Why are Russian so good at math?
Matthew Wilson
Updated on January 16, 2026
Their impressive command of math and physics is largely because they had excellent high school teachers, many of whom came to those fields owing to the previous ban on other professions. At the same time, however, they know little about economics and other social sciences.
Is Russia best in mathematics?
Russian math teaching methods have not been extensively studied by American researchers, says Harvard professor Star, probably because Russia doesn't top the list of international math scores as, say, Singapore and Finland do.What is different about Russian math?
The main difference between Russian Math and the math being taught in schools, they say, boils down to a methodology that emphasizes derivation over memorization—of learning the reasons behind the answers—and a visual approach that helps students “see” the math, and therefore understand it better.Which country is best at math?
Singapore is the highest-performing country in mathematics, with a mean score of 564 points – more than 70 points above the OECD average. Three countries/economies – Hong Kong (China), Macao (China) and Chinese Taipei – perform below Singapore, but higher than any OECD country in PISA.Which country is smart at math?
#1: SINGAPOREAccording to an international benchmarking study, Singapore ranked as the #1 country to have students performing their best in Mathematics and Science.