The confidence gap: 22% of girls rarely feel confident, compared with 14% of boys

Girls are more likely than boys to report happiness at school, but a nationwide survey found they score lower on confidence, calmness and motivation. The report also recorded higher levels of anxiety and frustration among girls, raising questions about how schools understand and address students' emotional well-being beyond academic performance.

In Short

• 62% of girls often or always feel happy at school, compared with 58% of boys
• Only 52% of girls often or always feel confident, against 64% of boys surveyed
• Frequent anxiety affects 33% of girls, compared with 23% of boys in the survey

Girls may be more likely than boys to say they are happy at school. But when it comes to confidence, motivation and feeling calm, the picture changes sharply. A nationwide student survey has found that girls report a less positive experience across several measures of emotional well-being, even as they report slightly higher school happiness.

The 2025-26 Student Well-being Pulse Report, published by the IC3 Institute in collaboration with the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), surveyed 8,515 students and found clear differences between boys and girls.

Around 62% of girls said they often or always felt happy at school, compared with 58% of boys. However, only 52% of girls often or always felt confident, against 64% of boys. At the other end, 22% of girls rarely or never felt confident, compared with 14% of boys.

THE GAP EXTENDS TO CALMNESS AND MOTIVATION

Confidence was not the only area where girls reported lower scores. The survey found that 42% of girls often or always felt calm and relaxed, compared with 53% of boys. Meanwhile, 28% of girls rarely or never felt calm, against 22% of boys.

Motivation showed a similar difference. Around 55% of girls often or always felt motivated to do things, while the figure for boys stood at 61%.

The contrast is worth examining. A student may enjoy being at school and still struggle with self-confidence, motivation or a sense of emotional ease.

GIRLS REPORT MORE ANXIETY AND FRUSTRATION

The differences were also visible in negative emotions. The report found that 33% of girls often or always felt anxious, compared with 23% of boys. Frequent frustration was reported by 36% of girls, against 28% of boys.

Girls were also more likely to report low energy and sadness, according to the report.

These figures reflect students' self-reported experiences. They do not establish why the differences exist. Social expectations, academic pressure and other factors may warrant further investigation, but the survey does not identify a specific cause.

HAPPINESS IS NOT THE WHOLE PICTURE

The findings show why student well-being cannot be measured through school happiness alone. Enjoying the school environment does not automatically mean a student feels confident, motivated or emotionally settled.

For schools, the results underline the need to look beyond marks, attendance and general satisfaction. Understanding how students feel about themselves, their abilities and their daily experiences is also an important part of supporting them.

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