Share of students studying abroad in Malta
Malta: Share of students studying abroad was 5.0% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of students studying abroad in Malta, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of students studying abroad in Malta is 5.0%, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 15.3% on the previous year and down 66.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of students studying abroad in Malta peaked at 15.1% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 5.0%, in 2023.
Malta ranks 100th of 175 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Share of students studying abroad in Malta, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 7.4% | — |
| 1999 | 8.4% | +13.7% |
| 2000 | 9.6% | +14.2% |
| 2001 | 8.2% | -14.3% |
| 2002 | 8.8% | +7.5% |
| 2003 | 6.7% | -23.7% |
| 2004 | 8.8% | +30.6% |
| 2005 | 8.2% | -6.3% |
| 2006 | 10.6% | +28.6% |
| 2007 | 10.3% | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 10.7% | +3.3% |
| 2009 | 10.9% | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 11.2% | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 10.9% | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 11.2% | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 15.1% | +35.0% |
| 2014 | 9.8% | -35.4% |
| 2015 | 8.9% | -9.1% |
| 2016 | 7.7% | -13.7% |
| 2017 | 7.4% | -3.7% |
| 2018 | 7.3% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 7.4% | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 7.1% | -4.1% |
| 2021 | 6.3% | -10.9% |
| 2022 | 5.9% | -6.1% |
| 2023 | 5.0% | -15.3% |
Malta compared with similar countries
- Malta's 5.0% is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.3%, 95% of the median. (67 countries reporting)
- Malta's 5.0% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 5.7%, 89% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7.9% | 7.4% | 8.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 9.3% | 6.7% | 10.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.7% | 7.3% | 15.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.1% | 5.0% | 7.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malta
More education data for Malta
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4,664 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 70 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 4,949 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 4,626 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 32,424 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 27,337 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.1 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0495 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of students studying abroad in Malta?
- Share of students studying abroad in Malta was 5.0% 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 Malta?
- The highest recorded value was 15.1% in 2013.
- What is the lowest share of students studying abroad recorded in Malta?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.0% in 2023.
- How does Malta rank for share of students studying abroad?
- Malta ranks 100th out of 175 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of students studying abroad rising or falling in Malta?
- Over the last ten years it is down 66.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malta 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.