CHINA

Charts of the Day: China’s Dwindling Cohort of Schoolkids

Published: Jun. 18, 2025 7:27 p.m. GMT+8

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China’s higher education sector was a bright spot last year, continuing to expand while preschool, primary school and middle school enrollment continued to decline in tandem with the country’s population.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Education, the country had 470,000 education institutions of all types last year, with 286.47 million students enrolled in formal education programs and 18.85 million full-time teachers.

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China’s higher education expanded in 2024, enrolling 48.46 million students (up 1.74%) and admitting 1.36 million new graduate students (up 4.23%).
Preschool and primary education declined: kindergartens dropped by 21,100, preschool enrollment fell 12.44%, and total primary school enrollment decreased by 2.16 million.
Teacher qualifications improved, with 94.56% of preschool and 81.35% of primary teachers holding an associate or bachelor’s degree or higher.

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