Thousands of Chinese kindergartens close as falling birth rate takes its toll
Last year saw the number of kindergartens fall by over 5 per cent while the number of children enrolling dropped by more than 11 per cent
In 2023 the number of kindergartens fell by 14,808 to 274,400 – the second consecutive annual decline – according to an annual report by the Ministry of Education.
Meanwhile, the number of children enrolled in kindergarten declined for a third consecutive year – dropping by 11.55 per cent, or 5.35 million, last year to 40.9 million, according to the report.
The number of primary schools also dropped by 5,645 to 143,500 in 2023, a 3.8 per cent fall.
The decline reflects a broader demographic shift in China – where both birth rates and total population continue to dwindle – posing a serious threat to future economic growth, which is already slowing.
Last year, China’s population dropped for the second year in a row, to 1.4 billion, a decline of over 2 million. Only 9 million births were reported in China in 2023, the lowest figure since records started in 1949.
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Elderly Chinese students fill empty kindergartens as birth rate falls