Post-Pandemic Data Reveals Alarming Reversal: Girls Falling Behind Boys in Math Worldwide
Global Math Gap Widens as Girls Lose Ground
An international study released last week shows that girls are falling behind boys in mathematics at alarming rates, erasing years of progress toward gender equity. The data, from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), reveals that in 2023, fourth-grade boys outperformed girls across the vast majority of countries surveyed, and the gap among eighth-graders has expanded exponentially since 2019.
"In the latest data, we see that the gap is widening again between girls and boys, and that's at the detriment of girls, which is quite concerning," says Matthias Eck, program specialist for UNESCO’s Section of Education for Inclusion and Gender Equality and a report author.
Key Findings From the TIMSS Analysis
The analysis, conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement in partnership with UNESCO, marks the first TIMSS results measuring student performance after the pandemic began. Among top-performing fourth-graders, 85 percent of countries showed results skewed toward boys.
For eighth-grade advanced achievement, slightly over half of the countries and territories recorded a gap favoring boys, while none showed an advantage for girls in either grade. The share of regions where fourth-grade girls fail to reach basic math proficiency is also rising, with most of those regions having a higher proportion of struggling girls.
Background: The Pandemic's Role in Widening Disparities
Prior to the pandemic, data indicated that girls were catching up with boys in math achievement globally. The 2019 TIMSS showed narrowing gaps, giving hope that education systems were becoming more equitable. However, the 2023 data has reversed that trend.
Eck argues the data suggests a correlation between longer school closures and higher rates of learning loss in math. "One of the hypotheses is really that those disruptions during the pandemic may have exacerbated existing disparities and have reduced learning opportunities for girls," he explains.
He adds that being out of school could have impacted girls' confidence in math, though this remains a hypothesis. Researchers are cautious about drawing direct causal links but note the pattern is consistent across many countries.
What This Means for Gender Equity in Education
The findings echo similar trends seen in the United States from the Nation’s Report Card released last year. If this global slide continues, it could undermine years of investment in girls' education and STEM participation.
Education policymakers must urgently address the factors driving this regression, from learning loss during closures to potential disparities in access to technology and support at home. Without targeted interventions, the math gender gap may continue to widen, leaving a generation of girls behind.
Immediate action needed: Schools and governments should prioritize remedial math programs for girls, especially those in low-performing regions, and investigate the role of school reopening strategies in learning recovery.