TheMargin of Error

U.S.–China Exchange

Confucius Institutes & Classrooms

U.S. institutes, school programs and documented replacements, counted separately.

Reported histories: 2006–2023 · Directory retrieved 2026-10-24; not an operating census

Confucius Institutes

Reported U.S. institute counts

Confucius Institutes in the U.S.Sources use different coverage definitions. The June 2023 roster includes non-university hosts and one paused institute. Announced closures may take effect later.Confucius Institutes in the U.S.Reported U.S. institute counts0255075100125Institutes20062010201520202023Observation year2006: 11 institutes. National Association of Scholars. Retrospective source count; no month/day or continuous annual series is inferred.112007: 31 institutes. National Association of Scholars. Retrospective source count; no month/day or continuous annual series is inferred.31Sep 29, 2014: 100 institutes. China Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Official statement; source counting definitions not independently harmonized.1002015: 109 institutes. National Association of Scholars. Retrospective source count; no month/day or continuous annual series is inferred.109Reported by 2017: 103 institutes. National Association of Scholars. Report-period snapshot from the April 2017 report, amended June 2017; no exact measurement month or end-of-year census is inferred.103Nov 18, 2021: 30 institutes. USC US-China Institute. Some included programs had announced future closures.30Apr 2022: 18 institutes. Congressional Research Service. Includes four announced closures, one institute under review and four non-college hosts. CRS attributes the count to NAS.18Reported by Jun 22, 2023: 10 institutes. National Association of Scholars. Includes non-university hosts and one paused program. Listed, not ten independently verified operating institutes.10Sources: CRS, Foreign Ministry, NAS, NAS roster, USC. Sources use different coverage definitions. The June 2023roster includes non-university hosts and one paused institute. Announced closures may take effect later.
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Reports counted different kinds of hosts. The campus-only figures are shown separately below; a paused institute is not silently treated as operating.

College and university campuses only
Confucius Institutes on U.S. campusesCampus-only reports. GAO reports fewer than five as of July 2023. The December 2022 figure is approximate.Confucius Institutes on U.S. campusesInstitutes at college and university campuses0255075100125Institutes201820192020202120222023Observation yearDec 2018: 96 institutes. U.S. Government Accountability Office. Confucius Institutes at U.S. colleges and universities96Dec 2022: About 7 institutes. Congressional Research Service. CRS reports the National Academies' college/university count, approximately seven.About 7Jul 2023: Fewer than 5 institutes. U.S. Government Accountability Office. Operating Confucius Institutes at U.S. colleges and universitiesFewer than 5Sources: CRS, GAO. Campus-only reports. GAO reports fewer than five as of July 2023. The December 2022 figure isapproximate.
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All reported values & definitions
ReferenceReported countWhat is countedUnitSourceScope
2018-1296campus stockinstitutesU.S. Government Accountability OfficeConfucius Institutes at U.S. colleges and universities
2022-12About 7campus stockinstitutesCongressional Research ServiceCRS reports the National Academies' college/university count, approximately seven.
2023-07Fewer than 5campus stockinstitutesU.S. Government Accountability OfficeOperating Confucius Institutes at U.S. colleges and universities
2026-10-2410directory listingslisted institutesChinese International Education FoundationDirectory entries only, not a verified current operating count.
200611reported stockinstitutesNational Association of ScholarsRetrospective source count; no month/day or continuous annual series is inferred.
200731reported stockinstitutesNational Association of ScholarsRetrospective source count; no month/day or continuous annual series is inferred.
2014-09-29100reported stockinstitutesChina Ministry of Foreign AffairsOfficial statement; source counting definitions not independently harmonized.
2015109reported stockinstitutesNational Association of ScholarsRetrospective source count; no month/day or continuous annual series is inferred.
2017103reported stockinstitutesNational Association of ScholarsReport-period snapshot from the April 2017 report, amended June 2017; no exact measurement month or end-of-year census is inferred.
2021-11-1830reported stockinstitutesUSC US-China InstituteSome included programs had announced future closures.
2022-0418reported stockinstitutesCongressional Research ServiceIncludes four announced closures, one institute under review and four non-college hosts. CRS attributes the count to NAS.
2023-06-2210reported stockinstitutesNational Association of ScholarsIncludes non-university hosts and one paused program. Listed, not ten independently verified operating institutes.
2022-065documented transfersinstitutionsNational Association of ScholarsCounts are source-coded institutions and may overlap; not an active-program census.

Successor & rebranded programs

Institutions identified by NAS | not a census of programs open now

Documented successors to Confucius InstitutesCumulative source documentation, not an operating stock. Proposed replacements, retained partnerships and transferred institutes are separate, potentially overlapping categories; they are not added to these counts.Documented successors to Confucius InstitutesInstitutions identified by NAS | not a census of programs open now010203040Institutions20222023Observation yearReported by Jun 2022: 28 institutions. National Association of Scholars. Counts are source-coded institutions and may overlap; not an active-program census.28Reported by Jun 22, 2023: At least 28 institutions. National Association of Scholars. U.S. institutions reported by NAS to have replaced their institute with a similar program; not a current operating-program censusAt least 28Sources: NAS. Cumulative source documentation, not an operating stock. Proposed replacements, retained partnershipsand transferred institutes are separate, potentially overlapping categories; they are not added to these counts.
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NAS reported 28 institutions with replacement programs in June 2022 and at least 28 in June 2023. These are cumulative documented cases, not a count still operating now. Twelve proposed replacements and 58 retained partnerships in the 2022 report are different, overlapping categories.

All reported values & definitions
ReferenceReported countWhat is countedUnitSourceScope
2022-0658retained partnershipsinstitutionsNational Association of ScholarsCounts are source-coded institutions and may overlap; not an active-program census.
2022-0628documented replacementsinstitutionsNational Association of ScholarsCounts are source-coded institutions and may overlap; not an active-program census.
2023-06-22At least 28documented replacementsinstitutionsNational Association of ScholarsU.S. institutions reported by NAS to have replaced their institute with a similar program; not a current operating-program census
2022-0612proposed replacementsinstitutionsNational Association of ScholarsCounts are source-coded institutions and may overlap; not an active-program census.
Explore the operator’s directory

U.S. directory retrieved Oct 24, 2026. Every returned entry is included below and in the download. Listing is not proof that a program remains open. The source includes a university-named classroom entry; these seven names cannot be read as a K-12 school census.

The operator's U.S. directoryComplete U.S.-filtered CIEF directory response. Program names identify the categories; the API's website enable field is not operating status. The classroom list is not a national K-12 school census.The operator's U.S. directoryListed institutes and classroom programs | operation not verified02.557.51012.5Classroom programs: 7 listed classroom programs. Chinese International Education Foundation. Directory entries only, not a verified current operating count.Classroom programs · CIEF directory7Institutes: 10 listed institutes. Chinese International Education Foundation. Directory entries only, not a verified current operating count.Institutes · CIEF directory10Sources: CIEF directory. Complete U.S.-filtered CIEF directory response. Program names identify the categories; theAPI's website enable field is not operating status. The classroom list is not a national K-12 school census.
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Definitions & sources

Snapshots retain their original reference dates, including year-only and month-only observations. A report upload, webpage modification or retrieval in a later year does not make an old count current. No annual observations or national operating totals are inferred from partial inventories.

Successor counts retain NAS attribution and its broader definition of replacement. A proposal, a continuing partner relationship and a host transfer are not automatically completed rebrands. The supporting workbook has 29 R-coded rows, including prospective or ambiguous descriptions; these flags are retained, not substituted for a current operating total. Schools and districts are not interchangeable counting units.

GAO selected facts use an explicitly identified, versioned transcription; its checksum is not a checksum of the publisher PDF. Other numerical inputs retain publisher-response checksums. Only factual aggregates and selected factual record fields are redistributed, not report text or artwork.

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Complete observations, records & sources · JSON

All observations & definitions · CSV · All selected institution & directory records · CSV