Industry Update | July 2025

Inside China’s agent network: Which cities are leading in 2025?

By Su Su, Senior Project Consultant at BONARD's China Branch

In 2025, we once again mapped the agent landscape across China to bring you the latest, most relevant insights - highlighting who to work with and the evolving preferences of Chinese students interested in studying abroad.

What stands out this year?

Nearly half (44%) of agencies active in Tier 1 cities continue to thrive, and new players are entering the market;
The ‘Big Four’ destinations now offer limited growth, with only Australia and New Zealand maintaining steady enrolment numbers;
Meanwhile, destinations such as Japan, Korea, and Malaysia are gaining traction, thanks to more streamlined processes and supportive government policies.

Opportunities for overseas educators

At this stage, many agencies are focusing on strengthening internal capabilities and building new international partnerships. For overseas educators, this presents a unique window of opportunity - Chinese agents are increasingly open to collaboration, training, and strategic planning.

Whether you are re-entering or expanding in China, success depends on knowing the key players to partner with.

Explore the updated map or feel free to reach out to us directly.

Detailed info on Chinese agency market

New source markets for your international student recruitment in 2025

Below are the fastest-growing source markets from Q1 2025, based on student visa issuances. Are these countries on your 2025/26 target list?

Australia

Canada

USA

Australia

> Nepal
> Bangladesh
> Philippines
> South Korea

Read more >>

Canada

> France
> South Korea
> Spain
> Japan

Read more >>

UK

> India
> Nigeria
> Nepal
> Bangladesh

Read more >>

USA

> Nepal
> Vietnam
> Zimbabwe
> Italy

Read more >>

See which markets should be on your 2025 target list

English Language Teaching in 2024

Based on research for national ELT associations, we highlight how enrolment and policy trends are shaping the market.Click below to access the executive summaries.

English Australia ELICOS
Australia

- 16% ELICOS student numbers

- 22% ELICOS student weeks

Sharp downturn in 2024 following 2023’s strong rebound.

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Languages Canda ELT
Canada

+14% in French programs

- 15% total language enrolments

Impacted by 2024 study permit caps, visa delays, and policy uncertainty.

Read more >>

English UK ELT
UK

- 0.5% ELT enrolments

- 0.9% ELT student weeks

The UK sector remained stable, demonstrating ongoing appeal.

Read more >>

English USA ELT
USA

+1.5% ELT enrolments

+7% ELT student weeks

Visa denials remain the top concern for US ELT providers.

Read more >>

Available reports

Access the fully available reports co-delivered by BONARD Education team

ELT sector in Ireland

Ireland hosted 128,761 international English language students in 2024 (+2% YoY), generating €792 million in direct economic impact

Get your copy >>

US Higher Ed Snapshot

US institutions are prioritising new source markets, while most work closely with agents despite ongoing visa processing concerns