The number of kindergarten teachers in mainland China continues to decline. In 2025, it decreased by 219,300, with a total decrease of 631,600 from 2022 to 2025. At the same time, many universities have stopped recruiting or are planning to revoke early childhood education majors, while some colleges for preschool teachers have added majors in gerontology and engineering.
According to a report by “Caijing” on August 14, data from the Chinese Ministry of Education show that in 2025, the number of full-time kindergarten teachers in mainland China was 2.6126 million, a decrease of 219,300 from the 2.8319 million in 2024.
The official statistics from the Chinese Ministry of Education show that in 2022, the number of full-time kindergarten teachers in mainland China reached 3.2442 million. Subsequently, the quantity decreased for three consecutive years, with a cumulative reduction of 631,600 by 2025, representing a nearly 20% decrease.
The statistics also reveal that in 2025, the number of kindergartens in mainland China decreased to 231,900, a reduction of 21,400 compared to the previous year; the number of children in kindergartens also dropped to 32.2552 million, a decrease of 3.5847 million.
This news has sparked discussions among internet users. Some have pointed out that “it is truly visible that there are fewer and fewer children in kindergartens,” while others have lamented that when they entered school, preschool teachers were still considered in demand, but by the time they graduated, kindergartens were closing and positions were being reduced.
A netizen from Jiangsu province mentioned that a few years ago, when his child enrolled in a kindergarten, an interview was required. Now, teachers are asking parents to introduce new students, and several nearby kindergartens have closed. Another netizen stated that after local kindergartens decreased, some preschool teachers could only turn to primary schools, educational training industries, or seek employment in other companies.
A teacher from Jilin, when asked about the contraction of primary and secondary schools and kindergartens across the country, shared with a news outlet that the decrease in student enrollments directly leads to difficulties in teacher employment, resulting in mass layoffs, reassignments, or seeking alternative paths. “In the future, there won’t be as many teachers needed, and our value will diminish.”
Meanwhile, the birth rate in mainland China continues to decline. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics of the Communist Party of China show that in 2025, the number of births was 79.2 million, a decrease of 1.62 million compared to the 95.4 million in 2024; the total population at the end of the year decreased by 3.39 million from the previous year, marking the fourth consecutive year of negative growth.
The birth rate in mainland China has dropped from 106.2 million in 2021 to 79.2 million in 2025, a decrease of 27 million over four years. The continuous decline in the birth rate in recent years is gradually affecting the source of kindergarten students and kindergarten teacher positions.
As the demand for early childhood education shrinks, related majors in universities are experiencing student transfers, suspension of admissions, or plans for revocation.
Out of 319 undergraduate students who successfully switched majors at Zhaoqing University in Guangdong this year, 29 students exited the early childhood education major, the highest among all majors. Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts in Shaanxi stopped admitting students to the early childhood education major in 2025; while the professional adjustment plan announced by Shanxi University of Electronic Science and Technology in July last year indicated that they plan to revoke six majors, including early childhood education.
East China Normal University stopped enrolling undergraduate students majoring in early childhood education with public funding starting in 2025, but will continue to enroll students in other general undergraduate majors.
Some colleges that primarily train preschool teachers have begun to expand into non-education majors, while some institutions are undergoing comprehensive transformations.
The enrollment plan for 2026 announced by Henan Zhumadian Preschool Teachers College includes majors such as drone application technology, embodied intelligent robot technology, industrial robot technology, and intelligent manufacturing equipment technology.
Hunan Hengyang Preschool Teachers College is transforming into Hengyang Metrology Vocational and Technical College, gradually expanding its professional directions to fields such as metrology testing, automation, and intelligent manufacturing.
Preschool Teachers Colleges in Guangzhou, Guangdong, Loudi, Hunan, and Yancheng, Jiangsu have launched majors in smart and healthy elderly care services and management. Yancheng Preschool Teachers College also offers majors in infant care services and management, modern home economics services and management, and the professional scope has expanded from early childhood education to elderly care, childcare, and family services.