China's gaokao exam sees sharp drop in student registrations amid job market woes
Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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- China's national university entrance exam, the gaokao, sees a sharp drop in registrations, with 12.9 million students participating this year.
- This marks the second consecutive year of decline, attributed to a shrinking cohort of teenagers and a challenging job market with high youth unemployment.
- Analysts predict worsening unemployment as a record number of graduates enter the labor market, prompting more students to pursue vocational programs.
China's highly competitive national university entrance exam, known as the gaokao, is experiencing a significant decline in participation. This year, 12.9 million students are registered to take the exam, a drop of 450,000 from the previous year. This marks the second consecutive year of decreasing registrations, following a smaller decrease in 2024.
The number of Chinese students sitting the country's national university entrance exam, due to begin on Sunday, has dropped sharply by 450,000 to 12.9 million from a year earlier, as more teenagers opt out of pursuing academic degrees.
The Ministry of Education released the figures, which coincide with a structural shrinkage in the number of college-age teenagers in China. Compounding this demographic shift is a challenging job market, where youth unemployment for those aged 16 to 24 has exceeded 16%. Analysts anticipate the unemployment situation to worsen as a record 12.7 million university graduates are expected to enter the labor force this summer.
Analysts expect unemployment figures to worsen as a record 12.7 million university graduates are set to enter the labour market this summer.
In response to the difficult job prospects, an increasing number of students are opting for vocational programs, which are seen as leading more directly to employment. Reports indicate high demand for vocational courses, with hundreds of parents queuing for limited spots in Beijing. Meanwhile, the broader job market struggles are highlighted by an overwhelming response to a job advertisement for shepherds in a remote region, attracting millions of views and applications from diverse backgrounds, including white-collar workers and university graduates.
It is the second consecutive year of decline in registrations for the national exam, known as the gaokao, following last year's drop of 70,000 from 2024.
Amidst these trends, the Ministry of Education has announced upgraded security measures for the gaokao, including "intelligent screening systems" to prevent high-tech cheating. The ministry also stated its commitment to "resolutely crack down on illegal and irregular activities" related to the exam.
The ministry did not comment on the declining numbers, while saying it would "resolutely crack down on illegal and irregular activities such as false publicity, high fees, organising fraud or cheating."
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by The Straits Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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