Civil Service Exam Craze Fueled by Prolonged Economic Downturn and Youth Unemployment
3.72 Million Applicants, 98-to-1 Competition Ratio
A total of 3,718,000 people applied for China's national civil service examination, resulting in a competition rate of 98 to 1. The high competition rate appears to be driven by a sluggish job market due to the economic downturn and a prevailing social preference for government jobs.
3.72 Million Applicants for the 2026 Recruitment Exam
On October 27, local media outlets such as China Youth Daily reported that, according to the National Civil Service Administration, the number of applicants for the 2026 national civil service and central government agency recruitment had reached 3,718,000 as of the previous day. This figure represents those who passed the eligibility screening after online registration, marking an all-time high.
The total number of positions to be filled next year is 39,700, resulting in a competition rate of 98 to 1. In particular, Beijing recorded the highest competition rate at 165 to 1. In one agency in Ruili, Yunnan Province, near the Myanmar border, 7,591 people applied for a single position, illustrating the frenzy. Experts have diagnosed that "as private sector employment shrinks amid the economic downturn, competition for government jobs is structurally intensifying."
Competition Rises Every Year Amid Severe Job Crisis
The enthusiasm for the civil service exam in China has been intensifying for four consecutive years. The number of applicants surged from 2.6 million in 2022 to 3.41 million in 2023, and to 3.72 million this year. During the same period, the number of positions available increased only slightly from 37,000 to 39,000, further exacerbating the supply-demand imbalance. Local media report that among China's younger generation, the perception that "becoming a civil servant is the only way out" is spreading rapidly.
The surge in applicants has also been influenced by relaxed age restrictions. This year, the Chinese government raised the upper age limit for applicants from 35 to 38, and to 43 for those expecting to graduate with a master's or doctoral degree. This is interpreted as the result of two policy trends: extending the retirement age and alleviating youth unemployment.
Meanwhile, youth unemployment in China remains at a critical level. As of last month, the youth unemployment rate stood at 17.7%, a slight decrease from 18.9% the previous month, but the sense of a hiring freeze persists. With the number of university graduates reaching record highs every year, the civil service exam has become a social survival strategy to avoid the 'employment cliff.' While job creation in the private sector remains stagnant, the public sector continues to offer stable opportunities, making the preference for so-called 'iron rice bowl' jobs likely to intensify further.
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