What Is the Most Disliked Subject in School? Data, Reasons, and Fixes

If you ask a mixed classroom in almost any country which subject they dread, the same word pops up more than any other: math. Not in every school, not for every age, but across big surveys and international assessments, mathematics sits at the top of the “least liked” pile. That doesn’t mean math is bad or impossible-just that the way we experience it often makes it feel hard, abstract, and high-pressure. So if you’re here for a straight answer and a path forward, you’re in the right place.

• Most common answer across countries: math is the most disliked subject, especially from middle school onward.
• Why: cumulative gaps, abstract symbols, high-stakes tests, and math anxiety-not lack of ability.
• It varies: some regions report foreign languages or physics as close rivals, and younger kids often name handwriting/spelling.
• Fixes work: small, steady wins (retrieval practice, backfilling basics, low-stakes quizzes) reduce anxiety and lift scores.

So, what is the most disliked subject?

The short version: mathematics. Multiple large data sources keep pointing to the same place. The OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA 2022, reported in 2023) shows mathematics anxiety outpacing anxiety in reading or science across most participating systems. The IEA’s TIMSS studies (notably 2019 and the subsequent cycle) find a smaller share of students saying they “like learning mathematics” compared with science at both Grade 4 and Grade 8. National polls echo it: UK YouGov polls over the last decade, U.S. classroom surveys, and similar snapshots in India and Australia regularly place math at or near the top of “least favorite” lists.

Two clarifiers matter:

• Age matters. In early primary years, kids often complain about handwriting, spelling, or phonics drills. From about Grade 6 onward, math takes the crown.
• Place matters. In some European countries, foreign languages or physics sometimes challenge math for the top spot, but math still shows the widest and most consistent dislike pattern globally.

Why this consensus? Math is the only subject where a small early gap grows into a canyon. Miss fractions, and algebra hurts. Miss algebra, and calculus feels impossible. That staircase effect, paired with timed tests, makes math feel like a public scoreboard of your brain. No wonder students label it the most hated school subject-not because it’s universally awful, but because it exposes gaps more visibly than most subjects.

Does that settle it for 2025? Yes-the mix of international reports and national polls hasn’t flipped. If anything, post-pandemic learning loss made math feel tougher for more students, which you see in teacher reports and assessment trends.

Why math gets so much hate (and what the research says)

Math’s reputation isn’t just about difficulty. It’s a cocktail of how the subject builds, how we assess it, and how our brains react under pressure.

1) Cumulative knowledge meets the “staircase effect”

Math is cumulative. If multiplication facts are shaky, fractions wobble. If fractions wobble, proportional reasoning collapses. Algebra needs all of that. By contrast, a missing week in history is painful but fixable. This compounding nature makes math gaps feel personal and permanent.

2) Abstraction without anchors

Algebraic symbols and formal proofs are useful, but without concrete anchors, they float. Students who haven’t seen why a formula matters call it “random letters.” When teachers start with context, manipulatives, or visuals and then shift to symbols, engagement rises. This matches years of cognitive science: we learn concepts best when we move from concrete to representational to abstract.

3) High-stakes, timed assessment

Because math answers are usually right-or-wrong and many tests are timed, students treat each quiz like a verdict. The stress response (racing heart, blanking, second-guessing) makes recall worse in the moment-a classic anxiety loop. OECD reporting has highlighted mathematics anxiety for a decade, and research on test anxiety shows it reliably suppresses performance during pressure.

4) Identity and stereotypes

“I’m not a math person” sounds harmless, but it wires a fixed identity. Stereotypes (gender, background, or language) also nudge confidence. PISA and national studies often find girls report higher math anxiety despite similar performance when instruction and opportunity are equal. Beliefs are not ability, but they drive effort and help-seeking.

5) Teaching to procedures without meaning

Procedures matter, but when students can crank out steps without understanding why, the whole thing feels like an arbitrary game. Meta-analyses (e.g., work summarized by the Education Endowment Foundation and “Visible Learning” syntheses) point to strong effects from strategies like spaced practice, feedback, and explicit teaching of concepts-approaches that blend fluency with understanding.

6) Weak feedback loops

In writing, you draft, get comments, and revise. In math, students often see a score and move on. Without fast, targeted feedback, small errors harden into habits. Quick cycles-attempt, feedback, re-try-are where confidence grows.

Put those together and you get a subject that feels like a weekly public appraisal of your intelligence. Remove the time pressure, repair the staircase, and add meaning, and the disliking drops fast.

Make the “most disliked” subject painless: a simple plan that works

You don’t need to love math to stop hating it. You just need a repeatable way to shrink gaps and calm the noise in your head. Here’s a practical plan I use with students-and with myself when I’m rusty. I even bribed my dog Charlie with kibble to demo fractions. It worked for him; it’ll work for you.

Step-by-step: from dread to doable

1. Diagnose, don’t guess. Spend 20 minutes on a short, mixed-skill check. Include: times tables, fractions (add/sub/multiply/divide), ratio/proportion, basic equations, and word problems. Circle what felt slow or confusing. That’s your repair list.
2. Backfill one rung at a time. For each weak skill, do this loop three days in a row: 5 quick examples, check immediately, then redo only the ones you missed. Stop at 10-15 minutes. Momentum beats marathons.
3. Use the “Say it, show it, symbol it” rule. First, explain a problem in plain words (say it). Then draw or use objects (show it). Finally, write the math (symbol it). This bridges meaning to methods.
4. Retrieval beats re-reading. Close the book, set a 3-minute timer, and write everything you remember about today’s topic on a blank page. Then check what you forgot. This builds memory faster than reading notes again.
5. Interleave, don’t cram. Mix problem types: two fraction questions, one equation, one percent, repeat. That small mix trains you to pick the right strategy instead of applying the last one you saw.
6. Lower the stakes before the test. Do a “dress rehearsal” two days prior: one short, timed set in test-like conditions. Debrief mistakes the same day. No heavy lifting the night before; do light recall only.
7. Make mistakes cheap and useful. Keep an error log: problem, what you did, why it failed, and the new rule. Review it for two minutes before practice. Students who do this see faster score jumps than those who just do more problems.
8. Glue the habit to something you already do. After dinner, 12 minutes of math. Or right after practice, before you open social. Tiny, predictable, done.

Rules of thumb you can trust

• The 3×20 rule: Twenty focused minutes, three times a week, beats a two-hour Sunday surge.
• 30/70 split: Spend 30% on new ideas, 70% on retrieval of old ones. Durable beats novel.
• Two representations per idea: Every new concept should appear as words or pictures before it becomes symbols.
• One point of friction: If you’re stuck in two places at once, you’re practicing frustration, not math. Drop the level until you’re stuck in exactly one place.

Quick checklists

Students

• Pick a 12-20 minute slot and protect it like a meeting.
• Start practice by rewriting one error from your log.
• Stop the clock when your focus drops-don’t grind for the badge.
• Use “explain it to a fifth-grader” language before you write symbols.

Parents

• Ask “Which step was unclear?” instead of “Why didn’t you get it?”
• Swap calculators for whiteboards-big writing, big thinking.
• Celebrate “good errors” that reveal thinking, not just right answers.
• Pair math with something pleasant (snack, music without lyrics).

Teachers/tutors

• Warm-ups: two review tasks that target last week’s errors.
• Model concrete → representational → abstract in one short arc.
• Exit tickets as feedback generators, not grades.
• Give worked examples with one blank step for students to fill.

Data, comparisons, and quick answers

Here’s a concise snapshot of what large-scale sources and polls actually measured, and how they point to math as the top dislike in many places.

Is it universal? Not quite.

Patterns vary. In parts of Europe, foreign languages draw more groans than math. In STEM-heavy schools, physics can edge out math on the dislike scale due to abstract content and lab math. In early years, handwriting drills win the “ugh” award. But if you had to pick one subject that most often shows up as least liked worldwide, it’s still math-particularly by Grades 6-10.

“Is math actually harder?”

Harder isn’t the best word. Math is more unforgiving of gaps. Reading lets you infer around a missing word; math punishes a missing pre-skill immediately. That’s why steady backfilling changes the entire experience. Ability isn’t fixed; gaps are fixable.

“What about science, languages, or history?”

• Science: Often more liked than math in surveys, especially at Grade 4. Physics can become a pain point in upper grades.
• Foreign languages: Frequently a runner-up in dislike due to memorization and speaking anxiety.
• History: Dislike rises when it’s all dates and no stories; it improves with narrative and debate.
• English/reading: Usually not the top “least liked,” but grammar drills get complaints.

“Does dislike mean I’ll do poorly?”

No. Plenty of students start out hating math and end up doing fine once gaps shrink and the pressure drops. Confidence usually trails success by a couple of weeks. Keep the cycles short and winnable, and the emotions catch up.

“Can technology help?”

Yes, if it reduces friction, not attention. Good tools offer immediate feedback, adaptive practice, and error targeting. If an app feels like endless multiple choice without explanations, it won’t change the story. If it shows worked examples, provides hints, and lets you redo errors right away, it’s useful.

“What does the research suggest we do?”

Across syntheses and trials you see the same winners: spaced practice, retrieval practice, explicit instruction with worked examples, responsive feedback, and low-stakes quizzing. These are the boring, proven levers that move both scores and feelings.

Next steps and troubleshooting

If you’re a student who feels stuck

• Pick one weak skill (fractions or linear equations) and give it 20 minutes a day for three days. Then switch skills.
• Before starting, write one sentence: “Today I’m practicing choosing the right method.” It keeps your brain on decisions, not shame.
• Use a timer and stop while you still have gas. Ending on a win beats pushing to frustration.

If you’re a parent watching the struggle

• Ask your child to teach you a problem with household objects. Or use snacks. Charlie learns fractions with dog treats; your kitchen works too.
• Request from the teacher two specific prerequisite topics to shore up. Then stick to those for a week.
• Make praise about process: “You tried two methods and checked your work.”

If you’re a teacher under pressure

• Start units with a 5-question prerequisite check. Group students by the one skill they need most and run 10-minute clinics.
• Swap a single long test for two short, low-stakes quizzes and one retake window.
• Post one good error each lesson. Discuss why it’s tempting and how to fix it.

Last thought: the subject we call the “most disliked” is also the one where tiny, reliable habits pay off fastest. You don’t need a personality transplant. You need a staircase with smaller steps, a quieter timer, and a feedback loop that helps rather than judges. Do that, and math stops being a wall and starts being a set of tools you can use-which is the whole point.