Women have long been referred to as the “fairer s*x”, and now a major scientific study has found that people across the world consistently rate female faces as more attractive than male faces.
Researchers analyzed more than 1.5 million facial attractiveness ratings collected from dozens of countries and discovered that women were generally viewed as more attractive regardless of age, culture, race, or s*xual orientation.
Highlights
- A massive study analyzing over 1.5 million ratings across 76 countries found that people globally rate female faces as consistently more attractive than male faces.
- Researchers discovered that women actually gave other women the highest scores, while awarding men the lowest attractiveness ratings of all.
- Scientists suggest masculine traits can unconsciously signal aggression or lower parental investment, while rounder female faces naturally trigger positive caregiving responses.
The findings surprised many people for one particular reason: women themselves gave other women the highest attractiveness ratings of all.
A study conducted by scientists analyzed more than 1.5 million ratings from around the world
Image credits: Drobot Dean/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
The study was led by Dr Eugen Wassiliwizky and researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics in Germany and published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
To investigate whether women are truly perceived as more attractive than men, the team compiled data from 52 separate studies conducted across 76 countries.
In total, the researchers examined more than 1.5 million ratings involving around 17,000 faces and nearly 30,000 participants.
After reviewing the data, the researchers found a clear pattern.
Image credits: Drobot Dean/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
The average female face was rated as more attractive than roughly 60-64 per cent of male faces. The trend appeared across cultures, age groups, races, and s*xual orientation.
“What is most surprising is that women give other women the highest ratings and give the lowest ratings to men,” Wassiliwizky said.
The researcher described the finding as evidence of what they called a “Gender Attractiveness Gap,” meaning female faces generally received higher attractiveness scores than male faces.
“Our findings provide robust evidence for a Gender Attractiveness Gap with female faces rated more attractive than male faces across sexes, cultures, races and age groups,” the study stated.
Scientists further explained that facial features may help explain the difference
Image credits: Wassiliwizky et al. (2025)/Royal Society Publishing
While the study did not identify one single reason behind the gap, researchers pointed to several possible explanations.
According to Wassiliwizky, masculine facial traits are often associated with qualities such as dominance and strength.
However, those same features can sometimes be linked to perceptions of aggression, dishonesty, or lower parental investment.
“Higher testosterone levels in men, while signalling dominance, are also associated with increased risk of aggression, dishonesty or reduced paternal investment,” he explained.
Image credits: Pixel-Shot/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
Female faces, on the other hand, may trigger different reactions.
“Female faces are known to elicit caregiving responses, attract visual attention and enhance perceptions of youth and beauty,” Wassiliwizky said.
Researchers also found that facial structure appeared to play a role.
Men generally have more angular and rectangular facial shapes, while women tend to have rounder faces.
The data suggested that both male and female participants often rated rounder faces as more attractive.
Image credits: Pixel-Shot/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
The findings also echoed a debate that has existed for generations.
“Writers from Darwin to Dawkins have noted that, in humans, women are considered the ‘beautiful s*x’ whereas in most species, it is males who display more elaborate, visually striking traits,” the researchers wrote.
One of the most interesting findings was age, as the gap narrowed as people got older
Image credits: master1305/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
Researchers found that the attractiveness gap gradually decreased as faces aged.
By around age 80, the difference between how male and female faces were rated had nearly disappeared.
“The older the faces, the less we see a gap between the perceived attractiveness of male and female faces,” Wassiliwizky said.
Image credits: Artem Varnitsin/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
“Male and female faces become more and more similar with age, the structural differences shrink, and this might be the reason the gap is melting.”
The researchers stress that attractiveness is influenced by a mix of biological traits, personal preferences, and social factors rather than by a single universal standard.
Another survey showed beauty standards vary widely between generations
Image credits: olenachukhil/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
While the new study focused on facial attractiveness, separate research from the CREO Clinic showed that beauty preferences can change with age.
The survey asked 1,000 Britons about the physical traits they found most attractive in a partner.
Among Baby Boomers, the ideal woman was described as blonde, with full lips and blue eyes, while the ideal man had dark brown hair, blue eyes, and a classic build.
Gen Z participants had different preferences.
They favored women with black hair and men with athletic builds, while brown eyes became increasingly popular among younger generations.
Image credits: arthurhidden/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
The findings suggested that while certain patterns may appear across large populations, beauty standards continue to evolve over time.
As for the new attractiveness study, researchers said the results showed that attractiveness is not simply a matter of personal taste.
Instead, it appears to be shaped by a complex combination of biology, perception, and social influences that continue to spark debate long after the data is published.
The study quickly sparked debate online, with many pointing to grooming, skincare, and beauty standards
Image credits: Svyatoslav Lypynskyy/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
Image credits: Marko/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
Many people argued that attractiveness involves far more than genetics alone.
“It’s not just makeup and hair, it’s also skincare, working out, going to therapy, diet, etc.,” one commenter wrote, while another said, “Skincare is your friend.”
Not everyone agreed with the study's conclusion.
“I disagree, I find men hotter than women,” one person wrote, while another said, “Real life attraction isn’t looking at a photo. You see the whole deal, including behaviour.”
"You need analysis for that?" asked one user
