Malta has ranked 35th in mathematics and 36th in science out of 58 countries that took part in an international assessment of 10-year-old pupils.
But while the island ranks at the lower end of the scale, there have been improvements in both subjects since it last took part in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).
Students in year 5 were assessed in 2019 by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA).
The average score for maths in Malta was 509, which is 13 points higher than when it last took part in the study in 2011. For science, the average score was 496, compared with 446 in the last assessment.