Hurun Report Reveals: The Trend of Studying Abroad for Children of High-Net-Worth Individuals in China Has Changed!

Recently, the Hurun Research Institute released its "2026 Hurun Best of the Best – China's High Net Worth Individuals Quality Lifestyle Report" for the 22nd consecutive year, which includes a survey report on the study abroad preferences of high net worth individuals' children. We found that high net worth individuals are showing a new trend in their study abroad planning.

This survey covered 470 high-net-worth individuals in China with assets exceeding 10 million yuan, including many ultra-high-net-worth individuals with assets exceeding 100 million yuan, with an average total family asset of 61 million yuan. Their choices provide valuable reference for overseas students and readers who follow international developments.

Image source: "2026 Hurun Best of the Best - China's High Net Worth Individuals Quality of Life Report"

The report shows that although the overall enthusiasm for studying abroad has declined, more than half of high-net-worth families still plan to send their children abroad to study, mainly at the university level, with an average planning age of 16. Ultra-high-net-worth families plan even earlier, with an average age of 14.

It is worth noting that the choice of study abroad destinations is showing a highly concentrated trend:

• The United States has remained the most favored destination for children's overseas education for the third consecutive year, and its advantages are self-evident.
• UK: Enthusiasm has declined significantly, mainly due to the impact of VAT on private schools and soaring costs of studying abroad.
• Canada: Enthusiasm plummeted from 31% to 11%, a dramatic drop.
• Temperatures have also dropped significantly in some European countries (Germany, France, Switzerland).
• Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia have remained relatively stable overall.

Image source: "2026 Hurun Best of the Best - China's High Net Worth Individuals Quality of Life Report"

This is not merely a question of "where to study," but rather a comprehensive reassessment by high-net-worth families: whether educational investment can form a complete closed loop with their children's long-term development path (including immigration status, employment, and resource networks). Simply "sending them abroad to study" is no longer sufficient to meet their planning needs; education, immigration status, and long-term settlement capabilities are now being considered as an inseparable, holistic system.

The report shows that Hong Kong, Singapore, and New York are the top three most popular overseas cities.

Image source: "2026 Hurun Best of the Best - China's High Net Worth Individuals Quality of Life Report"

These three cities share more than just their status as global financial or commercial centers; they also possess the comprehensive capacity to support long-term living, asset allocation, and cross-border expansion. In other words, when high-net-worth individuals choose a city, they are essentially choosing a long-term sustainable ecosystem for living and assets.

In addition, a significant change has emerged this year in the preference for international identity planning destinations:

• The United States has returned to the top spot, demonstrating its attractiveness in terms of institutional maturity and welfare stability.
• EU countries: Enthusiasm is rising, and more diverse options are being offered.
• Hong Kong, China: Enthusiasm is rebounding in tandem, and its role as a bridge connecting the mainland and the world remains important.
• In Singapore and Canada, enthusiasm has surprisingly declined, dropping by 10 and 8 percentage points respectively.

Image source: "2026 Hurun Best of the Best - China's High Net Worth Individuals Quality of Life Report"

Behind this shift lies a renewed understanding of "identity value" among high-net-worth families. Identity is no longer merely a convenience for entry and exit, but a fundamental asset deeply intertwined with long-term residency, access to quality education, asset allocation, and even the overall development of the family. Against the backdrop of increasing global policy uncertainty, they are more inclined to choose identity systems with clear rules, mature institutions, stable welfare benefits, and greater predictability, rather than diversifying their investments across countries with frequently changing policies.

Looking at investment trends for the coming year, high-net-worth individuals are showing a clear tendency towards risk aversion and stability:

• The net willingness to increase gold holdings reached 15%, ranking first and further confirming its attractiveness as a safe-haven asset.
• Net overseas investment intentions increased by 7%, with US and Hong Kong stocks being the top choices.
• Both funds and insurance companies are projected to achieve a net growth of 6%.
• Interest in highly volatile assets has become noticeably more conservative, with real estate, art, and collectibles facing selling pressure.

Although 84% of high-net-worth individuals still consider overseas investment, their destination preferences are becoming more concentrated, with Hong Kong and the United States remaining the top choices as enthusiasm continues to rise; while investment enthusiasm in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and EU countries has declined significantly.

Image source: "2026 Hurun Best of the Best - China's High Net Worth Individuals Quality of Life Report"

From prioritizing the US for their children's education, to a renewed focus on the US in international residency planning, and a more cautious approach to overseas asset allocation, these changes all point to the same trend: high-net-worth families no longer view "residency, education, and investment" as separate decisions, but rather are seeking a systematic solution that can be integrated in the long term.

This also explains why the United States in recent yearsEB-5Investment immigration programs have returned to the mainstream. They are not merely single-function tools, but rather a comprehensive pathway connecting residency planning, asset allocation, and the long-term settlement capabilities of families. This one-stop solution perfectly meets the needs of high-net-worth individuals for certainty and systematic solutions.

Whether it's children's education, international residency, or cross-border asset allocation, more and more families are realizing that choosing a path that is sustainable, verifiable, and feasible in the long run is the most important "risk management capability" of this era.