Fewer Chinese teenagers register for tough university entry exam

The number ​of Chinese students sitting the country's national university entrance exam has dropped by 450,000 to 12.9 million from a year earlier, as more teenagers opt out of pursuing academic degrees.

The figures, released by the Ministry of Education on Wednesday, come amid a structural shrinkage in the cohort of college-age Chinese teenagers, compounded by a challenging job market with youth unemployment exceeding 16% for those aged ⁠16 to 24.

Analysts expect unemployment figures to worsen as a record 12.7 million university graduates are set to enter the labor market this summer.

Second year of decline in registrations

It is the second consecutive year of decline in registrations for the national exam, known as the gaokao, following last year's drop of 70,000 from 2024. This year's exam is due to ‌begin on Sunday.

The ministry did not comment on the declining numbers, while saying it would "resolutely crack down on illegal and irregular activities such as false publicity, high fees, organizing fraud or cheating."

Chinese students review textbooks in preparation for the upcoming National College Entrance Exam, also known as gaokao, in their classroom at the Fuyang No.2 High School in Fuyang city, east China's Anhui Province, May 26, 2016. Photo by Imaginechina via AFP

The widening decline comes as more students choose to pursue vocational programs, which typically ‌lead ⁠to full-time work.

Hundreds of parents queued at a vocational school in Beijing in May to register their children for just 30 available spots, local media reported. In Shanghai, vocational colleges have seen a 15% increase in enrollments for courses compared with three years ago.

Meanwhile, more than 700 people applied for just two ⁠positions to work as shepherds in the remote and rugged grasslands south of Mongolia, after Chinese farm owner Zuo Xiaoyong posted an online job advertisement.

His ad drew 59 million views within hours on Weibo, China's equivalent ⁠of X, and garnered applications from white-collar employees in megacities like Shanghai and Chongqing, factory workers across China, and even university graduates.

The overwhelming response highlights the growing strains in the country's ⁠job market.

For the millions taking the exam this year, China's Ministry of Education said it has upgraded security measures, including "intelligent screening systems to prevent high-tech cheating involving devices such as mobile phones and smart glasses."