Our annual statistics show overall growth remains flat
Our 2025 student statistics report, launched at today's English UK member conference, analyses students studying English in the UK in 2024. According to these latest annual figures, UK ELT held steady in a year of global uncertainty and turbulence.
> Download our 2025 students statistics report (summary)
Overall statis but individual experiences of members vary significantly
English UK's student statistics for 2024 show overall stasis, with more volatility in the top markets and noticeable differences between how our 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 a decline.
Consistency amid international turbulence
Ivana Bartosik of our 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 industry was "projected to remain broadly stable" in 2025, adding that "performance at the individual centre level continued to show considerable variation."
Priority to improve the operating environment for UK ELT
English UK's chief executive, Jodie Gray, said campaigning would intensify, with a new position paper launched in Parliament the day before we published the statistics: "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 independently produced economic impact report into UK ELT, published earlier this week, 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.
Working to identify opportunities
"Our industry may not be as untroubled as these annual statistics initially suggest, but with uncertainty comes opportunity. English UK is working to identify and maximise those opportunities, and to support our members in seizing them."
Supporting our lobbying recommendations
English UK's new position paper, Global opportunities: how the government can support the UK English language teaching sector, contains six recommendations.
They are to 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, and increase rent-a-room tax relief to preserve UK ELT's unique offer and create exchange programmes for young professionals.
English UK's insight partner, BONARD, compiled the annual student statistics report from trading data supplied by 309 of the association's member centres.
Selected annual statistics report toplines
- Member centres taught 349,679 English language students, of which 335,750 were on full-time courses and 13,929 studied part-time
- Student weeks again surpassed the one million milestone (at 1,150,255 full-time face-to-face student weeks).
- Overall growth was flat with full-time student numbers decreasing by 0.5% and student weeks by 0.9%
- 44% of the reporting centres recorded growth in student weeks, while 54% experienced decline
- Growth was concentrated in the private sector, whereas the state sector experienced a decline, with student numbers at member colleges and universities dropping by 9% and 15%
- Juniors comprised 62% of all students, and their average stay increased to 1.9 weeks, whereas adults still dominate student week volume at 67%
- London and South and South Eastern England were the areas most affected by the overall student week contraction, despite being the most in-demand regions
- 85% of all student numbers and delivered 86% of student weeks. Nine of these markets saw a year-on-year increase, with China, Colombia, and Türkiye the top-growing markets.
- 9 of the top 20 source markets saw a year-on-year increase, with China, Colombia, and Türkiye as the top growing markets
