Girls outperformed boys in 25 out of 32 subjects at higher level and in all but one subject – applied maths – at ordinary level, a gender analysis of the Leaving Cert results shows.

The figures show girls were more reluctant to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem) subjects, although those who did performed as well if not better than their male peers.

Mathematics was one of just seven subjects at higher level where boys performed better with 72.5 per cent getting an A, B or C, compared with 68.5 per cent of girls. Slightly more boys opted for the higher paper too; they made up 52.4 per cent of all candidates.

Three-quarters of applied maths students at higher level were boys, and 78.1 per cent of them scored an honour (A, B or C). Some 70.7 per cent of girls reached the same grades.

The five other subjects in which boys performed better were agricultural economics, accounting, Latin, construction studies and engineering.

Engineering

Of the 4,408 students who took engineering at higher level, only 249 (5.6 per cent) were girls. A similarly small proportion of construction studies students were girls (8.1 per cent).

In contrast, 71.2 per cent of art students at higher level were girls, 69.6 per cent of music students, 63.3 per cent of Irish students, 62.3 per cent of French students, and 61.2 per cent of Spanish students.

Physics remains a male-dominated subject, with girls making up just 27.2 per cent of higher level students. More girls than boys took biology (62.2 per cent) and chemistry (56.5 per cent).

Gender stereotypes are slow to shift. Some 92.5 per cent of home economics students were girls at higher level, and they did much better than their male peers with an honours rate of 81.6 per cent, compared with 61.8 per cent among boys.

In design and communication graphics just 12.7 per cent of higher level candidates were girls but they outperformed boys with an honours rate of 87.4 per cent to 79.9 per cent.