📝 PISA Education Score in Georgia

PISA Education Results in Georgia

Georgia achieved an average score of 399 points in the 2022 PISA assessment, placing it significantly below the OECD average of 489 points. These results reveal structural weaknesses in the education system but also show measurable upward progress since the country's first participation in 2009.

PISA Methodology and Responsibilities

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) conducted by the OECD tests the competencies of 15-year-olds in mathematics, science, and reading comprehension every three years. In Georgia, the National Assessment and Examination Center (NAEC) coordinates test administration, school selection, and translation of tasks into Georgian. In the 2022 PISA cycle, approximately 6,000 Georgian students from around 260 schools participated. The overall score of 399 comprises results from all three domains, with mathematics traditionally the weakest field. Georgia has participated in PISA since 2009 — the mathematics score then was 374 points, representing an improvement of roughly 25 points over 13 years.

Development Since First Participation

The upward trend from 374 (2009) to 399 (2022) sounds modest but is by no means atypical internationally: education systems respond slowly to reforms, and changes in teacher training or curricula often require a decade before becoming visible in test results. Between individual PISA cycles there were fluctuations — in PISA 2015 the score dipped slightly before rising again in 2018 and 2022. The OECD classifies Georgia as a country with "steady but slow progress." The NAEC publishes a detailed national report after each cycle, breaking down results by region, school type, and socioeconomic background.

Causes of Below-Average Performance

Several structural factors explain Georgia's position below the OECD average. First: outdated teaching methods. Georgian instruction was heavily textbook-centered and focused on rote learning until the curriculum reform of 2011 — a legacy of the Soviet education model. Critical thinking, problem-solving, and applied tasks, as tested by PISA, were barely trained systematically. Second: underfunding. Education expenditure lies significantly below the EU average, manifesting in outdated equipment, large class sizes, and low teacher salaries. Third: shortage of STEM teachers. Mathematics and science in particular suffer from a lack of qualified teachers, as salaries in education fall well below the private sector — especially in Tbilisi, where living costs are higher.

Regional Differences: Urban-Rural Divide

PISA data reveal a marked urban-rural divide in Georgia. Students in Tbilisi score on average roughly 30 PISA points above the national average. Batumi and Kutaisi also sit slightly above the national mean, while rural regions like Kakheti, Imereti (outside Kutaisi), and the mountain areas sometimes score considerably lower. The causes are multifaceted: Tbilisi concentrates better-equipped schools, more experienced teachers, and a broader tutoring market. In rural areas, science labs, internet access for digital learning materials, and sufficiently qualified teachers are frequently absent. The Georgian Centre for Strategy and Development calculated in 2023 that in Racha-Lechkhumi, one physics teacher serves an average of 340 students — in Tbilisi, the ratio is 1:120.

Reform Measures and Current Initiatives

Georgia has launched several reform waves since 2011 to raise education quality. The National Curriculum Framework replaced the rigid Soviet syllabus with a competency-oriented approach featuring more room for project work and critical thinking. Teacher Professional Development Centres (TPDC) have been established in all regions to train teachers in modern pedagogical methods — by 2024, over 40,000 teachers had completed at least one TPDC program. Since 2019, the Ministry of Education has cooperated with the World Bank under the "I2Q" (Innovation, Inclusion and Quality) program, which modernizes teacher training, digital infrastructure, and school administration with 90 million USD. Additionally, mandatory supplementary mathematics instruction for underperforming ninth graders was introduced in 2020, running in 450 schools nationwide.

Comparison with English-Speaking Countries

Compared to the United States (PISA 2022 average approximately 489), the United Kingdom (494), Canada (497), and Australia (487), Georgia trails significantly in all three PISA domains. These countries benefit from decades of established educational infrastructure, higher education expenditure, and strong traditions of science education. For families from English-speaking countries considering a move to Georgia, this means concretely: children schooled in Western systems typically bring an academic head start, particularly in mathematics and science. International schools in Tbilisi — such as QSI International School or the British-Georgian Academy — offer curricula at international standards but cost between 15,000 and 30,000 GEL per year. Georgian private schools with enhanced STEM focus are a more affordable alternative (5,000 to 12,000 GEL) and achieve significantly better results in national examinations than the average.

Outlook and Relevance for Expats

The Georgian government has set the declared goal of reaching the OECD average in at least one PISA domain by 2030. Whether this is realistic remains open — the current progress of roughly two points per year would need to quadruple. For expats with school-age children, a differentiated view pays off: the best schools in Tbilisi and Batumi deliver education quality that can compete with average schools in Western countries. The individual school choice matters, not the national average.

This article was created on April 19, 2026