"More Than 7 Years Behind China"... The Shocking Reality Facing the U.S.

The biggest weakness facing the U.S. in the tech hegemony competition between the U.S. and China is neither semiconductors nor artificial intelligence, but "education," according to reports.

When comparing the math scores of 15-year-old students, the gap between participating regions in China and the U.S. widened to as much as 149 points.

The Wall Street Journal analyzed that converting this gap into learning time equates to a staggering difference of over 7 years.

In the recently released Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025, the average math score for four participating regions in China—Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang—was 612, the highest among all participating countries and economies.

On the other hand, the U.S. stalled at 463 points.

The gap is showing a trend of widening further.

Compared to 2018, the math score for participating regions in China rose by 21 points from 591 to 612, while the U.S. dropped by 15 points from 478 to 463.

The Wall Street Journal added that China's margin of increase corresponds to about one year of learning progress, while the U.S. decline equates to a regression of about nine months.

The gap was even more pronounced among top-tier students.

Students falling into Levels 5 and 6, the highest proficiency levels in math, accounted for over 50%—54%—in participating regions of China, compared to a mere 8% in the U.S.

In science as well, participating regions in China recorded the highest average at 597 points, while the U.S. scored 502 points.

The Wall Street Journal pointed out that the reason U.S. companies look for highly skilled talent overseas is also because American schools fail to produce enough students equipped with advanced mathematical and engineering capabilities.

While the U.S. has poured massive funds into cutting-edge industries like semiconductors and batteries in response to technological competition with China, the point is that educational competitiveness to foster future tech talent is just as important as industrial policy.

South Korea's scores were lower than those of the participating regions in China, but higher than the U.S.

In math, South Korea scored 522 points, which was 90 points lower than the participating regions in China, but 59 points higher than the U.S.

In science too, South Korea scored 526 points, lower than the 597 points of participating regions in China, but surpassing the U.S. score of 502.

The Wall Street Journal noted that the educational issue cannot be solved simply by pouring in more budget, pointing out that the fundamental task the U.S. must solve in its technological competition with China lies inside the classroom.

(Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Kim Na-on | Graphics by Lee Jung-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.