Share of students studying abroad in Romania
Romania: Share of students studying abroad was 5.3% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share of students studying abroad in Romania, 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 Romania stood at 5.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.4% on the previous year and up 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of students studying abroad in Romania peaked at 7.0% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 2008.
Romania ranks 95th of 175 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Share of students studying abroad in Romania, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 3.1% | — |
| 1999 | 2.7% | -11.7% |
| 2000 | 2.9% | +6.5% |
| 2001 | 2.9% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 2.9% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 2.8% | -2.8% |
| 2004 | 2.7% | -5.7% |
| 2005 | 2.5% | -7.1% |
| 2006 | 2.5% | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 2.2% | -8.9% |
| 2008 | 2.1% | -7.7% |
| 2009 | 2.1% | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 2.5% | +19.8% |
| 2011 | 3.3% | +29.8% |
| 2012 | 4.5% | +38.2% |
| 2013 | 5.3% | +16.9% |
| 2014 | 5.7% | +7.5% |
| 2015 | 6.0% | +5.3% |
| 2016 | 6.3% | +6.3% |
| 2017 | 6.8% | +6.9% |
| 2018 | 7.0% | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 5.8% | -16.0% |
| 2020 | 5.8% | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 6.1% | +5.6% |
| 2022 | 5.7% | -6.9% |
| 2023 | 5.3% | -7.4% |
Romania compared with similar countries
- Romania's 5.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.3%, 1.0× the median. (67 countries reporting)
- Romania's 5.3% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6.1%, 87% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.9% | 2.7% | 3.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 2.6% | 2.1% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.3% | 2.5% | 7.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.7% | 5.3% | 6.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Romania
More education data for Romania
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 125,405 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 14,415 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 267,679 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 254,147 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.43 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 873,154 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.7448 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0458 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of students studying abroad in Romania?
- Share of students studying abroad in Romania was 5.3% 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 Romania?
- The highest recorded value was 7.0% in 2018.
- What is the lowest share of students studying abroad recorded in Romania?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 2008.
- How does Romania rank for share of students studying abroad?
- Romania ranks 95th out of 175 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of students studying abroad rising or falling in Romania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Romania 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.