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China is seeing former schools converted into elderly-care facilities, while Russia, South Korea and Japan are also closing schools amid falling student numbers.
Doctors found a deep wound on the student’s neck extending towards the facial area, with damage to the underlying muscles. (AI-generated image)
Falling birth rates and shrinking school-age populations are reshaping education systems in several countries. As fewer children enter schools, governments and local authorities are shutting schools permanently or find new uses for vacant campuses.
China is seeing one of the most striking examples, with former schools being converted into elderly-care facilities. Russia, South Korea and Japan have also experienced significant school closures, particularly in rural and shrinking communities. Italy, meanwhile, is seeing an increasing number of municipalities without a school.
China Turning Empty Schools Into Old Age Homes
Primary-school and preschool enrolments each fell by around 10 per cent in 2025, while the total number of educational institutions declined by more than 6 per cent to 440,700, reported South China Morning Post.
According to a 2026 study published in the Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, researchers linked the availability of abandoned schools to declining birth rates, rural population migration and falling school enrolment. The study also found that around 350,000 rural primary schools were abandoned between 2000 and 2021.
Now, several vacant classrooms are being converted into elderly-care centres, nursing homes and community dining facilities as China’s ageing population grows.
Russia Sees 45% School Closure Since 2000
Russia too has seen a huge decline in schools, particularly in rural areas. A report based on research from the Higher School of Economics says the number of secondary schools fell from around 68,800 in 2000 to just under 38,000 in 2026 — a decline of about 45 per cent.
The school-age population also declined during the period, falling from about 20.5 million to 17.7 million children, or around 13.5 per cent. The impact has been particularly severe in rural areas. The number of state schools there fell from more than 45,000 in 2000 to around 21,000 in 2026. Schools were often merged with neighbouring institutions or closed outright.
Russia’s Education Ministry, however, says more than 38,000 schools are operating in the 2026-27 academic year, with new and renovated schools also being added.
South Korea Facing Lowest Birth Rates
South Korea is facing one of the world’s lowest birth rates, and the demographic decline is increasingly visible in its school system.
According to figures obtained from the country’s Education Ministry, 153 primary, middle and high schools were closed through consolidation between 2021 and 2025. The closures included 120 elementary schools, 24 middle schools and nine high schools.
The closures have been concentrated in areas facing sharper population decline. Jeonnam and Gangwon recorded 26 closures each, while Jeonbuk recorded 21.
South Korea’s total number of primary, middle and high school students fell from about 5.32 million in 2021 to around 5.02 million in 2025 — a decline of nearly 310,000 students in four years.
Japan Sees 215 Primary Schools Disappear In One Year
Japan has been dealing with a shrinking child population for years, and the impact is visible in its school network.
According to Japan’s 2025 School Basic Survey, the country had 18,607 primary schools in fiscal 2025, 215 fewer than the previous year. Primary-school enrolment fell to 5,812,375, the lowest level recorded. While 651 mergers over a three-year period turned 1,617 schools into 694 schools.
Italy Has 874 Municipalities Without Schools
Italy’s demographic decline is also beginning to reshape the country’s school geography. An analysis based on Italian Education Ministry data found that 874 municipalities — more than one in 10 of the country’s 7,896 municipalities — had no school at all in the 2025-26 academic year. This means residents in these municipalities have to travel to neighbouring towns for education.
The trend comes against a backdrop of continued population ageing and falling fertility. Italy recorded around 355,000 births in 2025, down 3.9 per cent from the previous year, while the fertility rate fell to 1.14 children per woman. The country’s resident population also declined by around 189,000 during 2025.
The underlying pattern is similar across many of these countries: fewer births eventually mean fewer children entering schools. However, rural-to-urban migration, the cost of maintaining very small schools, govt funding formulas and school-consolidation policies can all accelerate closures.
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Ask News18Declining birth rates, shrinking school-age populations, rural population migration, and falling school enrolments are driving the permanent closure or repurposing of schools across these countries.
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October 01, 2026, 15:34 IST
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