The 2025 Year 12 Physics Participation Report Card, released today by the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI) and the Australian Institute of Physics (AIP), reveals a long-term decline in secondary school physics participation across Australia, and persistent gender gaps.

Key findings:

1. The proportion of students studying physics at Year 12 level has dropped to 12.1%, the lowest level recorded. 
2. Male and female participation in physics have both declined.  Over the period 2015 – 2023, male participation declined from 23.5% to 18.9%, while female participation declined from 7.0% to just 5.8%.
3. No progress has been made in closing gender gaps. One quarter of Year 12 physics students are female, a ratio which has remained unchanged for many years.

These concerning trends mirror patterns observed in Year 12 advanced-level mathematics, which is of foundational importance for the physical sciences.

Physics underpins occupations as diverse as engineering, defence, finance, healthcare and advanced computing, and helps develop critical analytical and problem-solving skills. The ongoing decline in Year 12 physics participation is expected to exacerbate skills shortages in areas essential for Australia’s economy.

Media release: https://www.aip.org.au/resources/Documents/Advocacy/Y12_Physics_report_media_release.pdf

Full report: https://www.aip.org.au/resources/Documents/Advocacy/year-12-participation-physics-2025.pdf