New official data has confirmed that 380,000 international students hailing from 191 countries and regions across the globe are pursuing studies in Chinese higher education institutions during the 2024–2025 academic year, underscoring the country’s growing standing as a top global education destination.
The latest enrollment figures were shared by Xi Ru, a senior official with the Ministry of Education’s Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges, during an address at the 2026 China Study Abroad Forum held in Beijing on Friday.
According to the released statistics, students receiving Chinese government scholarships make up approximately 8 percent of the total international student population. When broken down by geographic origin, students from Asian countries hold the largest share at 61.1 percent. African students follow at 16.2 percent, European students account for 15.6 percent, and students from the Americas and Oceania combined make up the remaining 7.1 percent.
Of the total international student body, more than half — 205,000 students — are enrolled in formal degree programs, with postgraduate students representing 35 percent of all degree-seeking international students. Engineering stands out as the most popular field of study among international degree candidates, drawing 27.8 percent of all students pursuing accredited degrees in China.
Xi explained that the new data confirms China’s international education sector is continuing its recovery from widespread disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, with clear, measurable improvements already recorded across multiple key metrics. Beyond overall enrollment growth, Xi noted that the national diversity of the international student community has expanded in recent years. The academic structure of international enrollment has also become more balanced, driven by a rising share of postgraduate-level students, and international students’ program choices have grown increasingly aligned with evolving global labor market demands.
Established in 2004, the annual China Study Abroad Forum has grown into a central platform for advancing high-level dialogue and practical collaborative partnerships between China and education stakeholders across the world in the international higher education space.