27.08.2025
SWR Aktuell: Gender gap in financial education
Study by the University of Tübingen warns of poverty in old age
von Philipp Sigle
Why are older women more likely to be affected by poverty than men? A recent study by the University of Tübingen sees one reason for this in school: girls often know less about money and financial matters than boys of the same age. The results of the study received widespread media coverage, with both SWR Aktuell and Tagesschau picking up on the topic.
For the study, the team led by Prof. Dr. Taiga Brahm, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences and member of the LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, surveyed around 2,000 tenth-grade students at 92 high schools, secondary schools, and comprehensive schools in Baden-Württemberg. The result: boys are more interested in economic and financial topics and perform better in knowledge tests.
“Men base their career choices more on financial criteria and are more likely to invest in stocks and retirement plans over the course of their lives. This reinforces the differences in income and wealth,” Brahm explained to SWR Aktuell. Among other things, the study identified clichés in school textbooks as a cause: economic examples are often male-dominated, with female entrepreneurs hardly ever appearing. The research team therefore recommends revising educational materials and avoiding stereotypical representations.
To close the gap, the scientists advise specifically promoting girls' interest in economics classes: “Successfully solving economic problems strengthens self-confidence in financial matters,” says co-author and LEAD member Luis Oberrauch from the Technical University of Kaiserslautern-Landau.
To the Tagesschau article
To the SWR Aktuell article
Media Contact
Rebecca Beiter
presse@lead.uni-tuebingen.de