Statizoid

Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroad, all countries, both sexes (number) by country

Students who have crossed a national or territorial border for the purpose of education and are now enrolled outside their country of origin.

Countries reporting
205
Highest
993,367 number
China
Lowest
62 number
Palau
Median
9,022 number
Years covered
22
1997–2018
Data points
5,215

What the numbers show

Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroad, all countries, both sexes (number) is currently reported for 205 countries. The highest value is 993,367 number in China; the lowest is 62 number in Palau.

The median across all reporting countries is 9,022 number, and the mean is 24,167 number.

The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 16,022.

Over the past decade 176 countries rose and 29 fell. The largest increase was in Sint Maarten (Dutch part) (up 1,300.0%), and the largest decrease in Botswana (down 66.0%).

Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 China 993,367 number 2018 up 116.8% volatile
2 India 375,055 number 2018 up 101.5% rising
3 Germany 122,538 number 2018 up 47.2% rising
4 Vietnam 108,527 number 2018 up 200.8% volatile
5 South Korea 101,774 number 2018 down 13.4% rising
6 France 99,488 number 2018 up 111.7% rising
7 United States 84,349 number 2018 up 32.8% rising
8 Kazakhstan 83,503 number 2018 up 78.4% volatile
9 Nepal 81,917 number 2018 up 313.1% volatile
10 Saudi Arabia 77,406 number 2018 up 210.5% volatile
11 Nigeria 76,338 number 2018 up 83.6% rising
12 Italy 75,954 number 2018 up 130.6% rising
13 Ukraine 72,063 number 2018 up 127.6% volatile
14 Brazil 67,183 number 2018 up 137.9% rising
15 Syria 64,379 number 2018 up 250.0% volatile
16 Malaysia 61,904 number 2018 up 10.2% rising
17 Pakistan 58,821 number 2018 up 88.8% rising
18 Russia 57,632 number 2018 up 29.1% rising
19 Iran 56,376 number 2018 up 70.0% rising
20 Morocco 52,500 number 2018 up 27.8% rising
21 Bangladesh 50,004 number 2018 up 188.3% volatile
22 Indonesia 49,900 number 2018 up 42.7% rising
23 Canada 48,345 number 2018 up 5.4% rising
24 Turkey 47,546 number 2018 up 17.5% rising
25 Colombia 46,631 number 2018 up 94.0% rising
26 Turkmenistan 44,875 number 2018 up 553.0% volatile
27 Azerbaijan 43,767 number 2018 up 482.4% volatile
28 Spain 42,034 number 2018 up 81.0% rising
29 Greece 39,096 number 2018 up 37.2% falling
30 United Kingdom 38,986 number 2018 up 76.2% rising
31 Egypt 38,667 number 2018 up 213.6% volatile
32 Romania 37,534 number 2018 up 71.2% rising
33 Uzbekistan 36,909 number 2018 up 17.3% rising
34 Hong Kong 36,420 number 2018 up 8.3% rising
35 Mexico 34,196 number 2018 up 28.7% rising
36 Peru 33,701 number 2018 up 47.2% rising
37 Thailand 32,912 number 2018 up 26.2% rising
38 Japan 31,903 number 2018 down 37.1% falling
39 Iraq 31,566 number 2018 up 240.7% volatile
40 Slovakia 31,472 number 2018 up 20.6% rising
41 Afghanistan 30,380 number 2018 up 574.7% volatile
42 Algeria 29,718 number 2018 up 34.8% rising
43 Palestine 27,384 number 2018 up 88.1% rising
44 Cyprus 26,494 number 2018 up 8.3% rising
45 Jordan 26,484 number 2018 up 92.0% rising
46 Poland 26,351 number 2018 down 3.3% rising
47 Yemen 26,299 number 2018 up 150.0% volatile
48 Cameroon 26,169 number 2018 up 30.4% rising
49 Bulgaria 25,093 number 2018 up 27.7% rising
50 Kuwait 24,694 number 2018 up 214.2% volatile
51 Sri Lanka 24,118 number 2018 up 54.9% rising
52 Singapore 23,752 number 2018 up 25.7% flat
53 Tunisia 23,730 number 2018 up 31.8% rising
54 Ecuador 23,110 number 2018 up 126.3% volatile
55 Belarus 22,557 number 2018 down 22.5% volatile
56 Austria 21,514 number 2018 up 57.9% rising
57 Venezuela 21,087 number 2018 up 38.3% rising
58 Bolivia 20,387 number 2018 up 36.2% volatile
59 Zimbabwe 19,679 number 2018 down 20.5% rising
60 Tajikistan 19,675 number 2018 up 269.1% volatile
61 Moldova 19,412 number 2018 up 29.2% rising
62 Philippines 18,859 number 2018 up 112.1% rising
63 Lebanon 18,193 number 2018 up 28.4% rising
64 Albania 18,181 number 2018 down 13.4% rising
65 Netherlands 17,560 number 2018 up 111.0% rising
66 Norway 17,215 number 2018 up 53.2% rising
67 Chile 16,728 number 2018 up 76.5% rising
68 Switzerland 16,470 number 2018 up 53.7% rising
69 Oman 16,306 number 2018 up 53.3% rising
70 Israel 16,222 number 2018 up 19.3% rising
71 Sweden 15,973 number 2018 up 14.4% rising
72 Ghana 15,962 number 2018 up 76.3% rising
73 Belgium 15,868 number 2018 up 57.5% rising
74 Serbia 15,749 number 2018 up 38.7% rising
75 Kenya 15,732 number 2018 up 15.5% rising
76 Bosnia and Herzegovina 15,399 number 2018 up 3.8% flat
77 Portugal 15,074 number 2018 up 32.1% rising
78 Ireland 14,974 number 2018 down 17.1% falling
79 Cote d'Ivoire 14,116 number 2018 up 58.6% rising
80 Paraguay 13,884 number 2018 up 96.2% volatile
81 Senegal 13,876 number 2018 up 11.5% rising
82 Australia 13,319 number 2018 up 33.5% rising
83 Sudan 13,239 number 2018 up 69.4% rising
84 Angola 13,103 number 2018 up 66.2% rising
85 Hungary 12,865 number 2018 up 89.9% rising
86 Czechia 12,334 number 2018 up 35.7% rising
87 United Arab Emirates 12,276 number 2018 up 85.9% rising
88 Democratic Republic of Congo 12,202 number 2018 up 184.6% rising
89 Mongolia 11,892 number 2018 up 46.7% volatile
90 Luxembourg 11,582 number 2018 up 67.3% rising
91 Finland 11,358 number 2018 up 71.0% rising
92 Georgia 11,144 number 2018 up 45.1% rising
93 Kyrgyzstan 11,075 number 2018 up 156.1% rising
94 Libya 10,456 number 2018 up 172.2% volatile
95 Lithuania 10,395 number 2018 up 55.8% rising
96 Myanmar 10,277 number 2018 up 117.0% volatile
97 Haiti 10,185 number 2018 down 10.4% rising
98 Congo 10,131 number 2018 up 16.9% rising
99 Croatia 9,754 number 2018 up 9.2% rising
100 Mali 9,669 number 2018 up 85.5% rising
101 South Africa 9,130 number 2018 up 57.7% rising
102 Argentina 9,129 number 2018 down 1.7% rising
103 Qatar 9,022 number 2018 up 319.2% volatile
104 Guinea 8,563 number 2018 up 49.1% rising
105 Mauritius 7,929 number 2018 down 7.9% rising
106 Ethiopia 7,578 number 2018 up 77.6% rising
107 Benin 7,501 number 2018 up 33.4% rising
108 Gabon 7,310 number 2018 up 21.3% rising
109 Somalia 7,178 number 2018 up 151.6% rising
110 Tanzania 6,876 number 2018 up 18.1% rising
111 Togo 6,845 number 2018 up 33.2% rising
112 Laos 6,558 number 2018 up 68.5% rising
113 Burkina Faso 6,446 number 2018 up 73.4% rising
114 Cambodia 6,161 number 2018 up 98.5% rising
115 Uganda 6,044 number 2018 up 59.6% rising
116 Denmark 5,935 number 2018 up 17.6% falling
117 Comoros 5,904 number 2018 up 86.8% rising
118 North Macedonia 5,704 number 2018 down 1.5% rising
119 Chad 5,690 number 2018 up 46.5% rising
120 Bahrain 5,686 number 2018 up 46.8% rising
121 Jamaica 5,446 number 2018 down 10.4% falling
122 Namibia 5,365 number 2018 down 40.7% falling
123 Zambia 5,358 number 2018 up 1.4% rising
124 Uruguay 5,285 number 2018 up 50.4% rising
125 Armenia 5,220 number 2018 down 3.8% rising
126 Montenegro 5,180 number 2018 down 4.0% rising
127 Niger 5,172 number 2018 up 39.2% rising
128 Latvia 5,111 number 2018 up 26.1% rising
129 New Zealand 5,036 number 2018 up 19.3% falling
130 Honduras 5,017 number 2018 up 89.8% rising
131 Rwanda 4,851 number 2018 up 13.7% rising
132 Mauritania 4,826 number 2018 up 50.0% rising
133 Madagascar 4,623 number 2018 up 9.9% rising
134 Bhutan 4,575 number 2018 up 190.1% volatile
135 El Salvador 4,553 number 2018 up 55.9% rising
136 Dominican Republic 4,410 number 2018 up 75.6% rising
137 Panama 3,844 number 2018 up 42.2% rising
138 Cape Verde 3,742 number 2018 up 7.1% rising
139 Guatemala 3,727 number 2018 up 24.0% rising
140 Bahamas 3,707 number 2018 up 51.6% rising
141 Estonia 3,666 number 2018 up 7.2% rising
142 Burundi 3,551 number 2018 up 115.1% rising
143 Malawi 3,536 number 2018 up 8.4% rising
144 Trinidad and Tobago 3,449 number 2018 down 37.6% falling
145 Guinea-Bissau 3,431 number 2018 up 85.0% rising
146 Costa Rica 3,326 number 2018 up 62.6% rising
147 Iceland 3,302 number 2018 up 37.0% rising
148 Solomon Islands 3,262 number 2018 up 5.8% rising
149 Slovenia 3,195 number 2018 up 39.8% rising
150 Mozambique 3,117 number 2018 up 63.5% rising
151 Lesotho 3,041 number 2018 down 31.5% rising
152 Maldives 2,971 number 2018 up 37.3% rising
153 Nicaragua 2,953 number 2018 up 23.1% rising
154 Macao 2,795 number 2018 up 104.2% rising
155 East Timor 2,749 number 2018 down 12.8% volatile
156 Brunei 2,680 number 2018 down 8.5% rising
157 Botswana 2,548 number 2018 down 66.0% falling
158 Djibouti 2,446 number 2018 up 60.2% rising
159 Eswatini 2,412 number 2018 down 36.6% rising
160 Cuba 2,299 number 2018 up 35.5% rising
161 Gambia 1,871 number 2018 up 64.0% rising
162 Eritrea 1,841 number 2018 up 95.4% rising
163 Vanuatu 1,814 number 2018 up 5.3% rising
164 Guyana 1,671 number 2018 up 16.4% rising
165 Central African Republic 1,640 number 2018 up 30.2% rising
166 Bermuda 1,600 number 2018 up 32.1% rising
167 Andorra 1,543 number 2018 up 27.0% rising
168 Equatorial Guinea 1,458 number 2018 up 16.8% rising
169 Papua New Guinea 1,455 number 2018 up 53.2% rising
170 North Korea 1,364 number 2018 down 38.4% volatile
171 Sao Tome and Principe 1,309 number 2018 up 127.7% rising
172 Sierra Leone 1,289 number 2018 up 44.2% rising
173 Barbados 1,264 number 2018 down 8.3% falling
174 Tonga 1,259 number 2018 up 1.4% rising
175 Fiji 1,181 number 2018 down 31.7% falling
176 Malta 1,141 number 2018 up 13.3% rising
177 Samoa 1,105 number 2018 up 58.3% flat
178 Kiribati 1,099 number 2018 up 11.8% rising
179 South Sudan 1,093 number 2018 up 227.2% rising
180 Liechtenstein 1,085 number 2018 up 25.0% rising
181 Saint Lucia 1,037 number 2018 down 13.8% rising
182 Dominica 999 number 2018 up 45.6% rising
183 Liberia 975 number 2018 up 18.2% rising
184 San Marino 950 number 2018 up 19.3% rising
185 Gibraltar 939 number 2018 up 41.4% volatile
186 Suriname 917 number 2018 up 62.3% falling
187 Belize 883 number 2018 up 1.6% rising
188 Puerto Rico 871 number 2018 up 37.2% rising
189 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 712 number 2018 down 11.9% rising
190 Antigua and Barbuda 665 number 2018 up 4.4% rising
191 Cayman Islands 553 number 2018 up 54.9% volatile
192 Seychelles 544 number 2018 up 6.7% rising
193 Saint Kitts and Nevis 511 number 2018 up 1.6% rising
194 Grenada 490 number 2018 down 7.2% rising
195 Tuvalu 440 number 2018 up 10.0% rising
196 Monaco 394 number 2018 down 5.3% rising
197 Aruba 364 number 2018 up 177.9% rising
198 British Virgin Islands 358 number 2018 up 20.5% rising
199 Marshall Islands 341 number 2018 up 46.4% rising
200 Curacao 226 number 2018 up 247.7% volatile
201 Micronesia (country) 214 number 2018 up 25.1% rising
202 Turks and Caicos Islands 195 number 2018 down 22.3% rising
203 Nauru 140 number 2018 up 13.8% rising
204 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 112 number 2018 up 1,300.0% volatile
205 Palau 62 number 2018 up 21.6% volatile

Regions and income groups

Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.

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Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying by country. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/total-outbound-internationally-mobile-tertiary-students-studying-abroad-all-countries/

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About this data

Indicator
Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroad, all countries, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
250 places, 5,215 data points, 1997–2018
Last refreshed

Students who have crossed a national or territorial border for the purpose of education and are now enrolled outside their country of origin.