Empty Kindergarten Seats Filled by Elderly... China Closes 20,000 Kindergartens Amid Falling Birth Rates

Over 5 Million Kindergarten Students Lost in a Year
"Significant Impact Expected on Elementary, Middle, High Schools, Universities, and the Private Education Market"

In China, approximately 20,000 kindergartens have closed due to the decline in marriage and birth rates. At the same time, as rapid aging emerges as a social issue, many regions are making efforts to convert these closed kindergartens into elderly care facilities.

On June 15, Yangcheng News in China, citing the "2024 National Education Development Statistical Bulletin," reported that as of last year, there were 253,300 kindergartens nationwide, with 35,839,000 kindergarten students.

Photo to aid understanding of the article. Pixabay.

Compared to 2023, when there were 274,400 kindergartens and 40,929,800 kindergarten students, the number of kindergartens decreased by about 20,000, and the number of students dropped by more than 5 million. This marks the third consecutive year of decline, from 289,200 kindergartens in 2022. The report stated, "The decrease in kindergartens is due to the falling birth rate," adding that the number of newborns in 2023 and 2024 reached 9.02 million and 9.54 million, respectively. The report also noted that the reduction in kindergartens is expected to intensify further. It continued, "Chinese experts predict that the number of newborns this year will fall below 8 million," and projected that "the impact of low birth rates will extend to elementary, middle, high schools, universities, and even the private education market in the future."

Chao Jinzhong, a professor at the Faculty of Education at Beijing Normal University, said in an interview, "By 2035, the number of elementary and middle schools nationwide is expected to be 92,800 and 47,900, respectively," and added, "This represents a decrease of 51,400 and 3,800 compared to 2020, respectively."

According to Dazhongwang, kindergartens and daycare centers struggling to recruit students are now turning toward integrated elderly care and childcare services. A 25-year-old kindergarten in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, changed its name to "Community Nursing Home" in 2023. The No. 1 Kindergarten in Wucheng District, Jinhua City, also sought to convert into an elderly care facility. Dazhongwang explained, "These areas have large elderly populations and a lack of specialized medical facilities, but the size and location of the kindergartens made conversion possible."

According to national statistics, by the end of last year, the population aged 60 and older in China exceeded 300 million, reaching 310.31 million, accounting for 22% of the total population. Among them, the population aged 65 and older was 220.23 million, making up 15.6% of the total. As aging becomes a social issue, many regions in China are increasing their focus on facilities that integrate nursing homes and childcare.

Jialiang, a National People's Congress representative, emphasized at this year's "Two Sessions" that "unused kindergartens nationwide should be transformed into spaces for elderly care services," and stressed, "Realizing elderly care will allow for the organic integration of families, communities, and institutions."