Net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) in Canada
Canada: Net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) was 185,233 in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) in Canada, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Canada recorded 185,233 for net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) in 2023. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 18.9% on the previous year and up 208.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) in Canada peaked at 185,233 in 2023 and was at its lowest, -13,534, in 1998.
That places Canada 4th out of 126 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) in Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | -13,534 | — |
| 1999 | -12,233 | -9.6% |
| 2000 | -10,556 | -13.7% |
| 2001 | -10,288 | -2.5% |
| 2002 | -10,135 | -1.5% |
| 2003 | -6,856 | -32.4% |
| 2004 | -3,897 | -43.2% |
| 2005 | -4,903 | +25.8% |
| 2006 | -6,382 | +30.2% |
| 2007 | 5,702 | -189.3% |
| 2008 | 6,077 | +6.6% |
| 2009 | 5,841 | -3.9% |
| 2010 | 11,687 | +100.1% |
| 2011 | 20,025 | +71.3% |
| 2012 | 51,649 | +157.9% |
| 2013 | 60,123 | +16.4% |
| 2014 | 67,445 | +12.2% |
| 2015 | 70,452 | +4.5% |
| 2016 | 78,967 | +12.1% |
| 2017 | 89,788 | +13.7% |
| 2018 | 97,296 | +8.4% |
| 2019 | 127,446 | +31.0% |
| 2020 | 150,032 | +17.7% |
| 2021 | 143,741 | -4.2% |
| 2022 | 155,800 | +8.4% |
| 2023 | 185,233 | +18.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -12,884 | -13,534 | -12,233 | 2 |
| 2000s | -3,540 | -10,556 | 6,077 | 10 |
| 2010s | 67,488 | 11,687 | 127,446 | 10 |
| 2020s | 158,702 | 143,741 | 185,233 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 1 Montserrat -23 compare
- 1 United States 471,919 compare
- 2 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 344,532 compare
- 2 Niue -36 compare
- 3 Australia 234,978 compare
- 3 Tokelau -70 compare
- 4 Anguilla -151 compare
- 5 Cook Islands -231 compare
- 5 Germany 169,264 compare
- 6 Türkiye 118,907 compare
- 7 Japan 87,402 compare
More education data for Canada
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 1.28 % change on previous year (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 96,008 (2000)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 45,037 (2000)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.03 million (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 0.2105 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 808,725 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 2.66 % change on previous year (2023)
- Theoretical duration of primary education (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) in Canada?
- Net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) in Canada was 185,233 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 185,233 in 2023.
- What is the lowest net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was -13,534 in 1998.
- How does Canada rank for net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound)?
- Canada ranks 4th out of 126 countries with data for 2023.
- Is net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 208.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Canada 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