Why is China so good at maths?

There’s a big variation in the maths level of students around the world.

Aug 08, 2026

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This is one of the reasons China launched the CSCA - to better align international students entering universities in China with China’s level.

But why is China’s base level generally more advanced?

There are many reasons - teaching method, competition, sheer hours, but one big factor is the language. Learning to count is easier in Chinese (Chinese number words are regular (no elevens, and twenty, is one reason that students can count in China about a year earlier than in the west).

Another factor that is rarely mentioned is that in Chinese, the technical vocabulary explains itself.

But in English - they are written greek or latin, so for English speakers learning abstract words in maths (and other technical subjects) is handicapped because it’s like learning a foreign language at the same time.

For example:

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