Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students … female in China

China: Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students … female was 562,041 in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
562,041
Change on year
up 2.7%
World rank
1st
of 210 countries
All-time high
599,879
in 2020
All-time low
342,471
in 2012
Years of data
12
2012–2023

Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in China, 2012–2023

0200.0k400.0k600.0k2012201720232012: 342.5k2013: 367.7k2014: 396.1k2015: 434.2k2016: 462.8k2017: 504.2k2018: 541.0k2019: 567.7k2020: 599.9k2021: 552.7k2022: 547.0k2023: 562.0k

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2023, total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in China stood at 562,041.

That represents a change of up 2.7% on the previous year and up 52.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in China peaked at 599,879 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 342,471, in 2012.

That places China 1st out of 210 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.

Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students … female in China, year by year

Annual values for Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroad, all countries, female (UIS estimate) (number) in China, 2012 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2012 342,471 —
2013 367,715 +7.4%
2014 396,094 +7.7%
2015 434,214 +9.6%
2016 462,812 +6.6%
2017 504,221 +8.9%
2018 541,035 +7.3%
2019 567,746 +4.9%
2020 599,879 +5.7%
2021 552,674 -7.9%
2022 547,036 -1.0%
2023 562,041 +2.7%

China compared with similar countries

  • China's 562,041 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 7,413, 75.8× the median. (58 countries reporting)
  • China's 562,041 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1,802, 311.8× the median. (32 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 452,038 342,471 567,746 8
2020s 565,408 547,036 599,879 4

Countries ranked near China

  1. 2 India 325,212 compare
  2. 3 Vietnam 69,312 compare
  3. 4 Germany 68,775 compare

See the full ranking of 431 places →

More education data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in China?
Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in China was 562,041 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 599,879 in 2020.
What is the lowest total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 342,471 in 2012.
How does China rank for total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying?
China ranks 1st out of 210 countries with data for 2023.
Is total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is up 52.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this China 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, female (UIS estimate) (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in China. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 15 October 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/total-outbound-internationally-mobile-tertiary-students-studying-abroad-all-countries-4/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroad, all countries, female (UIS estimate) (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
431 places, 5,393 data points, 2011–2023
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release