A record number of Chinese graduates educated overseas are returning home, driven by the expansion of high-tech industries, supportive government policies, tighter foreign visa regimes, and increasingly competitive global job markets.

According to the "2025 China Returnee Employment Survey Report" released earlier this month by Chinese recruitment platform Zhaopin, the number of overseas-educated job seekers -- specifically fresh graduate returnees -- rose 12% year on year, reaching an eight-year high.

While Zhaopin did not disclose absolute figures, it said the proportion was more than double that recorded in 2018, when tracking began.

The data point to a rapidly strengthening homecoming wave. Except for 2023, when returns were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of overseas graduates returning to China has grown almost continuously, according to the report cited by China Daily.

Most returnees were trained in developed Western countries, with the largest numbers coming from the United Kingdom (about 34%), Australia (22%), and the United States (8%).

The influx signals "determined confidence" among globally trained talent, according to findings by job-recruitment platform Zhaopin, as cited by the South China Morning Post.

Figures from China’s Ministry of Education further underscore the trend. In 2024, about 495,000 overseas graduates returned to China, up more than 19% year on year.

The ministry said that from 1978, when China launched its reform and opening-up policy, to 2024, a total of 8.88 million Chinese went abroad to study. Among the 7.43 million students who completed their studies, 6.44 million chose to return to China, according to Xinhua.

Since 2012, 5.63 million students have returned to China, accounting for 87% of all returnees since the late 1970s.

The internet, education, and consulting sectors attracted the highest number of job applications. In terms of growth rates, however, information technology and advanced manufacturing led the way, particularly in new materials and optoelectronics.

Robotics, artificial intelligence, smart hardware, and aerospace also recorded strong growth.

"These sectors are typically characterized by high R&D intensity, steep technical barriers and a strong international orientation," Zhaopin's report said.

Zhaopin attributed the wave largely to supportive government policies and increased investment in next-generation industries. It also said returning students were drawn by China's steadily developing economy.

Xiong Bingqi, director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, told the Global Times last December that the accelerated return of Chinese talent from overseas reflects a longer-term trend.

As studying abroad shifts from an elite pursuit to a mass-market option, more students are able to study overseas. However, facing limited job prospects abroad, many return to China, driving up the country's talent return rate.

China's improving economy and expanding career opportunities in recent years are also drawing more overseas graduates back home, he said.

Update news