It’s not just children: Why adults are also struggling with maths, reasoning and problem-solving

The decline in educational performance is not confined to schoolchildren, with evidence suggesting that adults in high-income countries are also losing ground in numeracy, reasoning and problem-solving. In a report the Financial Times, citing OECD data, highlighted a broader deterioration in cognitive performance that predates the Covid-19 pandemic.

The latest PISA results, cited by the FT report, show a sharp decline in average performance among 15-year-olds across OECD countries. The FT’s charts show average reading scores falling to about 466 in 2025, from around 500 in the early 2010s, while mathematics declined to about 470 from roughly 502. Science scores have also weakened, falling from around 505 to about 486.

The deterioration is significant because it cannot be explained solely by pandemic-related disruption. According to the FT, scores in all three subjects generally peaked around 2012, with several countries recording larger declines between 2012 and 2018 than during the Covid-affected years.

Adults are showing similar weaknesses

The same pattern is emerging among adults. The OECD’s latest assessment of adult skills found declines in reasoning and problem-solving across age groups, suggesting that weakening performance is not simply a consequence of younger generations having experienced disrupted schooling.

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One particularly striking finding cited by the FT is that 25% of adults in high-income countries are unable to use mathematical reasoning when reviewing and evaluating the validity of statements. In the US, the proportion rises to 35%.

Difficulty concentrating is also rising

The trend also appears to extend to people’s ability to concentrate and learn. The FT points to the long-running Monitoring the Future study, which has surveyed 18-year-olds since the 1980s. While the proportion reporting difficulty thinking, concentrating or learning new things remained broadly stable through the 1990s and 2000s, it began rising rapidly in the mid-2010s.

The timing is notable because it coincides with a fundamental change in how people consume information. The FT argues that the issue may be broader than declining reading habits, pointing instead to a shift from deliberate engagement with information towards passive consumption, infinite feeds, notifications and constant context-switching.

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Digital media may be changing how we think

Research suggests that active and intentional use of digital technology can be benign or beneficial, while some newer patterns of use can affect attention, working memory and self-regulation.

The decline in reading is nevertheless part of the picture. The FT notes that in 2022, fewer than half of Americans reported having read a book during the previous year. But the simultaneous deterioration in numeracy and problem-solving suggests that the underlying issue may be a broader erosion of the capacity for sustained mental focus.

England stands out from the decline

The international PISA comparison also contains an important exception. The FT’s chart shows England bucking the broader decline, with its 2025 scores remaining comparatively strong across reading, mathematics and science, while Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have followed downward trends.

The findings do not necessarily mean that underlying human intelligence has diminished. Rather, the FT argues that while intellectual capacity may remain intact, the modern information environment could be making it increasingly difficult for people to focus, reason and effectively apply what they know.

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