Share of students from abroad in Romania
Romania: Share of students from abroad was 6.7% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Share of students from abroad in Romania, 1999–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Romania recorded 6.7% for share of students from abroad in 2023. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 7.1% on the previous year and up 92.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of students from abroad in Romania peaked at 6.7% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 2009.
Romania ranks 58th of 134 countries on this measure, 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 Romania, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 3.3% | — |
| 2000 | 2.8% | -14.6% |
| 2001 | 2.2% | -21.3% |
| 2002 | 1.8% | -16.8% |
| 2003 | 1.5% | -17.1% |
| 2004 | 1.5% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 1.5% | -4.3% |
| 2006 | 1.0% | -29.7% |
| 2007 | 1.0% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 1.3% | +29.7% |
| 2009 | 0.9% | -28.0% |
| 2010 | 1.3% | +42.6% |
| 2011 | 1.8% | +36.9% |
| 2012 | 2.4% | +32.4% |
| 2013 | 3.5% | +42.9% |
| 2014 | 4.1% | +16.7% |
| 2015 | 4.3% | +4.6% |
| 2016 | 4.8% | +13.3% |
| 2017 | 5.2% | +7.3% |
| 2018 | 5.4% | +4.4% |
| 2019 | 5.7% | +5.1% |
| 2020 | 6.0% | +5.6% |
| 2021 | 6.0% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 6.3% | +4.2% |
| 2023 | 6.7% | +7.1% |
Romania compared with similar countries
- Romania's 6.7% is below the median for high income countries, which is 10.6%, 64% of the median. (60 countries reporting)
- Romania's 6.7% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 9.9%, 68% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 1.6% | 0.9% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.9% | 1.3% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.3% | 6.0% | 6.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Romania
More education data for Romania
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 125,405 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 14,415 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 267,679 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 254,147 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.43 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 873,154 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.7448 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0458 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of students from abroad in Romania?
- Share of students from abroad in Romania was 6.7% in 2023, 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 Romania?
- The highest recorded value was 6.7% in 2023.
- What is the lowest share of students from abroad recorded in Romania?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 2009.
- How does Romania rank for share of students from abroad?
- Romania ranks 58th out of 134 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of students from abroad rising or falling in Romania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 92.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Romania 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.