Amid a dramatic decline in the birth rate and a sharp decrease in the number of students, a large number of kindergartens are closing down across mainland China, with elementary schools consolidating. In 2025, the number of kindergartens nationwide decreased by over 20,000, and this trend is still ongoing.
The “2025 National Education Development Statistical Bulletin” issued by the Chinese Ministry of Education shows that in 2025, there were 32.2552 million children enrolled in kindergartens nationwide, compared to 35.8399 million in 2024, a decrease of approximately 10%, or a reduction of 3.5847 million.
Since 2022, the number of kindergartens across the country has been continuously decreasing. In 2022, there were 289,200 kindergartens; this number decreased to 274,400 in 2023, 253,300 in 2024, and further dropped to 231,900 in 2025, leading to a decrease of 21,400 kindergartens.
From 289,200 kindergartens in 2022 to 231,900 in 2025, there has been a cumulative reduction of approximately 57,300 kindergartens over three years, representing a reduction of about 19.8%.
Xiao Peng, a parent from Maoming, Guangdong, told Epoch Times that many kindergartens in the area have already closed their doors. “With the low birth rate, many kindergartens are closing because they can’t attract enough students. As people are having fewer children, more and more kindergartens are shutting down, and elementary schools are also closing.”
According to official data from the Chinese Communist Party, in 2025, China’s annual birth rate was only 7.92 million, reaching the lowest record since 1949.
Gao Feng, a resident of Linyi, Shandong, believes that the closure of a large number of kindergartens and schools is directly linked to the decreasing birth rate. “There was a kindergarten in front of my house that closed two years ago. The social conditions are not favorable, so who wants to have children? Young people have seen through this. Without good job opportunities, they don’t want to have children. Next, it will be the middle and high schools, gradually closing in a domino effect.”
Simultaneously, elementary school enrollments are also facing challenges, with an increasing number of consolidations.
According to the data from the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Education, by the beginning of the fall semester in 2024, Jiangxi had consolidated 5,943 schools with fewer than 100 students each. In Tongxin County, Ningxia, 43 elementary schools were consolidated in 2025.
Xiao Peng mentioned that both of his sons attend the same public elementary school. A few years ago, when his eldest son was in first grade, there were two classes with over 100 students. Last year, when his younger son entered first grade, there was only one class with around 30 students. This year, with new enrollments, they only admitted slightly over 20 students, which is not enough for a full class. “Even so, the school still has to operate as usual.”
Gao Feng also expressed that in recent years, the number of births has significantly decreased. There are visibly fewer children in his neighborhood compared to the past.
“In the past, when going out, there were many kids playing in the neighborhood. Now, there are very few children, and seeing one feels special.”
(Interviewees are all given pseudonyms)