China's Outbound Study Abroad Numbers Fall to Ten-Year Low

China's study abroad market is undergoing a new round of adjustment. Data from the Ministry of Education's Study Abroad Service Center shows that the number of Chinese students studying abroad in 2025 is 570,600, a nearly 20% decrease from the historical high in 2019, and the overall scale of students studying abroad has returned to nearly ten years ago.

According to a report by the First Financial, multiple reports show that Chinese students are increasingly diversifying their choices of study abroad destinations. Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and other regions, with advantages such as proximity, relatively similar cultural environment, and lower study costs, continue to see rising application heat. The application heat for non-traditional English-speaking countries such as Japan and South Korea is also rising.

A survey of over 900 Chinese IELTS test-takers released by the British Council in October last year showed that, compared to 2019, the UK remains the top choice for IELTS test-takers, while Hong Kong has jumped from the 13th position to the 2nd.

Meanwhile, although traditional study abroad countries such as the US, UK, Australia, and Canada still occupy a major position, the study abroad heat for countries like the US has decreased. Data from the American International Education Foundation shows that by the 2024/2025 academic year, the number of Chinese students has decreased by 13% from ten years ago to 266,000.

"The UK becoming the first major study abroad destination, rather than the US, we believe is a decisive factor in the risk transfer of IELTS test-takers," said Yu Zhuoran, China Director of English and Assessment at the British Council, the organizer of IELTS. Visa policies, learning environment, safety factors, etc., are factors that students and parents highly value when choosing a study abroad destination.

At the same time, "multi-country applications" have also become a mainstream strategy, with more and more test-takers choosing to apply to multiple countries or regions simultaneously to disperse risks and improve admission probabilities.

From the demand side, multi-country applications, fragmented preparation rhythms, etc., have become new models. Test-takers are more sensitive to trial and error costs and need more flexible, efficient, and low-burden assessment services. The popularization of computer-based testing has also reduced operating costs.

In Yu Zhuoran's view, the focus of industry competition has shifted from whether there is supply to whether there is real assessment value, whether communication skills are insisted as the core, whether academic validity and global credibility are possessed, and other dimensions.