The Academy of Social Sciences congratulates everyone receiving their GCSE results today.
This year’s results show that social science subjects remain a popular choice for students taking their GCSEs, with 494,445 entries for exams in business studies, economics, geography and statistics across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. According to the Joint Council for Qualifications, there were also 32,473 entries for sociology and 21,166 entries for psychology this year.
Geography, which is part of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), remains the sixth most studied GCSE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland with 299,306 entries in 2026. Business studies and statistics have seen percentage increases in the number of entries in 2026 compared to 2025, with business studies seeing an increase of 7.8% (from 137,924 entries in 2025 to 148,747 in 2026) and statistics an increase of 11.2% (from 34,879 entries in 2025 to 38,770 entries in 2026).
Dr Rita Gardner, Chief Executive of the Academy, said, “Congratulations to everyone receiving their GCSE results today. We’re delighted to see that social science subjects continue to be popular with students. Studying the social sciences at GCSE and beyond, equips students with a range of transferable skills and knowledge which opens doors to a wide variety of opportunities for further study and future careers.”
Studying the social sciences for your post-16 qualifications, like at A Level, AS Level, Highers and Advanced Highers, is a popular choice for many students who want to understand more about how people, communities and society influence the world around us, including social, economic and political processes. Whether studying one social science discipline, or several, the skills and knowledge students gain opens up a huge range of opportunities for further study and for many different careers in the private sector, public sector and charities.
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