Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroad, all countries, both sexes (UIS estimate) (number) by country
February 2026 Data Release
Countries reporting
210
Highest
1.08 million
China
Lowest
39
Montserrat
Median
9,951
Years covered
27
1997–2023
Data points
11,332
What the numbers show
Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroad, all countries, both sexes (UIS estimate) (number) is currently reported for 210 countries. The highest value is 1.08 million in China; the lowest is 39 in Montserrat.
The median across all reporting countries is 9,951, and the mean is 30,344.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 27,590.
Over the past decade 161 countries rose and 49 fell. The largest increase was in South Sudan (up 552.7%), and the largest decrease in Anguilla (down 76.8%).
Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary … both sexes UIS: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 1.08 million | 2023 | up 49.4% | volatile |
| 2 | India | 833,835 | 2023 | up 327.1% | volatile |
| 3 | Nigeria | 146,286 | 2023 | up 128.1% | volatile |
| 4 | Germany | 128,287 | 2023 | up 6.4% | rising |
| 5 | Vietnam | 128,186 | 2023 | up 128.7% | volatile |
| 6 | Uzbekistan | 120,563 | 2023 | up 492.6% | volatile |
| 7 | United States | 118,150 | 2023 | up 55.7% | rising |
| 8 | France | 115,006 | 2023 | up 49.6% | rising |
| 9 | Pakistan | 114,849 | 2023 | up 185.9% | volatile |
| 10 | Nepal | 108,273 | 2023 | up 235.7% | volatile |
| 11 | Syria | 105,160 | 2023 | up 333.2% | volatile |
| 12 | Iran | 99,161 | 2023 | up 100.5% | volatile |
| 13 | Ukraine | 95,630 | 2023 | up 124.9% | volatile |
| 14 | South Korea | 89,693 | 2023 | down 21.2% | rising |
| 15 | Brazil | 89,459 | 2023 | up 126.5% | volatile |
| 16 | Italy | 86,837 | 2023 | up 72.5% | rising |
| 17 | Bangladesh | 76,328 | 2023 | up 104.5% | volatile |
| 18 | Kazakhstan | 75,396 | 2023 | up 39.2% | rising |
| 19 | Morocco | 75,186 | 2023 | up 86.8% | rising |
| 20 | Indonesia | 70,174 | 2023 | up 77.4% | rising |
| 21 | Egypt | 68,024 | 2023 | up 243.2% | volatile |
| 22 | Turkey | 66,914 | 2023 | up 47.7% | rising |
| 23 | Russia | 65,389 | 2023 | up 27.5% | rising |
| 24 | Colombia | 63,132 | 2023 | up 89.4% | rising |
| 25 | Turkmenistan | 62,124 | 2023 | up 60.8% | volatile |
| 26 | Canada | 52,121 | 2023 | up 11.7% | rising |
| 27 | Azerbaijan | 50,821 | 2023 | up 127.8% | volatile |
| 28 | Spain | 50,755 | 2023 | up 68.6% | rising |
| 29 | Malaysia | 47,047 | 2023 | down 21.4% | rising |
| 30 | Iraq | 44,061 | 2023 | up 139.4% | volatile |
| 31 | Saudi Arabia | 42,366 | 2023 | down 43.3% | volatile |
| 32 | Peru | 42,068 | 2023 | up 63.1% | rising |
| 33 | Sri Lanka | 41,661 | 2023 | up 158.4% | volatile |
| 34 | Philippines | 41,440 | 2023 | up 251.6% | volatile |
| 35 | United Kingdom | 40,906 | 2023 | up 43.6% | rising |
| 36 | Hong Kong | 40,904 | 2023 | up 27.0% | rising |
| 37 | Mexico | 38,560 | 2023 | up 37.4% | rising |
| 38 | Algeria | 38,304 | 2023 | up 81.6% | rising |
| 39 | Greece | 37,658 | 2023 | up 11.0% | falling |
| 40 | Yemen | 37,557 | 2023 | up 110.6% | volatile |
| 41 | Ecuador | 36,571 | 2023 | up 175.5% | volatile |
| 42 | Afghanistan | 34,833 | 2023 | up 159.9% | volatile |
| 43 | Jordan | 33,901 | 2023 | up 69.8% | rising |
| 44 | Cameroon | 33,755 | 2023 | up 51.7% | rising |
| 45 | Japan | 33,542 | 2023 | up 0.2% | falling |
| 46 | Thailand | 32,646 | 2023 | up 23.9% | rising |
| 47 | Tajikistan | 32,202 | 2023 | up 212.0% | volatile |
| 48 | Venezuela | 31,971 | 2023 | up 101.0% | rising |
| 49 | Palestine | 31,786 | 2023 | up 43.6% | rising |
| 50 | Lebanon | 29,975 | 2023 | up 138.0% | rising |
| 51 | Slovakia | 29,654 | 2023 | down 10.7% | rising |
| 52 | Tunisia | 29,353 | 2023 | up 72.1% | rising |
| 53 | Romania | 28,437 | 2023 | down 12.7% | rising |
| 54 | Belarus | 27,244 | 2023 | down 28.6% | volatile |
| 55 | Austria | 27,055 | 2023 | up 70.1% | rising |
| 56 | Zimbabwe | 24,392 | 2023 | up 45.7% | rising |
| 57 | Ghana | 23,842 | 2023 | up 121.4% | rising |
| 58 | Cyprus | 23,542 | 2023 | down 10.5% | rising |
| 59 | Kenya | 23,211 | 2023 | up 83.3% | rising |
| 60 | Poland | 22,840 | 2023 | down 1.9% | rising |
| 61 | Kuwait | 21,972 | 2023 | up 52.9% | volatile |
| 62 | Bolivia | 21,077 | 2023 | up 40.9% | volatile |
| 63 | Chile | 20,535 | 2023 | up 58.7% | rising |
| 64 | Singapore | 20,488 | 2023 | down 10.4% | falling |
| 65 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 20,127 | 2023 | up 141.0% | volatile |
| 66 | Switzerland | 19,909 | 2023 | up 62.9% | rising |
| 67 | Senegal | 19,498 | 2023 | up 73.4% | rising |
| 68 | Chad | 19,488 | 2023 | up 224.4% | volatile |
| 69 | United Arab Emirates | 19,316 | 2023 | up 121.8% | rising |
| 70 | Moldova | 18,928 | 2023 | up 0.7% | rising |
| 71 | Netherlands | 18,922 | 2023 | up 38.7% | rising |
| 72 | Israel | 18,745 | 2023 | up 34.8% | rising |
| 73 | Cote d'Ivoire | 18,675 | 2023 | up 98.0% | rising |
| 74 | Bulgaria | 18,244 | 2023 | down 26.6% | rising |
| 75 | Sudan | 17,828 | 2023 | up 81.7% | rising |
| 76 | Belgium | 17,817 | 2023 | up 40.7% | rising |
| 77 | Mongolia | 17,350 | 2023 | up 89.8% | volatile |
| 78 | Gabon | 16,671 | 2023 | up 165.8% | rising |
| 79 | Ireland | 16,573 | 2023 | up 1.4% | falling |
| 80 | Portugal | 16,557 | 2023 | up 46.1% | rising |
| 81 | Somalia | 16,504 | 2023 | up 284.1% | volatile |
| 82 | Myanmar | 16,360 | 2023 | up 118.4% | volatile |
| 83 | Kyrgyzstan | 16,306 | 2023 | up 175.8% | volatile |
| 84 | Oman | 16,260 | 2023 | up 42.4% | rising |
| 85 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 15,366 | 2023 | up 42.7% | rising |
| 86 | Albania | 15,073 | 2023 | down 32.3% | rising |
| 87 | Paraguay | 14,663 | 2023 | up 42.2% | volatile |
| 88 | Norway | 14,425 | 2023 | down 20.5% | rising |
| 89 | Serbia | 14,371 | 2023 | up 13.5% | rising |
| 90 | Sweden | 14,094 | 2023 | down 21.8% | rising |
| 91 | Congo | 14,055 | 2023 | up 14.7% | rising |
| 92 | Hungary | 13,529 | 2023 | up 53.2% | rising |
| 93 | Australia | 13,383 | 2023 | up 10.1% | rising |
| 94 | Luxembourg | 13,332 | 2023 | up 48.5% | rising |
| 95 | South Africa | 13,270 | 2023 | up 87.7% | rising |
| 96 | Argentina | 12,445 | 2023 | up 66.1% | rising |
| 97 | Angola | 11,955 | 2023 | up 13.3% | rising |
| 98 | Haiti | 11,427 | 2023 | up 5.1% | rising |
| 99 | Ethiopia | 11,148 | 2023 | up 90.8% | rising |
| 100 | Benin | 11,144 | 2023 | up 110.8% | rising |
| 101 | Czechia | 11,123 | 2023 | down 11.6% | rising |
| 102 | Guinea | 10,493 | 2023 | up 53.7% | rising |
| 103 | Mali | 10,362 | 2023 | up 39.5% | rising |
| 104 | Bhutan | 10,309 | 2023 | up 180.1% | volatile |
| 105 | Guinea-Bissau | 10,267 | 2023 | up 326.0% | volatile |
| 106 | Croatia | 9,635 | 2023 | up 12.9% | rising |
| 107 | Georgia | 9,159 | 2023 | up 27.5% | rising |
| 108 | Togo | 8,897 | 2023 | up 75.3% | rising |
| 109 | Niger | 8,754 | 2023 | up 81.4% | rising |
| 110 | Finland | 8,555 | 2023 | up 3.2% | rising |
| 111 | Cambodia | 8,489 | 2023 | up 90.6% | volatile |
| 112 | Burkina Faso | 8,463 | 2023 | up 90.4% | rising |
| 113 | Laos | 8,116 | 2023 | up 67.5% | volatile |
| 114 | Libya | 7,898 | 2023 | up 7.0% | volatile |
| 115 | Tanzania | 7,877 | 2023 | up 33.8% | rising |
| 116 | Mauritania | 7,828 | 2023 | up 91.1% | rising |
| 117 | Cape Verde | 7,675 | 2023 | up 77.7% | rising |
| 118 | Honduras | 7,302 | 2023 | up 78.3% | rising |
| 119 | Rwanda | 7,253 | 2023 | up 8.5% | rising |
| 120 | Uganda | 7,108 | 2023 | up 32.7% | rising |
| 121 | Lithuania | 7,056 | 2023 | down 41.4% | rising |
| 122 | Mauritius | 6,695 | 2023 | down 9.9% | rising |
| 123 | Madagascar | 6,133 | 2023 | up 41.6% | rising |
| 124 | Qatar | 6,039 | 2023 | up 26.6% | volatile |
| 125 | Denmark | 5,985 | 2023 | up 13.1% | falling |
| 126 | Comoros | 5,905 | 2023 | down 0.4% | rising |
| 127 | Panama | 5,725 | 2023 | up 52.7% | rising |
| 128 | Jamaica | 5,655 | 2023 | up 41.1% | falling |
| 129 | North Macedonia | 5,610 | 2023 | up 42.3% | rising |
| 130 | Dominican Republic | 5,599 | 2023 | up 21.1% | rising |
| 131 | Mozambique | 5,594 | 2023 | up 181.1% | rising |
| 132 | Uruguay | 5,583 | 2023 | up 32.7% | rising |
| 133 | Zambia | 5,318 | 2023 | up 5.7% | rising |
| 134 | Montenegro | 5,251 | 2023 | up 23.7% | rising |
| 135 | El Salvador | 5,096 | 2023 | up 37.2% | rising |
| 136 | Cuba | 4,914 | 2023 | up 125.0% | rising |
| 137 | Armenia | 4,851 | 2023 | down 32.0% | rising |
| 138 | New Zealand | 4,652 | 2023 | down 13.8% | falling |
| 139 | Bahrain | 4,632 | 2023 | up 1.5% | rising |
| 140 | Costa Rica | 4,589 | 2023 | up 60.5% | rising |
| 141 | Latvia | 4,567 | 2023 | down 28.3% | rising |
| 142 | Djibouti | 4,419 | 2023 | up 46.9% | rising |
| 143 | Nicaragua | 4,215 | 2023 | up 28.4% | rising |
| 144 | Namibia | 4,057 | 2023 | down 8.1% | falling |
| 145 | Burundi | 4,038 | 2023 | up 69.2% | rising |
| 146 | Bahamas | 3,996 | 2023 | up 65.4% | rising |
| 147 | Guatemala | 3,936 | 2023 | up 32.2% | rising |
| 148 | Trinidad and Tobago | 3,469 | 2023 | down 20.4% | falling |
| 149 | Estonia | 3,243 | 2023 | down 22.4% | rising |
| 150 | Solomon Islands | 3,155 | 2023 | down 2.7% | rising |
| 151 | Malawi | 3,027 | 2023 | down 5.4% | rising |
| 152 | Eswatini | 3,005 | 2023 | up 6.8% | rising |
| 153 | Maldives | 2,972 | 2023 | up 9.3% | rising |
| 154 | Slovenia | 2,881 | 2023 | up 10.2% | rising |
| 155 | Gambia | 2,802 | 2023 | up 99.0% | rising |
| 156 | East Timor | 2,794 | 2023 | down 6.4% | volatile |
| 157 | Central African Republic | 2,723 | 2023 | up 33.1% | rising |
| 158 | South Sudan | 2,663 | 2023 | up 552.7% | volatile |
| 159 | Lesotho | 2,661 | 2023 | down 8.7% | flat |
| 160 | Botswana | 2,635 | 2023 | down 33.6% | volatile |
| 161 | Iceland | 2,575 | 2023 | down 9.4% | rising |
| 162 | Fiji | 2,564 | 2023 | up 101.7% | falling |
| 163 | Macao | 2,201 | 2023 | up 1.2% | rising |
| 164 | Brunei | 2,135 | 2023 | down 39.4% | rising |
| 165 | Liberia | 2,085 | 2023 | up 190.4% | rising |
| 166 | Sierra Leone | 1,757 | 2023 | up 61.5% | rising |
| 167 | Vanuatu | 1,755 | 2023 | down 3.8% | rising |
| 168 | Equatorial Guinea | 1,716 | 2023 | up 18.8% | rising |
| 169 | Andorra | 1,688 | 2023 | up 37.2% | rising |
| 170 | Sao Tome and Principe | 1,577 | 2023 | up 185.2% | rising |
| 171 | Eritrea | 1,561 | 2023 | down 23.1% | rising |
| 172 | Papua New Guinea | 1,499 | 2023 | up 11.1% | rising |
| 173 | Guyana | 1,339 | 2023 | down 6.1% | rising |
| 174 | Dominica | 1,210 | 2023 | up 68.1% | rising |
| 175 | Tonga | 1,209 | 2023 | down 1.0% | rising |
| 176 | Liechtenstein | 1,186 | 2023 | up 21.3% | rising |
| 177 | Barbados | 1,183 | 2023 | down 2.7% | falling |
| 178 | Malta | 1,062 | 2023 | down 44.2% | rising |
| 179 | Suriname | 1,059 | 2023 | up 24.4% | rising |
| 180 | Samoa | 1,020 | 2023 | up 35.3% | rising |
| 181 | Kiribati | 1,001 | 2023 | down 7.7% | rising |
| 182 | Bermuda | 972 | 2023 | down 39.5% | rising |
| 183 | Gibraltar | 955 | 2023 | up 26.5% | volatile |
| 184 | North Korea | 899 | 2023 | down 34.0% | volatile |
| 185 | Belize | 879 | 2023 | up 5.8% | rising |
| 186 | Saint Lucia | 769 | 2023 | down 19.3% | falling |
| 187 | Seychelles | 740 | 2023 | up 59.1% | rising |
| 188 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 733 | 2023 | down 4.7% | rising |
| 189 | Cayman Islands | 704 | 2023 | up 72.5% | volatile |
| 190 | Puerto Rico | 678 | 2023 | down 2.0% | flat |
| 191 | Antigua and Barbuda | 640 | 2023 | up 9.2% | rising |
| 192 | San Marino | 538 | 2023 | down 71.3% | volatile |
| 193 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 496 | 2023 | up 9.0% | rising |
| 194 | Monaco | 473 | 2023 | up 32.5% | rising |
| 195 | Grenada | 453 | 2023 | down 19.1% | rising |
| 196 | Tuvalu | 399 | 2023 | down 6.6% | rising |
| 197 | British Virgin Islands | 326 | 2023 | down 6.9% | rising |
| 198 | Aruba | 300 | 2023 | up 31.0% | rising |
| 199 | Cook Islands | 241 | 2023 | up 8.1% | falling |
| 200 | Marshall Islands | 184 | 2023 | down 2.6% | rising |
| 201 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 169 | 2023 | up 29.0% | rising |
| 202 | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 152 | 2023 | up 406.7% | rising |
| 203 | Nauru | 133 | 2023 | up 1.5% | rising |
| 204 | Anguilla | 117 | 2023 | down 76.8% | volatile |
| 205 | Curacao | 105 | 2023 | up 176.3% | rising |
| 206 | Micronesia (country) | 94 | 2023 | down 58.2% | rising |
| 207 | Tokelau | 73 | 2023 | up 7.4% | volatile |
| 208 | Niue | 60 | 2023 | up 22.4% | falling |
| 209 | Palau | 49 | 2023 | up 36.1% | volatile |
| 210 | Montserrat | 39 | 2023 | up 11.4% | rising |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- MDG: World 7.29 million
- SDG: World 7.29 million
- UIS: World 7.29 million
- UNICEF: World 7.29 million
- WB: World 7.29 million
- UNICEF: All Unicef Countries 5.33 million
- WB: Ida & Ibrd Total 5.08 million
- MDG: Developing Regions 5.05 million
- WB: Low & Middle Income (july 2025) 4.99 million
- WB: Middle Income (july 2025) 4.63 million
- WB: Ibrd Only 3.75 million
- ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400) 3.50 million
- AIMS: Asia and the Pacific 3.30 million
- ESCAP: Wb Lower Middle Income Economies (wb_lower_mid) (unsdcode:98438) 2.47 million
- WB: Early-demographic Dividend 2.43 million
- WB: Upper Middle Income (july 2025) 2.28 million
- WB: Lower Middle Income (july 2025) 2.26 million
- WB: Late-demographic Dividend 2.17 million
- GPE: Overall Fy24, All 90 Countries, December 2024 1.80 million
- ECE: All Countries (unsdcode:98200) 1.71 million
- WB: East Asia & Pacific 1.67 million
- AIMS: East Asia and the Pacific 1.65 million
- UIS: East Asia and the Pacific 1.65 million
- SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia 1.64 million
- SDG: Central and Southern Asia 1.63 million
- UNICEF: East Asia and Pacific 1.63 million
- AIMS: East Asia 1.62 million
- ESCAP: Wb Upper Middle Income Economies (wb_upper_mid) (unsdcode:98437) 1.57 million
- UNICEF: Europe and Central Asia 1.52 million
- WB: Europe & Central Asia 1.52 million
- UNICEF: East Asia and the Pacific Programme Countries 1.47 million
- WB: East Asia & Pacific (excluding High Income) 1.46 million
- WB: East Asia & Pacific (ida & Ibrd) 1.46 million
- WB: High Income (july 2025) 1.44 million
- GPE: Lower Middle Income Wb Fy24, December 2024 1.42 million
- ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) 1.39 million
- WB: Global Partnership for Education (july 2019) 1.35 million
- WB: Ida Total 1.33 million
- AIMS: South and West Asia 1.32 million
- MDG: Southern Asia 1.32 million
About this data
February 2026 Data Release