
  • In Italy, the average performance in science of 15-year-olds is 477 points, compared to an average of 485 points in OECD countries.
  • Average 2022 results were down compared to 2018 in mathematics; about the same as in 2018 in reading; and up compared to 2018 in science.
  • In Italy, 70% of students attained at least Level 2 proficiency in mathematics (OECD average: 69%). At a minimum, these students can interpret and recognize, without direct instructions, how a simple situation can be represented mathematically
  • Some 7% of students in Italy were top performers in mathematics, meaning that they attained Level 5 or 6 in the PISA mathematics test (OECD average: 9%). At these levels, students can model complex situations mathematically, and can select, compare and evaluate appropriate problem-solving strategies for dealing with them.
  • In Italy, 29% of students (the largest share) were in the top international quintile of the socio-economic scale, meaning that they were among the most advantaged students who took the PISA test in 2022. Their average score in mathematics was 512 score points.
  • In Italy socio-economically advantaged students (the top 25% in terms of socio-economic status) outperformed disadvantaged students (the bottom 25%) by 85 score points in mathematics. This is similar to the average difference between the two groups (93 score points) across OECD countries.
  • Some 11% of disadvantaged students in Italy were able to score in the top quarter of mathematics performance (OECD average: 10%). These students can be considered academically resilient.
  • Boys outperformed girls in mathematics by 21 score points; girls outperformed boys in reading by 19 score points in Italy. Globally, in mathematics, boys outperformed girls in 40 countries and economies, girls outperformed boys in another 17 countries or economies. In reading, girls, on average, scored above boys in all but two countries and economies that participated in PISA 2022 (79 out of 81).
  • The share of immigrant students has increased in Italy to 11% in 2022 (7% in 2012). In 2022, 3% of 15-year-old students were first-generation immigrants, meaning that they were born in another country/economy, and their families moved to Italy only in recent years.
  • Immigrant students in Italy tend to have a more disadvantaged socio-economic profile than non-immigrant students; while 25% of all students are considered socio-economically disadvantaged, the corresponding share among students with an immigrant background is 52%..
  • In mathematics, the average difference in performance between immigrant and non-immigrant students was 30 score points in favour of non-immigrant students, a significant difference. After accounting for students' socio-economic profile, a not significant difference was observed.
  • In Italy, 61% of students reported that their school building was closed for more than three months due to COVID-19. On average across OECD countries, 51% of students experienced similarly long school closures. In education systems where performance remained high and students' sense of belonging improved, fewer students experienced longer school closures.
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    The following list displays indicators for which your selected country shows the highest and lowest values among countries. The list can be sorted by level of education or by age group. All rankings are calculated including available data from OECD and partner countries. Find out more about the methodology here.

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    Student performance in mathematics

    The difference between girls' and boys' in mathematics performance is among the highest compared to other countries and economies participating in PISA. (21 PISA Score, rank 1/56 , 2022) Download Indicator

    School climate

    In Italy has one of the narrowest difference between advantaged and disadvantaged students who reported that in the two weeks prior to the PISA test they had skipped at least one class or day of school, compared to the other OECD and partner countries/economies. (-12.9 % points, rank 54/61 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Classroom environment

    Between 2018 and 2022, the change in the index of shortage of educational material in Italy was relatively smaller than in other OECD and partner countries/economies. (-0.53 PISA Index, rank 36/39 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Students' engagement, drive and self-beliefs

    The time spent on homework per day in a typical school week in Italy is long compared to the other OECD and partner countries/economies. (2 Hours, rank 6/80 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Italy had one of the most frequent shares of students whose teacher asked them to explain their reasoning when solving a math problem, in more than half of the lessons at least. (57.3 %, rank 2/79 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Italy, the likelihood of students connecting new material to prior lessons (at least half of the time) with a one-unit increase in the cooperation index is one of the lowest among countries and economies in PISA (after accounting for students' and schools' socio-economic profile and performance in mathematics). (1.19 Ratio, rank 34/37 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Students’ predispositions to learning

    Italy had one of the smallest differences in the share of students who ask questions when they don’t understand math content (at least half the time) between the top and bottom quarters of the math self-efficacy index (formal & applied math). (20.3 % points, rank 72/75 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Italy had one of the largest differences in the share of students that try to connect new material to what they have learned previously in math between students in the top and bottom quarters of the index of math anxiety. (-11.5 % points, rank 8/73 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Italy had one of the largest differences in the share of students who like schoolwork that is challenging between students in the top and bottom quarters of the index of math anxiety. (-6.4 % points, rank 2/68 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Students' sustained learning strategies by parental support

    Italy had one of the lowest differences in the share of students connecting new material to prior math lessons (more than half the time) between those whose parents talk with them frequently (once a week or more) and less frequently (twice a month or less). (8.2 % points, rank 68/72 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Performance and socio-economic status

    Italy has one of the largest differences in mathematics score associated with repeating a grade among OECD and partner countries/economies, after accounting for students' and schools' socio-economic profile. (-33 PISA Score points, rank 9/75 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Performance and diversity

    In Italy, the difference in mathematics performance between immigrant students who speak the language of assessment at home and immigrant students who do not is relatively low compared to the other OECD and partner countries. (16 PISA Score, rank 12/17 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Resources for education

    A small share of students attend schools with available room(s) where students can do their homework. (33.6 %, rank 76/80 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Teachers

    The ratio of students to teaching staff in schools attended by 15-year-olds is comparatively low in Italy. (8.1 Ratio, rank 78/80 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Between 2015 and 2022, Italy recorded a particularly small change in the percentage of teachers fully certified by the appropriate authority, compared to the other OECD and partner countries/economies. (-14.3 %, rank 31/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Teachers' practices

    In 2012, the percentage of students reporting that their teacher gives extra help when students need it, in most or every mathematics lessons, is relatively low in Italy compared to other OECD and partner countries/economies. (47.6 %, rank 59/59 , 2012) Download Indicator

    Governance

    In Italy, compared to attending a public school, the difference in mathematics performance associated with attendance at private schools is among the smallest of the OECD and partner countries/economies, after accounting for students' and schools' socio-economic profile. (-32 PISA Score points, rank 31/39 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Italy has a relatively low percentage of students in schools whose principal reported that there are two or more other schools in this area that compete for these students. (40 %, rank 72/80 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Learning time

    Italy has one of the longest learning time per week in regular language-of-instruction lessons. (27 Hours, rank 10/80 , 2022) Download Indicator

    COVID-19 effects on education

    Italy is one of the OECD and partner countries/economies with the lowest level of stress resistance, as measured by the PISA index of student's stress resistance. (-0.22 PISA Index, rank 40/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Italy, students are characterized by their weak emotional control, when compared to other OECD and partner countries/economies, as measured by the PISA index of students' emotional control. (-0.14 PISA Index, rank 52/61 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Italy ranked among the countries where students reported a relatively strong feeling of confidence in their capacity for self-directed learning, compared to the other OECD and partner countries/economies. (0.22 PISA Index, rank 5/76 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The difference between advantaged and disadvantaged students in the confidence they have on their capacity to drive self-directed learning is one of the smallest among countries participating in PISA (0.23 PISA Index, rank 67/73 , 2022) Download Indicator


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    General findings
    
                            
    • Singapore scored significantly higher than all other countries/economies in mathematics (575 points) and, along with Hong Kong (China), Japan, Korea, Macao (China), and Chinese Taipei, outperformed all other countries and economies in mathematics. Another 17 countries also performed above the OECD average (472 points), ranging from Estonia (510 points) to New Zealand (479 points).
    • Boys outperformed girls in mathematics by nine score points and girls outperformed boys in reading by 24 score points on average across OECD countries. In science, the performance difference between boys and girls is not significant.
    • An average of 69% of students are at least basically proficient in mathematics in OECD countries. This means they are beginning to demonstrate the ability and initiative to use mathematics in simple real-life situations.
    • In 16 out of 81 countries/economies participating in PISA 2022, more than 10% of students attained Level 5 or 6 proficiency, meaning they are high-performing: they understand that a problem is quantitative in nature and can formulate complex mathematical models to solve it. By contrast, less than 5% of students are high-performing in 42 countries/economies.
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    • Singapore scored significantly higher than all other countries/economies in reading (543 points) and science (561 points). Behind Singapore, Ireland performed as well as Estonia, Japan, Korea and Chinese Taipei while another 14 education systems performed above the OECD average in reading (476 points), ranging from Macao (China) (510 points) to Italy (482 points).
    • About three out of four students have achieved basic proficiency in reading in OECD countries.
    • In reading, an OECD average of 7% of students attained the highest proficiency levels of 5 or 6. In 13 countries/economies, more than 10% of students are top performers in reading.
    • No change in the OECD average over consecutive PISA assessments up to 2018 has ever exceeded five points in reading: in PISA 2022, however, the OECD average dropped by about 10 score points in reading compared to PISA 2018.. The unprecedented drops reading point to the shock effect of COVID-19 on most countries.
    • Only four countries and economies improved their performance between PISA 2018 and 2022 in all three subjects: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, the Dominican Republic and Chinese Taipei.
    • Trend analysis of PISA results reveals a decades-long decline that began well before the pandemic. In reading, performances peaked in 2012 and 2009, respectively, before dipping while performance began a downward descent in mathematics before 2018 in Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Slovak Republic and Switzerland.
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    • Mean performance in science remained stable.
    • In science, the highest-performing education systems are Singapore, Japan, Macao (China), Chinese Taipei, Korea, Estonia, Hong Kong (China) and Canada. Finland performed as well as Canada in science. In addition to these nine countries and economies, another 15 education systems also performed above the OECD average in science (485 points), ranging from Australia (507 points) to Belgium (491 points).
    • About three out of four students have achieved basic proficiency science in OECD countries.
    • In science, an OECD average of 7% of students attained the highest proficiency levels of 5 or 6. In 14 countries/economies, more than 10% of students are top performers in science.
    • Only four countries and economies improved their performance between PISA 2018 and 2022 in all three subjects: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, the Dominican Republic and Chinese Taipei.
    • Trend analysis of PISA results reveals a decades-long decline that began well before the pandemic. In science, performances peaked in 2012 and 2009, respectively, before dipping. while performance began a downward descent in mathematics before 2018 in Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Slovak Republic and Switzerland.
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    • Socio-economically advantaged students scored 93 points more in mathematics than disadvantaged students on average across OECD countries. The performance gap attributed to students' socio-economic status is greater than 93 score points in 22 countries or economies and 50 points or fewer in 13 countries or economies.
    • Boys outperformed girls in mathematics by nine score points and girls outperformed boys in reading by 24 score points on average across OECD countries. In science, the performance difference between boys and girls is not significant.
    • Non-immigrant students scored 29 points more than immigrant students in mathematics on average across OECD countries but non-immigrant students scored only five points more than immigrant students once socio-economic status and language spoken at home had been accounted for.
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    • Between 2018 and 2022 trends in students' sense of belonging at school were mixed, with equal proportions of countries/economies showing stable, improving or deteriorating trends. Of the 47 education systems with improving or stable trends, only 20 maintained or attained a level of students' sense of belonging at school that was at or above the OECD average. 
    • Around 10% of students reported feeling unsafe on their way to or from school, or in places outside of the classroom, on average across OECD countries. Some 20% of students reported that they are bullied at least a few times a month.
    • Overall, students felt more confident about using digital technology for learning remotely during future school closures than they felt about taking responsibility for their own learning. For instance, on average across OECD countries, about three out of four students reported that they feel confident or very confident about using a learning-management system, a school learning platform or a video communication program, as well as about finding learning resources online on their own.
    • Students' experience with learning at home was more positive in systems that were better prepared for remote learning. However, when learning remotely, 40% of all students reported feeling lonely and 50% of all students reported feeling anxious about schoolwork and that they fell behind in their studies; and three in ten students reported that teachers were not available when needed, on average across OECD countries. 
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    • Singapore, Korea, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Estonia and Finland are the highest-performing systems in creative thinking, significantly above the OECD average. Students in Singapore score 41 points on average in creative thinking.
    • There is a large performance gap in creative thinking between the highest-performing and lowest-performing country of 28 score points – or around four proficiency levels. 97 out of 100 students in the five best-performing countries performed above the average student in the five lowest performing countries.
    • Academic excellence is not a pre-requisite for excellence in creative thinking. While around half of all students who performed at the highest level in creative thinking performed at the highest level in mathematics, similar proportions of students within the third quintile of creative thinking performance scored within the second, third and fourth quintiles, respectively, in mathematics. However, very few students below a baseline proficiency in mathematics excelled in creative thinking.
    • In no country or economy did boys outperform girls in creative thinking, with girls scoring 3 points higher in creative thinking on average across the OECD. The gender gap is significant in all countries/economies after accounting for mathematics performance and in around half of all countries/economies even after accounting for students’ reading performance.
    • Students with higher socio-economic status performed better in creative thinking, with advantaged students scoring around 9.5 points higher than their disadvantaged peers on average across the OECD. In general, the strength of the association between socio-economic status and performance is weaker in creative thinking than it is for mathematics, reading and science.
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    • Asking questions is key to learning. However, less than half of students ask questions often when they don’t understand something in mathematics class.
    • Critical thinking is a vital learning strategy. It involves considering other perspectives before forming one’s own opinion. Less than 60% of students employ critical-thinking strategies on average.
    • Connecting new knowledge with existing knowledge is crucial. Yet, less than half of students report doing this regularly in mathematics lessons.
    • Intrinsic motivation predicts the use of learning strategies. Only around half of students report being intrinsically motivated to learn new things in school.
    • Growth mindsets are linked to positive learning strategies and outcomes. While 58% report a general growth mindset, fewer students feel this way specifically about mathematics.
    • Most students feel confident finding information online, but judging the quality of that information remains a challenge, especially for lower performers.
    • Proactive learners who connect new material with prior knowledge and stay engaged in the classroom are most confident in their mathematics skills for the 21st century.
    • Only about a third of students are exposed to 21st-century mathematics tasks, such as applying solutions to real-life situations. Practices like exploring different problem-solving methods are associated with increased confidence in these skills.
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    Key
    Diagram of funding flows - Italy

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    Key
    Country Reviews for Italy

    Note: These values should be interpreted with care since they are influenced by countries' specific contexts and trade-offs. In education, there is often no simple most- or least-efficient model. For instance, the share of private expenditure in education must be read against other measures designed to mitigate inequities, such as loans and grants; longer learning time is an opportunity to convey more and better content to students, but may hinder investments in other important areas. If you want further information on the nature of different variables, please take the time to read the analysis and contextual information, available at the website for each publication.
    All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: http://www.oecd.org/about/membersandpartners/

    Reference years displayed in the Education GPS correspond to the most common year of reference among countries for which data is available on each variable. Data for the latest available year is preferred and some countries may have provided data refering to a more recent or late year. To know more about possible exceptions on data please click on the "Download Indicator" link on each variable. When a year of reference corresponds to a school year encompassing two years, the reference reads as follows: 2018 for school year 2017/2018.

    *TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS averages. Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and Annex 3 of EAG 2021 for more details about the data collections.

    B-S-J-Z (China) refers to the four PISA-participating provinces/municipalities of the People's Republic of China: Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

    For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.