Share of students from abroad in Mexico
Mexico: Share of students from abroad was 2.0% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of students from abroad in Mexico, 1999–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of students from abroad in Mexico stood at 2.0%. That is the highest value across all 14 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 45.6% on the previous year and up 740.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of students from abroad in Mexico peaked at 2.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2002.
That places Mexico 94th out of 134 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of students from abroad in Mexico, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 0.1% | — |
| 2001 | 0.1% | -23.9% |
| 2002 | 0.1% | -7.1% |
| 2013 | 0.2% | +175.8% |
| 2015 | 0.3% | +17.0% |
| 2016 | 0.3% | +4.9% |
| 2017 | 0.6% | +90.2% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | -72.1% |
| 2019 | 0.7% | +346.6% |
| 2020 | 0.9% | +24.6% |
| 2021 | 1.0% | +17.0% |
| 2022 | 1.2% | +14.1% |
| 2023 | 1.4% | +19.3% |
| 2024 | 2.0% | +45.6% |
Mexico compared with similar countries
- Mexico's 2.0% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.0%, 67% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Mexico's 2.0% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 2.2%, 91% of the median. (17 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of students from abroad in Mexico changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | +346.6% | 0.2% | 0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.7% | 6 |
| 2020s | 1.3% | 0.9% | 2.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Mexico
- 91 Cuba 2.2% compare
- 92 Ukraine 2.2% compare
- 93 Cote d'Ivoire 2.2% compare
- 95 Dominican Republic 1.9% compare
- 96 Burkina Faso 1.9% compare
- 97 Morocco 1.9% compare
More education data for Mexico
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 868,550 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 96,349 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.14 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.11 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 13.99 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 13.19 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of students from abroad in Mexico?
- Share of students from abroad in Mexico was 2.0% 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 Mexico?
- The highest recorded value was 2.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of students from abroad recorded in Mexico?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2002.
- How does Mexico rank for share of students from abroad?
- Mexico ranks 94th out of 134 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of students from abroad rising or falling in Mexico?
- Over the last ten years it is up 740.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Mexico 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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CSV · JSON — 14 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.