Share of students from abroad in Netherlands
Netherlands: Share of students from abroad was 13.7% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Share of students from abroad in Netherlands, 1999–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2021, share of students from abroad in Netherlands stood at 13.7%. That is the highest value across all 20 years on record.
The figure is up 3.0% on the previous year and up 179.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of students from abroad in Netherlands peaked at 13.7% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 2.9%, in 2000.
That places Netherlands 30th out of 134 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of students from abroad in Netherlands, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 2.9% | — |
| 2000 | 2.9% | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 3.3% | +14.5% |
| 2002 | 3.7% | +11.0% |
| 2003 | 3.9% | +6.7% |
| 2004 | 4.8% | +23.5% |
| 2005 | 4.7% | -3.0% |
| 2006 | 4.7% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 4.7% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 5.0% | +7.3% |
| 2009 | 3.8% | -23.3% |
| 2010 | 4.3% | +12.3% |
| 2011 | 4.9% | +14.5% |
| 2012 | 7.2% | +47.3% |
| 2015 | 10.2% | +41.2% |
| 2016 | 10.7% | +5.0% |
| 2017 | 11.0% | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 11.7% | +6.3% |
| 2020 | 13.3% | +13.9% |
| 2021 | 13.7% | +3.0% |
Netherlands compared with similar countries
- Netherlands's 13.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 10.6%, 1.3× the median. (60 countries reporting)
- Netherlands's 13.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 4.1% | 2.9% | 5.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.6% | 4.3% | 11.7% | 7 |
| 2020s | 13.5% | 13.3% | 13.7% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
More education data for Netherlands
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 118,472 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 23,856 (1985)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 247,743 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 240,049 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.61 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.14 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.0937 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.064 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of students from abroad in Netherlands?
- Share of students from abroad in Netherlands was 13.7% in 2021, 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 Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 13.7% in 2021.
- What is the lowest share of students from abroad recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.9% in 2000.
- How does Netherlands rank for share of students from abroad?
- Netherlands ranks 30th out of 134 countries with data for 2021.
- Is share of students from abroad rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is up 179.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Netherlands 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 — 20 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.