Share of students studying abroad in Cuba
Cuba: Share of students studying abroad was 1.5% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Share of students studying abroad in Cuba, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Cuba recorded 1.5% for share of students studying abroad in 2023. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 48.5% on the previous year and up 156.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of students studying abroad in Cuba peaked at 1.5% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2008.
Cuba ranks 154th of 175 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of students studying abroad in Cuba, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 1.4% | — |
| 1999 | 0.9% | -32.0% |
| 2000 | 1.1% | +19.6% |
| 2001 | 0.8% | -28.4% |
| 2002 | 0.8% | -2.0% |
| 2003 | 0.8% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 0.3% | -57.9% |
| 2005 | 0.3% | -9.7% |
| 2006 | 0.2% | -25.6% |
| 2007 | 0.2% | -17.9% |
| 2008 | 0.2% | -2.4% |
| 2009 | 0.2% | +11.9% |
| 2010 | 0.3% | +42.6% |
| 2011 | 0.4% | +25.1% |
| 2012 | 0.4% | +24.8% |
| 2013 | 0.6% | +30.7% |
| 2014 | 0.7% | +24.4% |
| 2015 | 0.9% | +21.4% |
| 2016 | 0.9% | +6.2% |
| 2017 | 0.9% | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 0.8% | -7.1% |
| 2019 | 0.9% | +3.4% |
| 2020 | 1.1% | +20.8% |
| 2021 | 1.0% | -4.3% |
| 2023 | 1.5% | +48.5% |
Cuba compared with similar countries
- Cuba's 1.5% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.1%, 29% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
- Cuba's 1.5% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 2.7%, 56% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.2% | 0.9% | 1.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 0.5% | 0.2% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.7% | 0.3% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.2% | 1.0% | 1.5% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Cuba
More education data for Cuba
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 78,576 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 4,635 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 171,121 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 162,406 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 662,491 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 698,052 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -3.62 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2020)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0636 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of students studying abroad in Cuba?
- Share of students studying abroad in Cuba was 1.5% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of students studying abroad recorded in Cuba?
- The highest recorded value was 1.5% in 2023.
- What is the lowest share of students studying abroad recorded in Cuba?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2008.
- How does Cuba rank for share of students studying abroad?
- Cuba ranks 154th out of 175 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of students studying abroad rising or falling in Cuba?
- Over the last ten years it is up 156.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Cuba 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 studying abroad. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of a country's tertiary level students studying abroad as international students. International students are those that move from their home countries for education, identified based on their past education, residence, or distinct immigration regulations.