Net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) in Australia
Australia: Net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) was 234,978 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
234,978
Change on year
up 23.8%
World rank
3rd
of 126 countries
All-time high
259,740
in 2019
All-time low
50,252
in 2000
Years of data
26
1998–2023
Net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) in Australia, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2023, net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) in Australia stood at 234,978.
That represents a change of up 23.8% on the previous year and up 88.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) in Australia peaked at 259,740 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 50,252, in 2000.
That places Australia 3rd out of 126 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) in Australia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 51,037 | — |
| 1999 | 54,521 | +6.8% |
| 2000 | 50,252 | -7.8% |
| 2001 | 58,411 | +16.2% |
| 2002 | 88,514 | +51.5% |
| 2003 | 93,387 | +5.5% |
| 2004 | 82,444 | -11.7% |
| 2005 | 87,878 | +6.6% |
| 2006 | 91,268 | +3.9% |
| 2007 | 104,098 | +14.1% |
| 2008 | 112,758 | +8.3% |
| 2009 | 124,429 | +10.4% |
| 2010 | 129,097 | +3.8% |
| 2011 | 123,581 | -4.3% |
| 2012 | 123,139 | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 124,938 | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 135,058 | +8.1% |
| 2015 | 152,140 | +12.6% |
| 2016 | 172,761 | +13.6% |
| 2017 | 192,463 | +11.4% |
| 2018 | 227,764 | +18.3% |
| 2019 | 259,740 | +14.0% |
| 2020 | 230,110 | -11.4% |
| 2021 | 187,847 | -18.4% |
| 2022 | 189,831 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 234,978 | +23.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 52,779 | 51,037 | 54,521 | 2 |
| 2000s | 89,344 | 50,252 | 124,429 | 10 |
| 2010s | 164,068 | 123,139 | 259,740 | 10 |
| 2020s | 210,692 | 187,847 | 234,978 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 1 Montserrat -23 compare
- 1 United States of America 471,919 compare
- 2 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 344,532 compare
- 2 Niue -36 compare
- 3 Tokelau -70 compare
- 4 Anguilla -151 compare
- 4 Canada 185,233 compare
- 5 Cook Islands -231 compare
- 5 Germany 169,264 compare
- 6 Türkiye 118,907 compare
More education data for Australia
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.65 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.4191 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 105,469 (1999)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.8279 % change on previous year (1999)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.26 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.579 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.39 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.2746 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 609,231 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 2.75 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) in Australia?
- Net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) in Australia was 234,978 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 259,740 in 2019.
- What is the lowest net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 50,252 in 2000.
- How does Australia rank for net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound)?
- Australia ranks 3rd out of 126 countries with data for 2023.
- Is net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 88.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound), male (UIS estimate) (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release