Japanese 15-year-olds may top their international peers in science and math, but when it comes to a sense of satisfaction with their lives, they rank near the bottom, according to a first-ever global assessment of student well-being released Wednesday by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
In the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), Japan ranked No. 42 among 47 participating countries or regions in "students' satisfaction with life," followed by South Korea, Taiwan, Macau, Hong Kong and Turkey.
In the survey, conducted in 2015 alongside triennial assessments of science and mathematics, students were asked to rate their overall life satisfaction on a scale of zero to 10, with 10 the most satisfied.