Global ELT recovery stalls across major study destinations

According to the third edition of BONARD Education’s Global ELT Annual Report 2025, recovery has stalled in most major destinations, with the global ELT sector in 2024 reaching 73% of 2019 student volumes and 75% of student weeks, a slower progress than in 2023.

The report highlighted that despite early optimism for 2024, stricter immigration policies in major destinations like the UK, Canada, and Australia, combined with currency depreciation and inflation, slowed the sector’s recovery.

“Between 2023 and 2024, the combined pressures resulted in a 10% decline in student weeks and a 6% decrease in student numbers across the eight major destinations,” read the BONARD report. 

Ireland was the only destination to surpass pre-pandemic levels in both student numbers (109%) and student weeks (107%), while Malta exceeded 2019 student weeks despite shorter stays. 

However, growth slowed in both countries in 2024, with early indicators suggesting a decline in student weeks in 2025.

“Ireland and Malta’s visa-friendly policies and work opportunities have helped them attract students discouraged by stricter regulations, high course fees and other expenses in other destinations,” stated Ivana Bartosik, international education director at BONARD. 

“This welcoming approach has enabled them to remain more attractive than other ELT destinations, with Ireland even surpassing both the US and Canada in total student numbers.”

Among other destinations, the US continued to lag, reaching only about 63% recovery in student numbers, with visa denials and competition limiting growth prospects, while in Canada, study permit caps and stricter financial requirements have further driven a downward trajectory in ELT student numbers.

Visa denials have emerged as the leading challenge for the US ELT sector, with 61% of programs citing them as the top industry concern, as reported by The PIE News.

The UK remained a significant ELT market, capturing 38% of global share, driven largely by strong junior enrolments, a trend also seen in Ireland and Malta, though the country continues to face steep declines. 

In 2024, ELT student mobility was increasingly shaped by two dominant factors: high visa refusal rates and affordability constraints
_{Sarah Verkinova, BONARD}

Meanwhile, Australia, despite leading in student weeks for the third year, experienced a significant reduction in 2024, with student weeks down 22% and student numbers falling 16% amid high visa refusal rates and rising fees.

The decline comes as Australia’s ELICOS sector warns that rising visa fees are “killing” the industry, with numerous institutes shutting down in recent months, a stark contrast for a sector that once aspired to be the global ELT learners “destination of choice”.

Moreover, New Zealand posted 44% year-on-year growth but remains the slowest to recover, reaching only 47% of 2019 levels, while South Africa has achieved 95% recovery and is gaining momentum from emerging African markets, as per the report. 

“In 2024, ELT student mobility was increasingly shaped by two dominant factors: high visa refusal rates and affordability constraints. In key destinations like Canada, Australia, and the UK, stricter visa policies and rising application fees created setbacks in the student journey,” noted Sarah Verkinova, head of international education at BONARD. 

“Consequently, alternative destinations gained popularity, and a minimum of 100,000 students enrolled in ELT courses in Dubai and the Philippines.”

In terms of ELT source markets, Brazil surpassed Colombia to become the largest globally, despite a 14% drop in student weeks, with China recording the highest growth (+21%), though volumes remain below pre-pandemic levels. 

Meanwhile, growth in Dubai and the Philippines, along with strong gains from emerging markets such as Nepal (+96%), the UAE (+107%), and Kazakhstan (+26%), highlights an ongoing diversification beyond traditional markets.

“2024 may serve as the new benchmark year for China, as further rapid growth
is unlikely,” stated Kristina Benedikova, an international education consultant at BONARD.

“The increasing availability
of local ELT options in countries like Malaysia and the Philippines, along with rising competition from in-country providers, is reshaping student preferences toward more cost-effective and accessible destinations.”

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