Share of students studying abroad in India
India: Share of students studying abroad was 1.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share of students studying abroad in India, 2000–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
India recorded 1.9% for share of students studying abroad in 2023. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
That represents a change of up 25.3% on the previous year and up 181.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of students studying abroad in India peaked at 1.9% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.7%, in 2012.
That places India 142nd out of 175 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Share of students studying abroad in India, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.7% | — |
| 2001 | 0.9% | +20.5% |
| 2002 | 1.0% | +14.7% |
| 2003 | 1.1% | +8.1% |
| 2004 | 1.1% | +7.5% |
| 2005 | 1.3% | +9.6% |
| 2006 | 1.1% | -8.2% |
| 2007 | 1.1% | -3.3% |
| 2008 | 1.1% | -2.6% |
| 2009 | 1.1% | +3.4% |
| 2010 | 1.0% | -10.2% |
| 2011 | 0.8% | -23.4% |
| 2012 | 0.7% | -11.7% |
| 2013 | 0.7% | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 0.7% | +5.0% |
| 2015 | 0.8% | +11.4% |
| 2016 | 1.0% | +17.3% |
| 2017 | 1.0% | +8.8% |
| 2018 | 1.1% | +7.7% |
| 2019 | 1.3% | +19.1% |
| 2020 | 1.4% | +9.1% |
| 2021 | 1.3% | -7.2% |
| 2022 | 1.6% | +15.6% |
| 2023 | 1.9% | +25.3% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 1.9% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.8%, 29% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
- India's 1.9% is below the median for South Asia, which is 15.2%, 13% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.0% | 0.7% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.9% | 0.7% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.6% | 1.3% | 1.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near India
- 139 Spain 2.1% compare
- 140 Honduras 2.1% compare
- 141 Denmark 2.0% compare
- 143 Netherlands 1.9% compare
- 144 Bangladesh 1.9% compare
- 145 New Zealand 1.9% compare
More education data for India
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.31 million (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 3.10 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 19.37 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 18.52 million (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 133.16 million (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 126.12 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -8.85 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0862 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of students studying abroad in India?
- Share of students studying abroad in India was 1.9% 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 1.9% in 2023.
- What is the lowest share of students studying abroad recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7% in 2012.
- How does India rank for share of students studying abroad?
- India ranks 142nd out of 175 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of students studying abroad rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 181.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India 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.