Share of students studying abroad in Netherlands
Netherlands: Share of students studying abroad was 1.9% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of students studying abroad in Netherlands, 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 Netherlands stood at 1.9%.
The figure is up 4.0% on the previous year and up 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of students studying abroad in Netherlands peaked at 2.5% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 2008.
That places Netherlands 143rd out of 175 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.
Share of students studying abroad in Netherlands, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 2.4% | — |
| 1999 | 2.5% | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 2.3% | -6.3% |
| 2001 | 2.2% | -5.0% |
| 2002 | 2.2% | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 2.2% | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 1.4% | -36.5% |
| 2005 | 1.7% | +18.0% |
| 2006 | 1.7% | +4.9% |
| 2007 | 1.8% | +3.0% |
| 2008 | 1.4% | -22.4% |
| 2009 | 1.8% | +31.7% |
| 2010 | 1.9% | +6.5% |
| 2011 | 1.7% | -10.2% |
| 2012 | 1.9% | +8.1% |
| 2015 | 1.8% | -4.3% |
| 2016 | 2.0% | +12.6% |
| 2017 | 2.1% | +3.5% |
| 2018 | 2.0% | -6.9% |
| 2020 | 2.1% | +5.3% |
| 2021 | 1.8% | -10.4% |
| 2023 | 1.9% | +4.0% |
Netherlands compared with similar countries
- Netherlands's 1.9% is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.3%, 36% of the median. (67 countries reporting)
- Netherlands's 1.9% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6.1%, 32% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 1.4% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.9% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 7 |
| 2020s | 1.9% | 1.8% | 2.1% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
More education data for Netherlands
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 118,472 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 23,856 (1985)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 247,743 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 240,049 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.61 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.14 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.0937 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.064 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of students studying abroad in Netherlands?
- Share of students studying abroad in Netherlands 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 Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 2.5% in 1999.
- What is the lowest share of students studying abroad recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 2008.
- How does Netherlands rank for share of students studying abroad?
- Netherlands ranks 143rd out of 175 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of students studying abroad rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Netherlands 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.