Share of students studying abroad in Germany
Germany: Share of students studying abroad was 3.8% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of students studying abroad in Germany, 2013–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Germany recorded 3.8% for share of students studying abroad in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.5% on the previous year and down 11.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of students studying abroad in Germany peaked at 4.3% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 3.7%, in 2019.
Germany ranks 112th of 175 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.
Share of students studying abroad in Germany, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 4.3% | — |
| 2014 | 4.1% | -6.1% |
| 2015 | 3.9% | -3.4% |
| 2016 | 3.9% | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 4.0% | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 3.9% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 3.7% | -5.0% |
| 2020 | 3.8% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 3.8% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 3.8% | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 3.8% | +2.5% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 3.8% is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.3%, 73% of the median. (67 countries reporting)
- Germany's 3.8% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6.1%, 63% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 4.0% | 3.7% | 4.3% | 7 |
| 2020s | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More education data for Germany
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 618,670 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 15,242 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.35 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.27 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.97 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.31 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.83 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0396 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of students studying abroad in Germany?
- Share of students studying abroad in Germany was 3.8% 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 Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 4.3% in 2013.
- What is the lowest share of students studying abroad recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.7% in 2019.
- How does Germany rank for share of students studying abroad?
- Germany ranks 112th out of 175 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of students studying abroad rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Germany 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.