The number of foreigners wanting to study in China has been rising by approximately 20% annually since the reform and opening period began. According to official government figures 195,503 overseas students from 188 countries and regions came to study on the mainland in 2007 although the number is believed to be somewhere around 300,000 students, because the government's figures do not include students studying at private language schools. This makes China the world's sixth-largest study abroad destination. As of 2018, China is the most popular country in Asia for international students, and the second most popular education powerhouse in the world after the United States.