Why is learning Chinese far less popular than it could and should be? I dug into it and here are 10 reasons for Chinese failing to become a popular language among the global language learning community.
As someone who’s been blogging for years about how to successfully learn Chinese, I’m naturally interested in hard data on the language’s popularity. How many people across the globe are learning the Chinese language currently? Are their numbers growing or declining? How does the interest in the Chinese language vary by region, and for what reasons?
It’s a fascinating topic, but reliable figures are difficult to come by. I’ve looked at the Duolingo reports, which provide insight into which languages are most popular on the well-known language learning app (notably English and Spanish, not Chinese). I’ve also delved into the Google Trends figures. They weren’t easy to interpret, but the overall trend clearly showed a downward trend for generic search terms like “learn Chinese.”
Furthermore, I’m always open to all kinds of anecdotal evidence. But it’s best when skilled professionals conduct research and unearth hard data. Like South China Morning Post journalists did recently.
Data shows interest in Chinese is waning
South China Morning Post titles “‘Huge shift’: why learning Mandarin is losing its appeal in the West“, while – by the way – just a few weeks earlier The Diplomat published a warning article headlining “Europe’s Dangerous Gap in China Expertise“. How does that fit together?
I’ll go on to summarize some of the data from the SCMP article here.
Even though solid data is hard to come by, the numbers we do have suggest that interest in learning Mandarin – once seen as the next big global language – is starting to fade after years of rapid growth. In the U.S., college enrolments in Mandarin were down 25% in 2021 compared to their peak in 2013, according to the latest report from the Modern Language Association. In New Zealand, government stats show that the number of high school students learning Mandarin has been dropping since 2020.
In the UK, the number of university students studying Chinese fell by 35% in 2023 compared to the 2016 peak, based on data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency. Even in parts of Europe like Germany and France, where Mandarin is still growing, the increase is pretty modest – especially when you compare it to other more popular languages. (Source: SCMP, July 2025)
In other words, Mandarin Chinese isn’t meeting its expectations as the next big global language. Far from it. Chinese language classes are getting smaller.
China’s importance to the world
I don’t need to convince anyone how relevant China is to the world, but here are some statistics to contrast Mandarin’s lack of popularity with:
- 2nd largest economy in the world (after the U.S.), with a GDP of around $17.5 trillion (2024 estimate).
- Accounts for about 18% of global GDP.
- #1 trading nation: China is the largest exporter and the second-largest importer of goods globally.
- Produces nearly 30% of global manufacturing output.
- The world’s top exporter, sending out over $3.5 trillion worth of goods in 2023.
- Major trading partner for over 120 countries.
- With around 1.4 billion people, China is the most populous country after India, although some have questioned the official figure.
- Has a growing middle class of over 400 million people – a massive consumer market.
- One of the largest markets for automobiles, electronics, luxury goods, and green technologies.
And the list continues, but I think everyone gets the point.
Why isn’t learning Chinese nowhere near as popular as it could or should be?
So if all that’s true, why aren’t we – especially in the West – educating more people to improve our relations with China? With all that entails: knowledge of history, culture, language, regional differences, and so on?
Why are there (still) only a handful of people – just go to the average university in a Western country – who study Chinese? Why aren’t Chinese language courses full of people from all ages and walks of life driven by the need to learn it?
Here are 10 reasons I can think of:
1. Opportunity cost of learning one of the world’s most difficult languages
As is well known, Chinese scores extremely high on the scale of language difficulty. For English speakers, Chinese is a Category IV language (most difficult) according to the U.S. Foreign Service Institute – estimated 2,200 class hours to reach proficiency. I’ve discussed this in more detail in the pros and cons of learning Chinese. It’s logical that people think twice before investing four or five years of their lives in learning such a notoriously hard language.
However, I must add that this is partly ‘perceived difficulty’. Learning Chinese has demonstrably become easier in recent decades – just compare learning Chinese nowadays to the situation in the 80’s & 90’s. There are simply much more high quality Chinese learning tools and resources available. Learning and teaching methods have also (slowly) improved and are increasingly better tailored to various target groups. That’s not to say that it’s perfect, but progress is being made.
2. The reward of learning one of the world’s most difficult languages
Before committing to study a category IV language, potential learners want to know how a solid command of the Chinese language will benefit them. If you could have learned five or more programming languages in the same time, you’d naturally like to know if Chinese would actually help building your career.
Now it gets interesting, because if your primary reason for learning Chinese is career-focused, the reality is often bitterly disappointing. At least, if we can believe numerous advanced Chinese learners on LinkedIn – all with a background in Sinology. They conclude that knowledge of Chinese is, in most cases, considered by employers as nothing more than a bonus. A nice-to-have on your resume. That’s certainly a punch in the face if you’ve spent five years slaving over the language and related topics and expect to make a good start. If you expect the door to be open and employers fighting to get you on board. This doesn’t seem to be the case in the Western job market.
Of course – where there’s a will, there’s a way – but you have to be very willing.
3. Limited practical need for most learners
Unless you’re truly immersed in Chinese business, it’s often not necessary to speak Chinese at a high level. This is because in many large companies, the working language is English, and your highly educated Chinese colleagues typically speak excellent English. Sure, it makes an impression and it can help to connect, but often that’s about it.
If you’re not with a Chinese partner or not located in China, most people don’t find proficiency in Chinese a practical advantage in everyday life. Whereas English, Spanish, or French can be useful as a second language, for example, when talking to neighbours or while traveling.
4. Low media & pop culture presence
I always find it astonishing to see that – with all due respect – smaller countries like South Korea and Japan clearly generate more interest from Western audiences than China. Manga, K-pop, and TV series are popular and provide an incentive to learn the language, even though this skill (Korean or Japanese) is in much lower demand even still in the job market.
But perhaps even more astonishing is that a major power like China hasn’t been more successful in this regard. After all, the Chinese gaming, film, and music industries have grown enormously in recent decades.
Aside from a few martial arts films from the 2000s to 2010s, however, China has produced few films that truly resonated with a broad audience outside of China. I’m not saying that excellent Chinese films or TV series haven’t emerged, but as long as they don’t reach a wider audience outside of China, no transmission of Chinese culture to the outside world is taking place. This is illustrated by the irony that an American film like Kung Fu Panda did manage to promote Chinese culture to an international audience.
5. Negative perceptions of China
The image of China in the Western media – as far as I can tell – is overwhelmingly negative. This has been a constant for years. My impression is that it has only increased in recent times.
From a Western perspective, there are good reasons for this. China is a one-party state still ruled by a communist party. The West feels (and is being) challenged by China’s political model, which has been very successful economically but is diametrically opposed to Western ideas about individual freedom and political decision-making. The underlying message in most media coverage is that China is not a free country, but an economic and political rival that is not on the right track. It’s not pushing reforms and opening up to become more like us, far from it.
And this image of China – regardless of the factual situation – simply does not encourage learning the language and engaging with the culture. Especially because the Western view of China has few flavors. A mentality that combines critical distance and curiosity about the actual situation on the ground in China is exceptional.
6. Soft power gap
China has a striking lack of so-called soft power in the rest of the world. It’s possible that this is due to the complexity of Chinese culture, but that’s a rather weak argument. Japan and South Korea also have ‘complex cultures’. There’s a lot of economical dependency, yes, but the real question is whether you can generate cultural admiration and goodwill for your country. An undeniably gap exists that probably won’t be bridged anytime soon. What happened the New Silk Road for example? Why have things went rather silent regarding this gigantic project? At the very least, I wouldn’t rule out that the lack of good will and trust was precisely what clashed with China’s bombastic ambitions to gain global dominance.
7. Limited integration & openness to foreigners
China welcomes tourists and investors, but offers few long-term prospects for foreigners who want to work and integrate in Chinese society. Moreover, the options for foreigners are often narrowly defined, with English teaching being the most accessible path. Other professional sectors can be hard to enter due to visa restrictions, language barriers, or preference for local hires.
Long-term residency is difficult: only a tiny number of foreigners receive permanent residency or green cards (fewer than 10,000 people have it as of recent data — in a country of over 1.4 billion). The expat population is very small — under 1 million people, or less than 0.1% of the population.
In other words: China isn’t doing much to attract foreigners. Every time I travel to China, I’m struck by the fact that the system has been created by and for the Chinese. If you don’t have WeChat Pay or Alipay combined with a Chinese ID, you’re often left out. Not to mention the hotels where foreigners aren’t allowed to stay. Of course, a solution can usually be found, but it’s not inviting.
The experience of numerous expats also shows that no matter how long and how deeply you’ve integrated into Chinese society, you always remain a foreigner to the average Chinese person. So there’s no such thing as the Chinese dream for immigrants, a dream you can participate in regardless of your background.
8. Teaching methods often don’t fit western learners
The teaching methods that are used in China to teach Chinese to foreigners have been improving, yet many problematic issues still remain. Here are the most important ones:
- Many Chinese language programs, especially those developed or influenced by mainland institutions, focus on rote memorization, grammar drills, and writing characters from day one.
- These approaches may work for local students, but they often frustrate Western learners, who are used to more communicative, student-centered, and immersive teaching methods.
- Emphasis is often placed on literary or formal written Chinese, rather than on practical spoken language needed for travel, daily life, or casual conversation.
- Textbooks and dialogues often feel outdated, formal, or culturally unfamiliar, making the language harder to connect with.
- Learners often quit early or plateau quickly because they don’t see real-world progress, feel overwhelmed by character memorization, or simply find the material irrelevant or boring.
There are, of course, many positive exceptions, such as GoEast Mandarin and other schools where teaching isn’t solely based on traditional methods that don’t suit the target group. There are also plenty of alternatives, such as one-on-one online classes that offer much more room for individual input.
However, if you go to a Mainland Chinese university, you do need to be prepared for the fact that the used methods might feel strange to you. I can’t rule out that some people are put off by this. For example, I found it very strange to find myself reciting a Mao Zedong poem with my class mates. Other things, like constantly repeating the teacher, can help to some degree. It simply takes some getting used to.
9. Chinese speak English or AI does
If you interact with Chinese colleagues or business partners at work, chances are they speak good English. Not only that, but there’s also a significant chance your Chinese is worse than their English. That presents a real dilemma. If communication takes place in a business context, English, or rather, the strongest lingua franca, usually wins.
Furthermore, more and better AI solutions are coming onto the market that can provide instant translations. This is fantastic in itself, but not exactly a motivator to learn difficult languages like Chinese.
10. Doubts about China being the world’s next superpower
How many books about China have been published predicting that it would become the new superpower of the 21st century? Within the foreseeable future, China would take over from the Americans and Chinese would become the new global language.
This scenario was based primarily on the strong growth of the Chinese economy, which seemed endless. However, this economic dynamism has been declining for some time now, and the country is facing its own problems. An ageing population, a crashed real estate market, environmental pollution, capital flight, and other factors are preventing China from realizing all its ambitions.
Of course, this wasn’t the only reason people wanted to learn Chinese, but it certainly contributed to its appeal. Proficiency in Chinese was thought to be the number one skill to prepare yourself for the future. Rightly or wrongly, this feeling is no longer as strong as it once was.
What should change to make learning Chinese more popular?
To make Chinese more popular, some things need to be changed. To start with the more practicable : teaching methods must shift toward real-life, spoken-first approaches. They should prioritize actual communication over character memorization in the early stages and HSK-focused learning. Courses should be designed with the target group learners in mind. They should use relatable, engaging content. Finally, teachers should be more aware of all the great Chinese learning tools and apps that are out there.
Second, access and quality need to improve. More well-trained teachers with experience in Western pedagogy are needed outside of China. Schools should receive better support and funding for sustained Mandarin programs – not just short-term initiatives. We (in the western world) should be far more strategic about this.
Third, China itself must play a role. A more open, welcoming environment for foreigners – including easier long-term visas, diverse job opportunities, and social integration – would be a good start an an incentive to learn the language.
Finally, Chinese needs a stronger global cultural presence. K-pop, anime, and Spanish-language media have drawn millions to their respective languages. Mandarin needs a similar cultural pull to spark curiosity and passion in new learners. This might require bigger changes though.
All these things and more will help to make Chinese as popular as it could and should be.
Feel free to let me know your thoughts on the subject in the comment section down below.
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