Share of students from abroad in Samoa
Samoa: Share of students from abroad was 5.2% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of students from abroad in Samoa, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, share of students from abroad in Samoa stood at 5.2%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.0% on the previous year and up 93.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of students from abroad in Samoa peaked at 11.2% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 2.5%, in 2020.
That places Samoa 66th out of 134 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 10 years of available data.
Share of students from abroad in Samoa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 7.4% | — |
| 1999 | 5.3% | -28.7% |
| 2000 | 11.2% | +111.1% |
| 2017 | 2.7% | -76.1% |
| 2018 | 3.6% | +33.5% |
| 2019 | 5.8% | +64.3% |
| 2020 | 2.5% | -57.4% |
| 2021 | 4.0% | +62.3% |
| 2022 | 5.0% | +24.2% |
| 2023 | 5.2% | +3.0% |
Samoa compared with similar countries
- Samoa's 5.2% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.0%, 1.7× the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Samoa's 5.2% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.7%, 1.1× the median. (18 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.4% | 5.3% | 7.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 11.2% | 11.2% | 11.2% | 1 |
| 2010s | 4.0% | 2.7% | 5.8% | 3 |
| 2020s | 4.2% | 2.5% | 5.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Samoa
More education data for Samoa
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1,211 (2010)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 397 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2,580 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2,585 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 25,964 (2016)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 34,962 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.1171 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1604 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of students from abroad in Samoa?
- Share of students from abroad in Samoa was 5.2% 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 Samoa?
- The highest recorded value was 11.2% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of students from abroad recorded in Samoa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.5% in 2020.
- How does Samoa rank for share of students from abroad?
- Samoa ranks 66th out of 134 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of students from abroad rising or falling in Samoa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 93.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Samoa 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 — 10 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.