To explore the relationship between upward social comparison and parental educationalanxiety, as well as the moderating role of parenting self-efficacy, a questionnaire survey was conducted on410 parents of junior high school students using the Upward Social Comparison Scale, a measurementquestionnaire of parents’ anxiety about their children’s education, and the Parenting Self-Efficacy Scale.The results revealed that upward social comparison significantly and positively predicts educationalanxiety, with parenting self-efficacy playing an enhancing moderating role between the two. Thesefindings offer important insights for understanding and addressing parental educational anxiety.