They're often referred to as the 'fairer sex' – and now research has confirmed women really are seen as more attractive than men.

As part of a new study, experts analysed more than 1.5 million ratings of faces from a wide range of countries.

They discovered that – across different ages and cultures – female faces were consistently rated as more beautiful.

This gap was more pronounced among female raters, who showed an even stronger preference for female faces than men.

And this could all be because masculine faces signify aggression and dishonesty, the researchers said.

'Particularly striking is that women rate other women as significantly more attractive than men while male faces are rated similarly – and overall lower – by both sexes,' lead author Eugen Wassiliwizky, from the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics in Frankfurt, said.

'This may be because higher testosterone levels in men, while signalling dominance…is also associated with increased risk of aggression, dishonesty or reduced paternal investment.

'Female faces, by contrast…are known to elicit caregiving responses, attract visual attention and enhance perceptions of youth and beauty.'

The analysis, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, revealed that the average female face scored higher than about 64 per cent of male faces.

It also found that men tend to judge faces more strictly than women.

Overall, the findings show that judgments of attractiveness are not simply a matter of individual taste, the team said.

Rather, they reflect a combination of biological features, individual evaluation patterns and social influences.

'Writers from Darwin to Dawkins have noted that, in humans, women are considered the 'beautiful sex' whereas in most species, it is males who display more elaborate, visually striking traits,' the study reads.

'This reversal of typical sex roles has long been debated in the literature but never empirically verified.

'Our findings provide robust evidence for a Gender Attractiveness Gap (GAP) with female faces rated more attractive than male faces across sexes, cultures, races and age groups.

'Surprisingly, the GAP is more pronounced among female raters, who rate other women substantially higher than male faces, while male faces receive similarly low ratings from both sexes.'

A survey, carried out earlier this year, revealed what the 'perfect' man and woman look like according to Brits from different generations.

Experts from the CREO Clinic surveyed 1,000 Brits about the physical qualities they find most appealing.

According to Boomers (born 1946–1964), the ideal man is 5'7″ to 5'9″ with a classic build, blue eyes, and dark brown hair, while the perfect woman has blonde hair, a button nose, and full lips.

In contrast, the youngest group surveyed, Gen Z (born 1997–2012), said they prefer men with an athletic build and women with black hair.