Almost six in ten people have poor maths skills, with women faring worse than men, according to the biggest study of its kind.
The report, involving assessments of 10,000 Britons, found 58 per cent have ‘low’ or ‘very low’ maths competency.
Among female respondents, the proportion was higher, at 65 per cent – while for males it was just 50 per cent.
And 27 per cent of women scored ‘very low’ in number competency, compared with 16 per cent of men.
Researchers said the figures suggest some women may feel less confident helping with homework, thus passing on ‘maths anxiety’ on to their children.
Only 40 per cent of women said they enjoy using numbers, compared with 60 per cent of men.
And just 69 per cent of mothers said they are confident in helping their children with maths homework, against 83 per cent of fathers.
The study was carried out for The Richmond Project, set up by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty after they left Downing Street.
Almost six in ten people have poor maths skills, with women faring worse than men, according to the biggest study of its kind (Pictured: Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty discussing the study, produced for their charity, on BBC Breakfast this morning)
The report, involving assessments of 10,000 Britons, found 58 per cent have ‘low’ or ‘very low’ maths competency
The study was carried out for The Richmond Project, set up by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (pictured) and his wife Akshata Murty
Mr Sunak said: ‘Confidence with numbers is a gateway skill.
‘It affects what jobs people apply for, what training they take on and how they manage their finances. When large parts of the country feel locked out of numeracy, opportunity narrows.’
His wife added: ‘So many women told us they freeze when faced with numbers. That fear can shape everyday decisions, and it can also shape what children pick up at home.
‘Building confidence with numbers is not about turning everyone into a mathematician. It’s about people feeling more able to take control of their lives and pass on a sense that opportunities are open to them.’
The research, conducted by Public First in partnership with the Policy Institute at King’s College London and Purposeful Ventures, also found many people may be overestimating their maths skills.
Despite only 42 per cent of respondents scoring well for maths, 60 per cent said they thought they had good maths skills.
The tendency to overestimate was greater among some groups than others.
Those aged 18 to 24 showed the smallest gap, at 11 per cent, while among people aged 65 and over the competence gap reached 23 per cent.
Maths competence was established using numeracy questions, combined with any maths-relevant GCSE and A-level qualifications.
The research showed maths confidence and abilities differed by region and socioeconomic status.
While 87 per cent of parents in higher social grades felt confident giving homework help, this fell to 62 per cent of lower social grade parents.
When asked for the reason for their lack of confidence, parents most commonly said they felt methods taught today were different from what they learned in school – selected by 29 per cent of parents.
This was followed by a concern about teaching their child ‘the wrong way’.
The research also found girls become less confident and less able in maths from the age of eight.
It found 51 per cent of boys aged four to eight thought maths was ‘easy’ compared with 41 per cent of girls.
This gap widened over time: 86 per cent of boys aged 9 to 18 said they were confident at maths compared with 63 per cent of girls.
Ms Murty told the Sunday Times: ‘Our survey has shown, if they are parents, women tend to struggle more with helping children with their maths homework compared to men. And so that goes on and on.
‘There is this anxiety that women feel more so than men. I’m not saying men don’t feel it at all, but women tend to feel it more and that translates intergenerationally. If a young girl sees her mother feeling anxious then she subconsciously buys into that anxiety. So I think that’s how that cycle goes on and on.’
Ms Murty, a venture capitalist and former fashion designer, said she tried to make numeracy a part of everyday life with her two teenage daughters, from cooking to puzzles, and encourages other parents to do the same.
She said: ‘We are really passionate about saying use numbers in your day-to-day life, whether that is your weekly shop, cooking and recipes, figuring out train timetables, bus timetables, thinking of splitting a bill.’
The study, named after Sunak’s North Yorkshire constituency, involved respondents aged four to 80.
Today, the charity announced more than £500,000 in grants to two organisations addressing the early barriers to number confidence and skills: Rethink Maths and Learning With Parents.
