Share of students from abroad in Cyprus
Cyprus: Share of students from abroad was 21.6% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Share of students from abroad in Cyprus, 1999–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Cyprus recorded 21.6% for share of students from abroad in 2024.
The figure is down 2.8% on the previous year and up 50.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of students from abroad in Cyprus peaked at 32.0% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 14.3%, in 2014.
That places Cyprus 16th out of 134 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Share of students from abroad in Cyprus, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 17.2% | — |
| 2000 | 19.4% | +13.3% |
| 2001 | 20.7% | +6.5% |
| 2002 | 22.0% | +6.0% |
| 2003 | 28.9% | +31.7% |
| 2004 | 32.0% | +10.8% |
| 2005 | 24.4% | -23.9% |
| 2006 | 25.8% | +5.8% |
| 2007 | 25.1% | -2.5% |
| 2008 | 27.9% | +11.1% |
| 2009 | 31.8% | +13.7% |
| 2010 | 31.9% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 28.0% | -12.3% |
| 2012 | 23.5% | -16.2% |
| 2013 | 14.9% | -36.6% |
| 2014 | 14.3% | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 17.5% | +22.2% |
| 2016 | 19.1% | +9.2% |
| 2017 | 23.1% | +20.6% |
| 2018 | 23.9% | +3.5% |
| 2019 | 26.1% | +9.0% |
| 2020 | 27.2% | +4.3% |
| 2021 | 21.8% | -19.7% |
| 2022 | 20.2% | -7.2% |
| 2023 | 22.3% | +10.0% |
| 2024 | 21.6% | -2.8% |
Cyprus compared with similar countries
- Cyprus's 21.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 10.6%, 2.0× the median. (60 countries reporting)
- Cyprus's 21.6% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 9.9%, 2.2× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17.2% | 17.2% | 17.2% | 1 |
| 2000s | 25.8% | 19.4% | 32.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.2% | 14.3% | 31.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.6% | 20.2% | 27.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Cyprus
More education data for Cyprus
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 8,083 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 137 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 14,059 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 13,211 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 61,230 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 60,596 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.28 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0446 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of students from abroad in Cyprus?
- Share of students from abroad in Cyprus was 21.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of students from abroad recorded in Cyprus?
- The highest recorded value was 32.0% in 2004.
- What is the lowest share of students from abroad recorded in Cyprus?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.3% in 2014.
- How does Cyprus rank for share of students from abroad?
- Cyprus ranks 16th out of 134 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of students from abroad rising or falling in Cyprus?
- Over the last ten years it is up 50.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Cyprus data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of students from abroad. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
International students as a share of the country's overall tertiary enrollment. International students are those who move from their home countries for education, identified based on their past education, residence, or distinct immigration regulations.