Math Gender Gap Widens Globally as Girls Fall Behind Post-Pandemic

Overview: A Troubling Reversal in Math Equity

A new international report reveals that the progress girls had been making in mathematics is eroding, with boys pulling significantly ahead in both fourth and eighth grades. The findings, based on data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and analyzed in partnership with UNESCO, show that the gender gap has widened since the pandemic, undoing more than a decade of gains toward equality. Matthias Eck, a program specialist at UNESCO’s Section of Education for Inclusion and Gender Equality, notes that while earlier data indicated girls were catching up, “the latest data shows the gap is widening again, at the detriment of girls, which is quite concerning.”

Key Findings from the TIMSS Data

Fourth Grade: Boys Dominate Across Most Countries

In 2023, fourth-grade boys outperformed their female peers in the vast majority of schools surveyed. Among the top-performing students, 85% of countries showed results skewed toward boys. This trend marks a sharp reversal from pre-pandemic patterns, where the gender gap had been narrowing.

Eighth Grade: Gap Explodes Post-2019

The situation is even more pronounced among eighth-graders. Since 2019, the proportion of countries where boys score higher than girls has increased exponentially. More than half of the participating nations now have an advanced math achievement gap favoring eighth-grade boys, while none show a gap favoring girls in either grade.

The Pandemic’s Role in Widening Disparities

Researchers point to the COVID-19 pandemic as a key factor. The analysis reveals a correlation between longer school closures and greater math learning loss, with girls disproportionately affected. Eck explains one hypothesis: “Disruptions during the pandemic may have exacerbated existing disparities, reducing learning opportunities for girls, especially those already at risk of low achievement. Being out of the learning environment could also have impacted their confidence.”

While the data cannot prove causation, the pattern is consistent across many countries. For example, in regions where schools stayed closed longer, the gender gap in math performance widened more sharply.

Alarming Trends Among Struggling Learners

Beyond the average gap, the report highlights a rise in the share of regions where the gender gap among fourth-grade students failing to reach basic math proficiency is growing. In most of these regions, a higher proportion of girls are stuck at the lowest performance levels. For eighth-graders, although the overall gender gap in underperformance is shrinking, the proportion of countries where girls have a higher failure rate has spiked. This suggests that while some girls are improving, the most vulnerable are falling further behind.

What This Means for the Future

The findings echo those seen in the U.S. from the Nation’s Report Card last year. Researchers urge caution but stress that the data signals a critical need for targeted interventions to support girls’ math learning. As Eck notes, the reversal of previous gains is “quite concerning” and demands immediate attention from educators and policymakers worldwide.

To explore more about the study, return to the overview or dive into the key findings.