Number of students studying abroad triples, expected to reach 9 million by 2030

By Minh Nga July 8, 2025 | 04:51 pm PT

International students during their graduation day at the Russian University of Transport in 2021. Photo by Unsplash

The number of students pursuing higher education abroad globally has more than tripled in the past two decades, rising from 2.1 million in 2000 to nearly 6.9 million in 2022, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

International students made up 2.1% of global higher education enrollments in 2000, a figure that increased to 2.7% by 2022.

Europe and North America remain the top destinations for internationally mobile students, hosting more than half of the global total, approximately 4 million students.

Global enrollment in higher education has also surged, growing 2.5 times since 2000 to reach 264 million students by 2023.

The global gross enrollment ratio (GER), which measures total enrollment regardless of age as a percentage of the population in the typical higher education age group (usually 18–22 years), more than doubled, from 19% in 2000 to 43% in 2023.

However, access to higher education varies significantly across regions. In 2023, Europe and North America led with a GER of 79%, while Sub-Saharan Africa had the lowest rate at just 9%. Other regions included Oceania at 64%, East and Southeast Asia at 62%, and Latin America and the Caribbean at 58%.

Women now outnumber men in global higher education enrollments. In 2023, there were 113 women enrolled for every 100 men, up from nearly equal levels in 2000.

UNESCO projects that the number of students studying abroad could reach 9 million by 2030, driven by rising demand for international education and expanding opportunities for student mobility.