Global Math Gender Gap Widens: Girls' Post-Pandemic Recovery Lags Behind Boys

A Disturbing Reversal in Math Equity

Global math performance data has taken a troubling turn. According to the latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), released in partnership with UNESCO, the gender gap in mathematics achievement is widening once again after years of progress toward equity. Girls are now underperforming compared to boys at both the fourth- and eighth-grade levels, rolling back hard-won gains that had been shaping up for more than a decade.

A Decade of Progress Reversed

For over a decade, data suggested that girls were catching up to boys in math. However, the 2023 TIMSS results paint a starkly different picture. Among fourth-graders, boys outperformed girls in a vast majority of participating countries and territories. The margin has grown since the last assessment before the pandemic. For eighth-graders, the rate of boys scoring higher than girls has increased exponentially since 2019. Matthias Eck, a program specialist at UNESCO’s Section of Education for Inclusion and Gender Equality, calls the trend “quite concerning.” He notes that prior data showed girls were making gains, but the latest information indicates a reversal.

Fourth-Grade Findings: Widespread Disparities

Among top-performing fourth-graders, 85 percent of countries and territories had results skewed toward boys. Additionally, the share of regions with a gender gap among fourth-grade students failing to reach basic math proficiency is on the rise. In most of these areas, a higher proportion of struggling learners are girls. This suggests that the pandemic may have hit the most vulnerable female students hardest, widening the gap at both ends of the achievement spectrum.

Eighth-Grade Outcomes: Advanced Gaps and Spiking Failure

For eighth-graders, over half of the countries and territories have an advanced math achievement gap that favors boys, while none favor girls. Although the gender gap in underperformance among eighth-graders is narrowing slightly, the proportion of regions where girls have a higher failure rate has spiked. Researchers are cautious about overinterpreting this trend, but it clearly indicates girls continue to face significant challenges at higher grade levels.

The Pandemic’s Role in Exacerbating Inequalities

Eck argues the data shows a correlation between longer school closures and higher rates of learning loss in math, with some variation among countries and territories. “One of the hypotheses is really that those disruptions during the pandemic may have exacerbated existing disparities and have reduced learning opportunities for girls, and potentially those that were at risk of low achievement have been more affected,” he says. The absence from structured learning environments could have impacted girls’ confidence in math, though Eck emphasizes this remains a hypothesis.

Echoes in the United States

This international trend mirrors what U.S. analysts observed when data from the Nation’s Report Card was released last year. Similar widening gender gaps in math were reported, reinforcing the global nature of the issue.

Looking Ahead: Urgent Action Needed

Researchers urge caution but stress the need for targeted interventions to support girls’ math learning post-pandemic. Efforts might include extended learning time, targeted tutoring, and confidence-building programs. The data serves as a wake-up call for education systems worldwide to ensure that progress toward gender equity in math does not slip further.

Key takeaways from the TIMSS analysis:

• Fourth-grade boys outperformed girls in a vast majority of countries, widening the pre-pandemic gap.
• Eighth-grade gender gaps in advanced achievement have increased since 2019.
• More regions now show a higher proportion of girls failing to reach basic math proficiency.
• School closures during the pandemic are correlated with learning loss, with girls likely more affected.

For more details, explore the fourth-grade findings and eighth-grade outcomes sections above.