China (People’s Republic of) vs India: Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying
China (People’s Republic of)
1.08 million
in 2023
India
833,835
in 2023
China (People’s Republic of) rank
1st
India rank
2nd
Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying over time
- China (People’s Republic of)
- India
How they compare
China (People’s Republic of) currently reports 1.08 million against 833,835 in India, a difference of 242,185.
That makes China (People’s Republic of)'s figure about 1.3 times India's.
Across all 26 years both countries report, China (People’s Republic of) has been ahead every year.
China (People’s Republic of) ranks 1st and India ranks 2nd of 205 countries.
China (People’s Republic of) has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China (People’s Republic of) | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 136,068 | 59,726 | 76,342 | China (People’s Republic of) |
| 2000s | 329,926 | 136,416 | 193,509 | China (People’s Republic of) |
| 2010s | 807,084 | 278,614 | 528,471 | China (People’s Republic of) |
| 2020s | 1.07 million | 628,403 | 443,354 | China (People’s Republic of) |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying, China (People’s Republic of) or India?
- China (People’s Republic of), at 1.08 million against 833,835 in India as of 2023.
- What is the difference in total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying between China (People’s Republic of) and India?
- 242,185, with China (People’s Republic of) ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China (People’s Republic of) and India?
- 26 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2023.
- How do China (People’s Republic of) and India rank globally for total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying?
- China (People’s Republic of) ranks 1st and India ranks 2nd of 205 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroad, all countries, both sexes (UIS estimate) (number). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release