Net flow ratio of internationally mobile students (inbound) in South Africa
South Africa: Net flow ratio of internationally mobile students (inbound) was 1.7% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Net flow ratio of internationally mobile students (inbound) in South Africa, 2012–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 1.7% for net flow ratio of internationally mobile students (inbound) in 2023.
The figure is up 52.5% on the previous year and down 32.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, net flow ratio of internationally mobile students (inbound) in South Africa peaked at 2.6% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 2022.
That places South Africa 40th out of 105 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.
Net flow ratio of internationally mobile students (inbound) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 2.6% | — |
| 2013 | 2.5% | -3.4% |
| 2014 | 2.5% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 2.4% | -3.4% |
| 2016 | 2.5% | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 2.3% | -6.7% |
| 2018 | 1.9% | -19.2% |
| 2019 | 1.8% | -4.0% |
| 2020 | 1.4% | -21.9% |
| 2021 | 1.3% | -4.4% |
| 2022 | 1.1% | -17.4% |
| 2023 | 1.7% | +52.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 2.3% | 1.8% | 2.6% | 8 |
| 2020s | 1.4% | 1.1% | 1.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 181,739 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 339,638 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 410,708 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 407,696 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.50 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.52 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.119 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is net flow ratio of internationally mobile students (inbound) in South Africa?
- Net flow ratio of internationally mobile students (inbound) in South Africa was 1.7% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest net flow ratio of internationally mobile students (inbound) recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 2.6% in 2012.
- What is the lowest net flow ratio of internationally mobile students (inbound) recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 2022.
- How does South Africa rank for net flow ratio of internationally mobile students (inbound)?
- South Africa ranks 40th out of 105 countries with data for 2023.
- Is net flow ratio of internationally mobile students (inbound) rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Net flow ratio of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound), female (UIS estimate) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release