Statistics released by the Ministry of Education on overseas students in 2004 show that China saw slightly less personnel going abroad for studies in 2004 while various returned overseas students increased by 24.6 percent over the previous year. Among them self-supported returned students increased by 27.5 percent.

The total number of persons going abroad for studies in 2004 was 114,663, down by 2.2 percent compared with that in 2003.