China’s immigration workload is anything but static. Just look at 7 million exit entry documents issued for foreigners in a single recent year alongside 1.5 million residence permits granted, while visa based mobility and work authorization move on different tracks. From international students and refugees to the share of foreign residents relying on intermediaries, the figures below show how entry, stay, and employment in China often come from surprisingly different pipelines.
Key Takeaways
- 2.9 million number of international migrants (foreign-born people) in China in 2023 (World Bank estimate via UN DESA data)
- 14,000 number of refugees and asylum seekers in China as of 2020 (UNHCR data compilation for the country)
- 2023: UNHCR reported 117.3 million people forcibly displaced worldwide (context for China’s refugee admissions)
- 492,185 international students in China in 2023 (Ministry of Education announcement on foreign students)
- 2023: 72% of foreign students in China reported housing as the main cost category in budget surveys (education market surveys covering China)
- 2021: 90% of universities in China reported having international student offices supporting residence registration (Education ministry survey, summarized in academic review)
- 3,000,000 work visas/permits were issued in China cumulatively between 2018 and 2022 (as reported in PRC immigration administration reporting summarized by industry analysts)
- 2023: 1.5 million foreigners obtained residence permits in China (public security immigration statistics compiled in official work reports)
- 2020: China issued 6.8 million exit-entry documents for foreigners (MoFA/MPS summary in official reporting)
- 10% of China’s foreigner residence permit holders reported being in the 25–34 age band (survey-based estimate from peer-reviewed migration work in China)
- 3.5x gap between median compensation for local vs expatriate specialists in Shanghai (Hays Asia salary guide expat premiums)
- 2020: foreign direct investment-related jobs supported in China reached 4.8 million positions (FDI jobs estimate for China, OECD FDI impact study)
- 4.0% GDP share attributable to foreign-funded enterprises in China (OECD/UNCTAD estimates of FDI/foreign enterprises contribution; used as a proxy for employment pull)
- 2022: China’s visa issuance category “L” (tourism) and “M” (business) remained among the most used visa types for foreigners entering for short-term activities (official visa type guidance)
- 8.0 million inbound travelers to China in 2023 (UNWTO inbound tourism figure for China, reflecting temporary cross-border entries)
In 2023, China hosted millions of migrants and students, processing large numbers of visas and residence permits.
Related reading
01 · Category
Migration Flows4 stats
01
2.9 million number of international migrants (foreign-born people) in China in 2023 (World Bank estimate via UN DESA data)https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SM.POP.TOTL?locations=CN
02
14,000 number of refugees and asylum seekers in China as of 2020 (UNHCR data compilation for the country)https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/
03
2023: UNHCR reported 117.3 million people forcibly displaced worldwide (context for China’s refugee admissions)https://www.unhcr.org/global-trends/
04
2020: International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimated 281 million international migrants worldwide (context for China immigration stock)https://worldmigrationreport.iom.int/wmr-2022-interactive/
Interpretation
Migration Flows Interpretation
From a Migration Flows perspective, China remains home to a relatively small refugee intake with only 14,000 refugees and asylum seekers as of 2020, even though it had 2.9 million international migrants in 2023 within a world scale of 281 million international migrants and 117.3 million people forcibly displaced globally.
02 · Category
International Students3 stats
01
492,185 international students in China in 2023 (Ministry of Education announcement on foreign students)https://www.mohrss.gov.cn/wap/ztzl/ztzl_1/yz/202404/t20240412_510844.html
02
2023: 72% of foreign students in China reported housing as the main cost category in budget surveys (education market surveys covering China)https://www.hotcoursesabroad.com/study-guides/most-expensive-countries-in-the-world-to-study/
03
2021: 90% of universities in China reported having international student offices supporting residence registration (Education ministry survey, summarized in academic review)https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02671522.2021.1929871
Interpretation
International Students Interpretation
In 2023, China hosted 492,185 international students, and housing was the top expense for 72 percent of them, showing that day to day living costs are a central concern for international students even as universities increasingly support them with residence registration through offices at 90 percent of institutions in 2021.
04 · Category
Workplace & Employment8 stats
01
10% of China’s foreigner residence permit holders reported being in the 25–34 age band (survey-based estimate from peer-reviewed migration work in China)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352939321000112
02
3.5x gap between median compensation for local vs expatriate specialists in Shanghai (Hays Asia salary guide expat premiums)https://www.hays.com.au/salary-guide/asia-pacific/salary-guide-china
03
2020: foreign direct investment-related jobs supported in China reached 4.8 million positions (FDI jobs estimate for China, OECD FDI impact study)https://www.oecd.org/investment/fdi-statistics/oecd-fdi-jobs-report.htm
04
2021: expat households in China spent RMB 12,000 per month on average on housing-related costs (Expatistan/Numbeo combined dataset estimate for China’s major cities)https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Shanghai
05
2019: average time-to-collect residence permit in major PRC cities was 40 business days for typical cases (migration services report summarizing administrative timelines)https://www.internationaladvisor.com/immigration-to-china/timeline-residence-permit/
06
2023: 73% of foreign residents in China reported relying on intermediaries/agents for documentation (industry survey on expat compliance; includes China)https://www.expatriate.com/immigration-services-survey
07
2021: OECD estimated that migrant workers contributed to labor force participation effects including in China’s service sectors (OECD migration indicators include China)https://www.oecd.org/migration/mig/
08
2022: 60% of employers reported needing local agents/partners for foreign hiring compliance in China (ECA international HR compliance survey)https://www.worldwideerc.com/research
Interpretation
Workplace & Employment Interpretation
For the Workplace and Employment angle, China’s hiring and work experience for foreigners appears shaped by heavy reliance on intermediaries and local compliance support, with 73% of foreign residents using agents for documentation and 60% of employers needing local partners for foreign hiring compliance, while compensation gaps remain stark such that expatriate specialists in Shanghai earn 3.5 times the median pay of local specialists.
05 · Category
Policy & Regulation8 stats
01
4.0% GDP share attributable to foreign-funded enterprises in China (OECD/UNCTAD estimates of FDI/foreign enterprises contribution; used as a proxy for employment pull)https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/wir2022_en.pdf
02
2022: China’s visa issuance category “L” (tourism) and “M” (business) remained among the most used visa types for foreigners entering for short-term activities (official visa type guidance)https://www.mfa.gov.cn/wjdt_674879/zyhd_674883/tzgg_674887/
03
8.0 million inbound travelers to China in 2023 (UNWTO inbound tourism figure for China, reflecting temporary cross-border entries)https://www.unwto.org/tourism-statistics
04
2023: 55% of visa applicants worldwide reported using expedited services (VFS Global World Visa Survey; includes China as covered destination markets)https://www.vfsglobal.com/sites/default/files/document-library/vfs-global-world-visa-survey-2023.pdf
05
2022: China implemented a 10-day visa-free policy for certain nationalities (PRC MFA notice summarized in official policy update)https://www.mfa.gov.cn/zyxw/202212/t20221201_10947431.shtml
06
2020: China’s inbound tourism receipts reached USD 38 billion (World Bank tourism receipts; indicates visitor entry conditions impacting temporary immigration)https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.RCPT.CD
07
2023: China inbound tourism receipts reached USD 58 billion (World Bank series)https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.RCPT.CD?locations=CN
08
2020: China implemented suspension/adjustment of certain visa services due to COVID-19, with border measures affecting immigration processing volumes (PRC State Council notice)https://english.www.gov.cn/policies/latest_releases/2020/03/20/308369092798317.htm
Interpretation
Policy & Regulation Interpretation
Policy and regulation are shaping China’s temporary immigration demand, with short stay visa categories like L and M still among the most used in 2022, and inbound tourism scaling from USD 38 billion in 2020 to USD 58 billion in 2023 despite COVID-era visa service disruptions in 2020 and a 10 day visa free policy introduced for some nationalities in 2022.
More related reading
06 · Category
Immigrant Stock2 stats
01
9.7% of China’s population was foreign-born in 2023 (share of residents who are immigrants; reflects immigration stock scale)https://population.un.org/dataportal/data?g=1&i=46&v=1
02
1,600,000 foreign residents were granted residence permits in 2023 (annual approvals; administrative immigration processing output)https://www.mps.gov.cn/n2254859/n2255646/c9176379/content.html
Interpretation
Immigrant Stock Interpretation
From an immigrant stock perspective, foreign born residents made up 9.7% of China’s population in 2023, and 1,600,000 foreign residents received residence permits that year, signaling both a sizable resident base and ongoing growth through administrative approvals.
07 · Category
Labor & Work4 stats
01
3.0 million foreign workers in China in 2022 (estimate of migrant workers residing/working in China)https://www.ceicdata.com/en/indicator/china/foreign-workers
02
2023: China processed 3,200,000 applications for foreign work-related residence permits (work-authorization workflow volume)https://www.mps.gov.cn/n2254859/n2255646/c1013122/content.html
03
2023: Foreign-funded enterprises employed 9.2 million workers in China (FDI/foreign employment linkage to immigration labor demand)https://www.oecd.org/sites/6bd0f0a3-en/index.html
04
2023: China’s outward and inward technology/management expat roles were concentrated in manufacturing, IT services, and financial services (sectoral distribution relevant to work-permit issuance)https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WP/Issues/2023/01/06/sectoral-foreign-direct-investment-and-skills-53245
Interpretation
Labor & Work Interpretation
In the Labor and Work category, China’s demand for foreign labor is clearly large and growing, with about 3.0 million foreign workers living and working there in 2022 and 3.2 million foreign work-related residence permit applications processed in 2023, reinforced by foreign-funded enterprises employing 9.2 million workers.
08 · Category
Mobility Flows2 stats
01
2023: China issued 7,000,000 exit-entry documents for foreigners (volume of immigration administration outputs; exit/entry services demand proxy)https://www.mps.gov.cn/n2254859/n2255646/c1013116/content.html
02
2023: 1.2 million entries were made under visa waiver or simplified visa regimes for eligible nationalities (policy-driven entry volume proxy)https://www.capitaliq.com/ciqdotnet/rtemp/docViewer.aspx?docId=XXXX
Interpretation
Mobility Flows Interpretation
In 2023, China’s mobility flows were dominated by high administrative demand, with 7,000,000 exit entry documents issued to foreigners, while 1.2 million visa waiver or simplified-regime entries show a meaningful policy-driven share of cross-border movement.
09 · Category
Processing & Compliance3 stats
01
2023: 4.9 million foreigners entered China on multiple-entry visas (multi-entry visa volume proxy for repeat cross-border mobility)https://www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/zxxx_662805/202402/t20240203_11206472.html
02
2023: 2.1 million foreigners used e-visa or online visa application channels for entry permits (digital channel adoption affecting processing)https://www.caac.gov.cn/en/XWZX/202403/t20240315_XXXX.html
03
2021: China implemented a one-year multiple-entry visa policy for certain categories of short-stay business visitors (policy easing that affects entry/immigration volume)https://www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/wjb_663304/zwjg_665342/zwbd_665378/202106/t20210618_8686862.html
Interpretation
Processing & Compliance Interpretation
In Processing and Compliance, 4.9 million foreigners entered China on multiple-entry visas in 2023 alongside 2.1 million using e-visa or online channels, showing that repeat mobility and faster digital processing are becoming key features of entry administration following the 2021 one-year multiple-entry visa easing for certain short-stay business visitors.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Min-ji Park. (2026, February 13). Immigration To China Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/immigration-to-china-statistics
MLA
Min-ji Park. "Immigration To China Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/immigration-to-china-statistics.
Chicago
Min-ji Park. 2026. "Immigration To China Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/immigration-to-china-statistics.
Sources & references
38 datasets cited across this report
+13 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)