New Zealand bucks global ELT decline with 11% student growth
A new report shows global English Language Teaching student weeks fell 23% in 2025, but New Zealand was a rare bright spot, growing student numbers and
Global English Language Teaching (ELT) student weeks fell by 23% in 2025, with student numbers dropping 10%, according to new data from research firm BONARD. The figures, covering eight major study destinations, signal a deepening market contraction and a fundamental restructuring of the sector.
BONARD's international education director, Ivana Bartosik, warned that 2026 would likely bring a third consecutive year of overall decline. She advised providers that opportunity now lies in "matching source market, student segment and program type to where demand is actually holding". Bartosik pointed to a market shift toward "shorter stays, more juniors, less adults".
Steep declines across major destinations
Australia recorded the steepest fall among the leading destinations, with student weeks down 35%. The report links this to affordability pressures and government policies, including increased study visa fees and record-high visa refusal rates that have hit the ELICOS sector hard. At a recent conference, English Australia CEO Ian Aird said the sector had lost "Twenty years of effort to become a world-leading destination for English language study".
Aird highlighted the "tyranny" of Australia's visa regime, noting the country's visa application fee is now ten times higher than Canada's or Ireland's. He described colleagues as "working very hard to do the job of two or three people at the moment" and likened the sector's efforts to being "at the back of the ship with a bucket, trying to bail out the water".
Across all eight destinations, nearly 902,000 students generated 5,820,300 weeks in 2025. The average length of stay has plummeted from 8.3 weeks in 2022 to just 6.5 weeks in 2025. This drop is attributed to fewer adult students, who typically enroll in longer programs, as the market shifts toward shorter junior courses.
New Zealand and South Africa defy the trend
While most destinations declined, New Zealand and South Africa moved against the trend. New Zealand, the seventh largest ELT destination, grew both student numbers and student weeks by 11%. South Africa, ranked eighth, also saw modest rises. Their growth contrasts sharply with the wider market.
The UK remained the largest destination by student numbers, though levels dropped by 8%. It was followed by Ireland, the US, Australia, and Canada, with every top destination seeing a decline. English UK chief executive Jodie Gray reflected a sector shifting focus from volume to value, stating, "We can’t compete on price in the UK with new destinations, and we shouldn’t. It has to be about demonstrating value."
Market pressures and future challenges
Growing affordability pressures and intensified competition from alternative study destinations like the Philippines, Malaysia, and the UAE were cited as key factors in the global decline. On the demand side, 24 of the top 30 source markets recorded a fall in student weeks, illustrating the widespread nature of the downturn.
Despite an 18% drop, Brazil remained the largest source market in 2025. China, a major driver of previous growth, saw a significant 22% decline, reversing its 2024 performance. As providers are urged to adapt, Languages Canada executive director Gonzalo Peralta cautioned that new opportunities, like the growing junior segment, bring fresh challenges such as safeguarding risks in less regulated markets.
