Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroa in South Africa

South Africa: Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroa was 9,130 number in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
9,130 number
Change on year
up 12.4%
World rank
101st
of 205 countries
All-time high
9,130 number
in 2018
All-time low
4,887 number
in 1998
Years of data
21
1998–2018

Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroa in South Africa, 1998–2018

02.0k4.0k6.0k8.0k10.0k1998200820181998: 4.9k number1999: 4.9k number2000: 5.7k number2001: 6.0k number2002: 6.4k number2003: 6.4k number2004: 5.8k number2005: 5.7k number2006: 5.9k number2007: 6.0k number2008: 5.8k number2009: 6.7k number2010: 6.6k number2011: 6.5k number2012: 6.4k number2013: 7.0k number2014: 7.3k number2015: 7.3k number2016: 7.9k number2017: 8.1k number2018: 9.1k number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

The most recent figure for total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroa in South Africa is 9,130 number, measured in 2018. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.

That represents a change of up 12.4% on the previous year and up 57.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroa in South Africa peaked at 9,130 number in 2018 and was at its lowest, 4,887 number, in 1998.

South Africa ranks 101st of 205 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 4,890 number 4,887 number 4,892 number 2
2000s 6,034 number 5,678 number 6,680 number 10
2010s 7,365 number 6,405 number 9,130 number 9

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 98 Congo 10,131 number compare
  2. 99 Croatia 9,754 number compare
  3. 100 Mali 9,669 number compare
  4. 102 Argentina 9,129 number compare
  5. 103 Qatar 9,022 number compare
  6. 104 Guinea 8,563 number compare

See the full ranking of 250 places →

More education data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroa in South Africa?
Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroa in South Africa was 9,130 number in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroa recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 9,130 number in 2018.
What is the lowest total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroa recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 4,887 number in 1998.
How does South Africa rank for total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroa?
South Africa ranks 101st out of 205 countries with data for 2018.
Is total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroa rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 57.7%. 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 (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroa in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 22 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/total-outbound-internationally-mobile-tertiary-students-studying-abroad-all-countries/south-africa/

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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.