The number of registrations for the Chinese National College Entrance Examination (known as gaokao) has seen a continuous decline for the past two years. In 2026, the number of registrations dropped to 12.9 million, a sharp decrease of 450,000 compared to the previous year, sparking widespread attention online.
On June 3, the state-run Chinese media Xinhua News Agency reported that, according to the Ministry of Education, the total number of registrations for the 2026 gaokao reached 12.9 million.
This marks the second consecutive year of declining registration numbers for the gaokao in China. In 2025, there were 13.35 million registrations, a decrease of 70,000 from 2024, marking the first decline since 2016. The number of registrations further plummeted by 450,000 in 2026, representing a decrease of approximately 3.4%, reverting to the level seen in 2023 (12.91 million).
A report on Caixin website pointed out that theoretically, the population of eligible candidates is still slowly increasing. For example, in line with the 2026 gaokao, the number of newborns in 2008 was 16.08 million, an increase of 130,000 from 2007 and 230,000 from 2006.
So why is the number of gaokao registrations continuing to decline? The report mentioned three reasons: a change in the statistical method of counting registrations, an increase in the proportion of vocational school graduates opting for immediate employment, and the relative devaluation of academic qualifications due to the widespread availability of higher education, where a university degree does not necessarily guarantee an ideal job.
The topic labeled “12.9 Million People Registered for the 2026 Gaokao” trended on Weibo that day.
Internet users commented, “Universities are devalued now.” “The weak growth in the eligible population, reduced number of students repeating years, and changing perspectives on education are the main reasons for the decrease in registrations.” “Will there be fewer candidates every year from now on?” “With 12.9 million people registering for the 2026 national college entrance examination, and only 7.92 million newborns in 2025, this means that 40% of universities will not be able to enroll students in the future.”
The founder of the youth platform Zhi Xin and Weibo influencer “Geng Xiangshun” analyzed, “Although the number of gaokao candidates has decreased compared to previous years, there are still a significant number of candidates, and the competition for the gaokao remains fierce. It is still very difficult to enter a good university. However, in a decade or two, the difficulty of getting into a university is estimated to decrease significantly because the number of newborns will decrease, and the student population will also decline. By then, universities will not have enough students, many primary, middle, and high schools as well as universities may have to close down, and many teachers and staff will lose their jobs. In order to enroll students, universities will compete to lower admission standards.”
China has been experiencing a “gaokao fever” for many years. Official data shows that in 2016, there were 9.4 million candidates; in 2017, it remained the same at 9.4 million; in 2019, it surpassed 10 million for the first time, reaching 10.31 million; in 2020, there were 10.71 million candidates; in 2021, 10.78 million candidates; in 2022, a dramatic increase of 1.15 million candidates, totaling 11.93 million; in 2023, another significant increase of 980,000 candidates, reaching 12.91 million; and in 2024, it reached the peak of the past decade at 13.42 million.
In 2025, there was a decrease in the number of gaokao registrations, with 70,000 fewer candidates than the previous year, totaling 13.35 million. This year, the number dropped by 450,000 to 12.9 million, indicating a clear turning point in the trend of increasing numbers of gaokao candidates in China over the years.