Share of students studying abroad in Denmark
Denmark: Share of students studying abroad was 2.0% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of students studying abroad in Denmark, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, share of students studying abroad in Denmark stood at 2.0%.
That represents a change of up 3.6% on the previous year and up 10.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of students studying abroad in Denmark peaked at 3.4% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 2015.
That places Denmark 141st out of 175 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Share of students studying abroad in Denmark, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 3.2% | — |
| 1999 | 3.3% | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 3.4% | +3.8% |
| 2001 | 3.2% | -4.8% |
| 2002 | 3.3% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 3.2% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 2.4% | -25.8% |
| 2005 | 2.3% | -5.2% |
| 2006 | 2.2% | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 2.2% | -3.2% |
| 2008 | 2.2% | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 2.3% | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 2.3% | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 2.4% | +3.7% |
| 2012 | 2.1% | -10.2% |
| 2013 | 1.8% | -15.0% |
| 2014 | 1.8% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 1.6% | -11.4% |
| 2016 | 1.6% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 1.7% | +5.6% |
| 2018 | 1.9% | +12.3% |
| 2019 | 1.9% | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 2.0% | +3.6% |
| 2021 | 1.9% | -4.2% |
| 2022 | 1.9% | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 2.0% | +3.6% |
Denmark compared with similar countries
- Denmark's 2.0% is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.3%, 38% of the median. (67 countries reporting)
- Denmark's 2.0% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6.1%, 33% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.3% | 3.2% | 3.3% | 2 |
| 2000s | 2.7% | 2.2% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.9% | 1.6% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.9% | 1.9% | 2.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
More education data for Denmark
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 50,935 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 2,888 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 94,481 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 88,072 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 522,143 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 432,238 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.8558 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0723 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of students studying abroad in Denmark?
- Share of students studying abroad in Denmark was 2.0% 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 Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 3.4% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of students studying abroad recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 2015.
- How does Denmark rank for share of students studying abroad?
- Denmark ranks 141st out of 175 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of students studying abroad rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Denmark 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.