This study is the first to leverage whole-of-population linked census-administrative data to examine gender gaps in educational outcomes from early primary school through early adulthood in Australia and to assess the contribution of socioeconomic factors to these gaps.
We find that females outperform males from as early as ages 5–6 across multiple developmental domains, and this advantage persists through university. The gender gap in favour of females is larger among lower-performing students. These findings are robust across population-wide analyses as well as sibling- and twin-based designs. We also find that boys benefit more than girls from growing up in more advantaged families, particularly among academically lower-performing boys. However, this advantage is observed only for outcomes measured in the early years of primary school. By contrast, for outcomes measured at the tertiary level, most indicators of socioeconomic advantage confer stronger benefits to females, especially among individuals at the lower end of the educational attainment distribution. Finally, we identify gender differences across siblings in school sector choice and early childhood health conditions, both favouring females, as potential mechanisms underlying these patterns.
This study demonstrates that gender differences in various socioeconomic factors help explain observed gaps in educational outcomes, including the reversal of their effects over an extended and critical developmental period. These findings improve our understanding of gender-based developmental disparities and provide evidence to guide interventions aimed at promoting better outcomes for both genders.