The Royal Economic Society (RES) has welcomed a 5.5% rise in entries to Economics A-level in 2025, compared with a 0.5% decrease across all subjects. The growth also outpaced the 1.5% increase in all STEM subjects and contrasts with the 1.8% fall in SHAPE subjects (Social Sciences, Humanities, and the Arts for People and the Economy).
Economics is now the eighth most popular A-level in England and the tenth in the UK, with entries up 36% since 2020. In England alone, there were 41,507 entries in 2025—under 250 fewer entries than sociology, business studies, and physics, putting the subject on the verge of overtaking them. However the gender gap remains significant, with only 30% of entries from female students, a proportion largely unchanged since 2010.
Professor Imran Rasul, President of the Royal Economic Society, said:
“I am delighted to see a strong increase in A-level entries in Economics, placing the subject in the 10 most popular choices in the UK. Through its Discover Economics campaign and other initiatives, the Royal Economic Society is working hard to attract and retain those from all backgrounds in the discipline.”
Professor Arun Advani, Co-Chair of the Discover Economics campaign, said:
“It is great to see Economics continuing to rise in popularity. However, many students study in schools or colleges with no access to Economics A-level. Unless the Government works to train more economics teachers, Economics as a discipline will continue to draw from a narrower talent pool than it should, and too many students will miss out on a subject that opens so many doors.”
Currently only 53% of state schools offer A-level Economics, compared with 90% of selective schools and 82% of private schools. We welcome a new initiative[1] from the Bank of England offering a teacher training programme to increase access to Economics in state schools.
[1] https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/news/2025/april/boe-teams-up-with-the-university-of-manchester-to-improve-access-to-economics-in-schools