China's post-gaokao economy expected to surpass 387 billion yuan

A burgeoning “post-gaokao economy” is emerging in China as students celebrate the completion of the national college entrance exam. Following years of intensive study, many students are engaging in significant discretionary spending on electronics, travel, and new hobbies before beginning university.

Estimates from the XKB Data Research Center and iiMedia Research suggest that incoming first-year students will spend an average of 18,600 yuan this summer, a figure more than double the average seen in 2020. The total sector is expected to surpass 387 billion yuan this year.

Merchants are actively targeting this demographic; electronics retailers are offering discounts to students who present their admission tickets, and hundreds of scenic attractions have introduced concessions for the group.