Share of students from abroad in Germany
Germany: Share of students from abroad was 13.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of students from abroad in Germany, 2013–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of students from abroad in Germany is 13.4%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 12 years on record.
The figure is up 5.6% on the previous year and up 85.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of students from abroad in Germany peaked at 13.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 7.1%, in 2013.
That places Germany 31st out of 134 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Share of students from abroad in Germany, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 7.1% | — |
| 2014 | 7.2% | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 7.7% | +6.3% |
| 2016 | 8.0% | +4.6% |
| 2017 | 8.4% | +4.2% |
| 2018 | 10.0% | +19.0% |
| 2019 | 10.1% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 11.2% | +11.2% |
| 2021 | 11.2% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 12.0% | +6.8% |
| 2023 | 12.7% | +5.7% |
| 2024 | 13.4% | +5.6% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 13.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 10.6%, 1.3× the median. (60 countries reporting)
- Germany's 13.4% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 9.9%, 1.4× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 8.4% | 7.1% | 10.1% | 7 |
| 2020s | 12.1% | 11.2% | 13.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More education data for Germany
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 618,670 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 15,242 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.35 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.27 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.97 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.31 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.83 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0396 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of students from abroad in Germany?
- Share of students from abroad in Germany was 13.4% 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 Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 13.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of students from abroad recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.1% in 2013.
- How does Germany rank for share of students from abroad?
- Germany ranks 31st out of 134 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of students from abroad rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is up 85.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Germany 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.