UK ELT held steady in a year of global uncertainty and turbulence, according to the latest annual figures published by English UK.
English UK’s student statistics for 2024 show overall stasis, with more volatility in the top markets and starker differences in how its member centres are faring.
Comparing 2024 to 2023, student numbers were down 0.5% and student weeks 0.9%. Of 309 centres reporting results, 44% recorded growth in their student weeks whilst 54% experienced decline.
Ivana Bartosik of English UK intelligence partner BONARD said: “In a year marked by global uncertainty, significant government interventions and projected double-digit declines in affected ELT destinations, the UK sector held steady. While overall growth remained flat, this consistency amid international turbulence reflects the UK sector’s enduring appeal and ability to adapt.” The report said the UK ELT sector was “projected to remain broadly stable” in 2025, adding that “performance at the individual centre level continued to show considerable variation.”
English UK’s chief executive Jodie Gray said campaigning would intensify, with a new position paper launched in Parliament the day before the statistics were published: “Our priority is to improve the operating environment for our members, and ensure our industry continues to benefit the UK both financially and diplomatically.
“We are using evidence from the economic impact report and the student statistics to intensify our campaigning and lobbying efforts for our members and our industry, and we will further expand the scope of our market intelligence. We are exploring ways of adding more forecasting to our market intelligence as well as identifying and acting on areas of greater potential.
“Our industry may not be as untroubled as these statistics suggest, but with uncertainty comes opportunity. English UK is working to identify and maximise those opportunities, and to support our members in seizing them.”
English UK’s new position paper – Global opportunities: how government can support the UK English language teaching sector– contains six recommendations:
Expand career-enhancing travel opportunities for young people via YMS
Extend ID card travel for EU school groups
Recognise UK ELT’s accreditation scheme for student visas
Increase rent-a-room tax relief to preserve UK ELT’s unique offer
Create exchange programmes for young professionals.
The recommendations are supported by the independently produced economic impact report into UK ELT, published earlier this week. The report, commissioned by English UK and researched by policy research consultancy Pragmatix Advisory said: “The ELT sector makes a widely unrecognised contribution to the UK’s economy and wider global influence.
“The headline figure of around £2 billion of gross value added to the UK economy is a substantial contribution but one that ignores the long-term downstream effects on the economy of previous students (or their connections) investing in the UK following a positive experience as a language student. The total contribution to the long-term fiscal health of the UK, therefore, is far greater than we have calculated and needs to be recognised.”
Key findings
English UK’s member centres taught 349,679 English language students. 335,750 were on full-time courses (333,440 face-to-face and 2,310 online) and 13,929 studied part-time (10,788 face-to-face and 3,141 online).
The report shows that in 2024
People travelled from over 100 source markets to learn or improve their English in the UK.
Student weeks again surpassed the one million milestone (at 1,150,255 full-time face-to-face student weeks).
Comparing 2024 to 2023, full-time student numbers decreased by 0.5% and student weeks by 0.9%.
Of the 309 centres reporting results, 44% recorded growth in their student weeks, while 54% experienced a decline.
Growth was concentrated in the private sector. ELT students and student weeks at member FE colleges and universities have continuously declined since 2019; in 2024, they dropped by 9% and 15%.
Juniors made up 62% of all students, and their average stay increased to 1.9 weeks.
Adults still dominated student week volume (at 67%), staying for an average of 6 weeks.
‘South and Southeast England’ and London were the most popular regions but also the locations most affected by the overall student week contraction.
The top 20 source markets accounted for 85% of all student numbers and delivered 86% of student weeks. Nine saw a year-on-year increase, with China, Colombia, and Türkiye the top growing markets.
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