Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary … both sexes UIS in South Africa
South Africa: Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary … both sexes UIS was 13,270 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in South Africa, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2023, total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in South Africa stood at 13,270.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.3% on the previous year and up 87.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in South Africa peaked at 13,282 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 4,889, in 1998.
That places South Africa 95th out of 210 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary … both sexes UIS in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 4,889 | — |
| 1999 | 4,894 | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 5,677 | +16.0% |
| 2001 | 6,160 | +8.5% |
| 2002 | 6,428 | +4.4% |
| 2003 | 6,380 | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 5,788 | -9.3% |
| 2005 | 5,740 | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 5,861 | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 5,983 | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 5,782 | -3.4% |
| 2009 | 6,672 | +15.4% |
| 2010 | 6,646 | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 6,577 | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 6,577 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 7,069 | +7.5% |
| 2014 | 8,193 | +15.9% |
| 2015 | 9,036 | +10.3% |
| 2016 | 10,075 | +11.5% |
| 2017 | 10,703 | +6.2% |
| 2018 | 11,966 | +11.8% |
| 2019 | 12,581 | +5.1% |
| 2020 | 13,282 | +5.6% |
| 2021 | 12,633 | -4.9% |
| 2022 | 12,604 | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 13,270 | +5.3% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 13,270 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 13,820, 96% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 13,270 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 7,852, 1.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4,892 | 4,889 | 4,894 | 2 |
| 2000s | 6,047 | 5,677 | 6,672 | 10 |
| 2010s | 8,942 | 6,577 | 12,581 | 10 |
| 2020s | 12,947 | 12,604 | 13,282 | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 181,739 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 339,638 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 410,708 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 407,696 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.50 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.52 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.119 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in South Africa?
- Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in South Africa was 13,270 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 13,282 in 2020.
- What is the lowest total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,889 in 1998.
- How does South Africa rank for total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying?
- South Africa ranks 95th out of 210 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 87.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroad, all countries, both sexes (UIS estimate) (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release