China’s declining birth rate is creating a devastating impact on the country’s early childhood education sector, with experts predicting that 26,000 more kindergartens may close this year following the closure of 21,100 facilities in 2023.
Recent closures highlight the severity of the crisis. The Chutian Century City Kindergarten in Changsha County, Hunan Province, which had operated for 12 years, suddenly shut down on July 1st. Similarly, Baihua Kindergarten in Yingde City, Guangdong Province, closed on June 11th, while 20 private kindergartens in Lu’an City, Anhui Province, applied to terminate operations on May 8th.
The human cost of this educational crisis is exemplified by kindergarten director Jing Yazhen, who spent over 20 years in early childhood education. She once led a group company with 489 employees and annual revenue of 50 million yuan (approximately $6.9 million). However, her business fell into crisis several years ago, accumulating over 20 million yuan (approximately $2.8 million) in debt. Twelve of her kindergartens have closed, leaving only four remaining facilities that she desperately hopes to preserve.
According to China’s Ministry of Education statistics, the country had 253,300 kindergartens in 2024, representing a decrease of 21,100 from 2023. Experts forecast that by 2030, China may have only 163,700 kindergartens remaining, indicating an average of 15,000 closures annually.
The enrollment crisis is equally severe. Chen Lin, who has worked in early childhood education for 31 years, reflects on the dramatic change: “It’s too difficult; maybe we won’t survive next year.” She previously operated three kindergartens but now runs only one. Chen recalls that in 2020-2021, parents actively sought enrollment without any recruitment efforts needed. However, since 2023, recruitment has become extremely challenging, with only about 20 new students enrolled to replace 60 graduates.
Industry professionals suggest that kindergartens must pivot to new development directions, including transformation into childcare centers, elderly care facilities, or community service centers to survive China’s demographic transition.
Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), July 14, 2025
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202507140085.aspx