Math Kangaroo was proposed by Peter O'Halloran, an Australian mathematician and teacher, in the 1980s. In 1991, this idea was taken up in Paris, France. Very quickly, it spread throughout Europe. The competition began to be called "Kangaroo" because of its Australian origin. The main goal of Math Kangaroo is to promote mathematical thinking and stimulate a love for math. It provides students with a unique opportunity to measure their mathematical abilities against peers from around the world. Math Kangaroo is now the largest math competition for school students in the world. As of now, it has been held in 109 countries and regions. In 2025, approximately 6.5 million students participated globally, with around 1.5 million students from Brazil. Traditional mathematical powerhouses such as Germany contributed approximately 900,000 participants, while the Czech Republic had around 400,000 participants. Countries like France and Poland each had around 300,000 participants, while Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Indonesia, Kazakhstan all had over 100,000 young students participating. Besides, the Math Kangaroo Activity has a history of over 20 years in the United States, with rapidly increasing annual participation, particularly in California, which has a significant Asian population. In this state, registration spots are in high demand.

Math Kangaroo Asia Camp To promote the elites' communication, deepen the dissemination of the "Association Kangourou sans Frontières", and aim to nurture future mathematicians, Math Kangaroo hosts the International Camps globally every summer, exclusively inviting award-winning participants (primarily focusing on gold and above awards). The content modules of Math Kangaroo International Camps across continents are generally consistent, with slight adjustments based on the mathematical resources of the host country.

The 2026 Math Kangaroo Asia Camp plans to invite Gold Award winners from China (including Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan), the United States, Sweden, Ghana, Myanmar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, India, Kazakhstan, and other countries. Students will engage in in-depth discussions on mathematical topics under the guidance of internationally renowned math experts, compete with peers from different countries, and enjoy a feast of mathematical thinking!