Maths Anxiety. What is it and how does it impact consumers?
📅 4 March
✍️ By Ben Perkins, Director of Partnerships and Services at Plain Numbers
Ben has years of experience working with people who have low confidence in numeracy and experience maths anxiety. In this blog, he sheds light on what maths anxiety means and how it affects consumers.
What is maths anxiety?
Maths anxiety is more than just disliking numbers—it’s a deep emotional response that can make dealing with maths feel overwhelming.
Research defines it as “the panic, helplessness, paralysis, and mental disorganisation that arises among some people when they are required to solve a mathematical problem” (Tobias & Weissbrod, 1980).
Despite being recognised by academics for decades, public awareness remains low, and most businesses don’t realise how maths anxiety could make their customers more vulnerable.
How common is it? Estimates vary, but according to the Maths Anxiety Trust, one in five people experience it—some research suggests the number is even higher.
How does maths anxiety affect people?
People who experience maths anxiety react in different ways, including:
❌ Emotional responses – Stress, panic, and a tendency to avoid maths altogether.
❌ Physical reactions – Sweating, nausea, shaking when faced with numbers.
❌ Cognitive impact – Struggling to concentrate, feeling overwhelmed, or experiencing “mental blocks” when doing maths.
Why do people experience maths anxiety?
There are several common triggers:
Negative school experiences – Many people recall struggling with maths in school, failing exams, or feeling embarrassed about getting answers wrong.
Pressure and fear of failure – A belief that maths is “difficult” can create anxiety in high-pressure situations.
Lack of support – Adults often don’t have access to resources to improve their numeracy confidence, making it harder to overcome maths-related fears.
How maths anxiety impacts consumers
For many people, maths anxiety is not just a classroom issue—it affects their everyday financial decisions.
Struggling to understand financial information – Numbers used by businesses may feel complex or overwhelming, making it harder for consumers to make informed choices.
Feeling stressed when managing money – Increased anxiety when handling bills, comparing financial products, or budgeting.
Avoiding financial decisions – Some consumers may feel so overwhelmed they give up, opting for default options that might not offer the best value.
Long-term financial consequences – Fear of maths can prevent people from properly engaging with their finances, leading to poor financial outcomes.
For businesses, maths anxiety also leads to increased customer support costs. If people don’t understand their bills, insurance policies, or loan agreements, they are more likely to call customer service for help, increasing operational costs.
How the Plain Numbers Approach can help
At Plain Numbers, we help businesses improve how they communicate numbers, ensuring that more people can understand and engage with financial information confidently.
✔ Less maths, more clarity – We reduce the amount of calculation left to the customer, making numbers easier to interpret.
✔ Less overwhelming – Too many numbers can be intimidating. A Plain Numbers Approach makes financial communications clearer and more approachable.
✔ Proven to work – In our trials, the Plain Numbers Approach doubled, on average, the numbers of customers who understood a communication — helping businesses support vulnerable customers more effectively.
The bottom line? Businesses that adopt a Plain Numbers Approach can help reduce financial vulnerability, improve customer confidence, and create clearer, more effective communications.
Let’s change the way we communicate numbers
At Plain Numbers, we’re want to make numbers work for everyone—including those who experience maths anxiety. It’s time for businesses to rethink how they present financial information so that more people can understand, engage, and make better financial decisions.
💡 Want to learn more about how Plain Numbers can help your business? Get in touch today! Contact us