Outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in in South Africa
South Africa: Outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in was 982 in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in in South Africa, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2023, outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in in South Africa stood at 982. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.
The figure is up 386.1% on the previous year and up 414.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in in South Africa peaked at 982 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1970.
That places South Africa 19th out of 235 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.
Outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0 | — |
| 1971 | 0 | — |
| 1972 | 0 | — |
| 1973 | 0 | — |
| 1974 | 0 | — |
| 1975 | 0 | — |
| 1976 | 0 | — |
| 1977 | 0 | — |
| 1978 | 0 | — |
| 1979 | 0 | — |
| 1980 | 0 | — |
| 1981 | 0 | — |
| 1982 | 0 | — |
| 1983 | 0 | — |
| 1984 | 0 | — |
| 1985 | 0 | — |
| 1986 | 0 | — |
| 1987 | 0 | — |
| 1988 | 0 | — |
| 1989 | 0 | — |
| 1990 | 0 | — |
| 1991 | 0 | — |
| 1992 | 0 | — |
| 1993 | 0 | — |
| 1994 | 0 | — |
| 1995 | 0 | — |
| 1996 | 0 | — |
| 1997 | 0 | — |
| 1998 | 158 | — |
| 1999 | 158 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 2001 | 0 | — |
| 2002 | 0 | — |
| 2003 | 0 | — |
| 2004 | 0 | — |
| 2005 | 0 | — |
| 2006 | 0 | — |
| 2007 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 188 | — |
| 2009 | 213 | +13.3% |
| 2010 | 237 | +11.3% |
| 2011 | 229 | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 167 | -27.1% |
| 2013 | 191 | +14.4% |
| 2014 | 230 | +20.4% |
| 2015 | 207 | -10.0% |
| 2016 | 232 | +12.1% |
| 2017 | 201 | -13.4% |
| 2018 | 230 | +14.4% |
| 2019 | 224 | -2.6% |
| 2020 | 220 | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 197 | -10.5% |
| 2022 | 202 | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 982 | +386.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1990s | 31.6 | 0 | 158 | 10 |
| 2000s | 40.1 | 0 | 213 | 10 |
| 2010s | 214.8 | 167 | 237 | 10 |
| 2020s | 400.25 | 197 | 982 | 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 outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in in South Africa?
- Outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in in South Africa was 982 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 982 in 2023.
- What is the lowest outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1970.
- How does South Africa rank for outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in?
- South Africa ranks 19th out of 235 countries with data for 2023.
- Is outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 414.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in sub-Saharan Africa, male (UIS estimate) (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release