The number of Chinese students sitting the country's national university entrance exam, due to begin on Sunday, has dropped sharply 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.

A record 12.7 million university graduates are set to enter the labour market this summer.

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.

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

The trend comes as more students choose to pursue vocational programmes instead, 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 percent increase in enrolments for courses compared with three years ago.

For the millions taking the exam this year, the 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". (Reuters)


Edited by Tony Sabine