Many of China’s wealthy are fleeing their home country and settling in the United States, where better schools and other opportunities await.

The 2012 Annual Report of Chinese International Migration shows immigration from China is growing, with most heading to the U.S. Nearly 90,000 Chinese became permanent U.S. residents in 2011.

The migration includes a significant number of rich Chinese. At least 25% of those worth more than $16 million have fled the country, and nearly half of this group (47%) is thinking of leaving, according to the report.

The United Nations reported last year that the number of foreign-born Chinese Americans in the U.S. doubled between 2000 and 2010. There are about 3.8 million Chinese in the country, of which 2.2 million were born in China.

The Chinese ex-pats cite various reasons for leaving their Asian homeland, including “political reform, infrastructure improvements, pollution, and education,” according to the study. However, the single biggest motivator, by far, is their dissatisfaction with China’s education system.

About 80% say they want a better education for their children, and hope to find it in the U.S. or the other countries to which they’ve relocated.

Parents say China’s schools emphasize too much rote learning, taking tests, and “patriotic education” approved by the Communist Party. Departing China, Mark Kitto explained in a farewell letter, according to GlobalPost, that “one overriding reason” for leaving his home country was “want[ing] to give my children a decent education. The domestic Chinese lower education system does not educate. It is a test center. And then there is the propaganda.”

-Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn More:

Why Chinese Immigrants Choose America (by Benjamin Carlson, GlobalPost)

Chinese Immigration to US Still Rising (by Kelly Chung Dawson, China Daily)

Chinese Internet Goes Down after Release of Details of Corruption of Government Leaders (by Noel Brinkerhoff and Danny Biederman, AllGov)

Border Patrol Dealing with Increased Illegal Immigrants from China (by Danny Biederman and Noel Brinkerhoff)

Real Anchor Babies…From China, Not Mexico (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)