The contribution of maths to the UK

Mathematics education

Schools

In July 2014, Maths Hubs were launched across England by the Coalition Government. The current network of 40 Maths Hubs supports all state-funded schools and colleges to improve maths education. It is coordinated by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics.

In summer 2024, 73% of pupils at the end of primary education in England (key stage two) met the government’s expected standard in maths – the same proportion as in the previous year. However, pupils who were eligible for pupil premium funding (disadvantaged pupils) were less likely to meet the expected standard (59%) than their non-disadvantaged peers (79%).

At GCSE level, in summer 2024, 65% of all pupils achieved a standard pass (grade 4 or above) in English and Maths. Again, disadvantaged pupils were less likely to meet this threshold (43%) than their non-disadvantaged peers (73%).

Further education

Maths has been the most popular A Level subject for several years. In summer 2024, there were around 100,000 entries for A Level maths and just over 17,000 for further maths in England, across all types of schools and colleges. Entries in maths A Level made up 12.2% of all A Level entries (11.3% in 2023). Both maths and further maths are majority male entry subjects – only 37% of maths A Level entries, and 27% of further maths entries were from females.

Government policy in England requires full-time students aged 16 to 18 who have not achieved grade 4 or higher in GCSE Mathematics to continue studying the subject. This is a condition of school and college funding for students aged 16 to 19. As an alternative to resitting GCSE maths, or alongside an apprenticeship, some pupils will take a functional maths qualification, which aims to teach the numeracy skills needed in daily life and the workplace.

The advanced mathematics support programme (AMSP) provides resources and support to improve the teaching of post-16 maths and increase participation among under-represented groups, especially female pupils.

Since the 2024/25 academic year, there has been a core maths premium of £900 to support participation in programmes with core mathematics qualifications. Schools and colleges may also receive the advanced maths premium for students undertaking an A Level in maths or other eligible level 3 qualification.

The Multiply programme was a £560 million initiative that ran from 2022 to 2025. It offered free numeracy courses to adults over the age of 19 who didn’t have a grade four or above in GCSE maths. Its aim was to improve functional maths skills for daily life, home, and work. The programme officially closed on 31 March 2025

Higher education

A report on maths in UK higher education, published in 2024 for the London Mathematical Society (PDF), found:

• The proportion of total first-year first-degree enrolments in maths fell from 34 in every 1,000 full-time equivalent first-degree students in 2012/13 to 29 in every 1,000 by 2021/22.

• There has been a “striking shift” of maths first-degree first-year enrolments towards high tariff universities, which require a high number of UCAS points for entry, and away from low and medium tariff institutions. In 2021/22, 58% of maths first-year undergraduate enrolments were in the research-intensive Russell Group universities. This contrasts with the distribution of students across all subjects, where the majority are in post-1992 universities.

• Relative to the overall higher education market, maths students are more likely to be men, of Chinese and Indian ethnicity, younger in age, and from advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds.

Higher education providers are independent, autonomous institutions free to determine which courses they run and how they are taught. In 2023/24, there were just over 45,000 students enrolled on mathematical sciences courses in the UK. There were a further 436,000 students enrolled on courses related to maths, including computing (192,140), engineering and technology (179,015), and physical sciences (65,100).

Higher education students training to be teachers in England can choose to specialise in maths teaching, which may make them eligible for bursaries and scholarships in addition to the standard student support available. For 2025 to 2026, the Department for Education is offering:

• A bursary of £29,000 or scholarship of £31,000 for postgraduate courses in maths. Scholarships have additional benefits and are awarded based on merit.
• A bursary of £9,000 for undergraduate courses in secondary maths.

UKRI’s Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council funding is between £25-30million.

Campaigning and commentary on mathematics

Value of maths to the UK economy

In October 2024, the Academy of Mathematical Sciences estimated that mathematical sciences contributed £495 billion to the UK economy in 2023—about 20% of the total UK Gross Value Added (GVA).

Campaign for Mathematical Sciences

The Campaign for Mathematical Sciences (CaMS), which is managed by the London Mathematical Society, “aims to advance the mathematical sciences for discovery, innovation and the economy… by supporting engagement and providing specialist advice in maths policy.” The campaign has argued that advanced maths skills boost productivity and command a significant wage premium. It has called for the government to adopt a five-step plan to maximise the value maths skills bring to the UK:

• Create a National Mathematics Strategy to boost UK leadership across teaching, research, and innovation.
• Increase mathematical sciences research funding to support early/mid-career researchers and grow the talent pipeline.
• Support universities to prioritise maths teaching, preventing course closures and ensuring widespread provision.
• Invest in recruiting and retaining maths teachers, making it a top priority in the government’s strategy to recruit 6,500 new teachers.
• Foster academia-industry collaboration to accelerate R&D and maximize the UK’s mathematical potential.

In June 2025, CaMS highlights the contribution that mathematical sciences research is currently making to innovations in artificial intelligence, cyber security, and defence (PDF).