This statistic shows the distribution of foreign students in higher education institutions in France during the 2023/2024 academic year, by geographical origins. With more than ** percent, the majority of foreign students in France came from Africa, followed by students from the Maghreb.

In 2023, there were more than one million international students in Canada. Of these, approximately 427,000 students were from India, followed by China with 102,150 students.

There were 342,875 international students studying at the undergraduate level in the United States in the 2023/24 academic year. In that same year, there were 502,291 international graduate students studying in the country and a further 38,742 non-degree-seeking international students.

Global International Students in Tertiary Education in Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics, as a Share of All Students Enrolled in This Field by Country, 2023 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

New York University had around 27,247 international students studying there in the academic year 2023/24, making it the most popular university for international students in the United States. NYU was followed by Northeastern University with 21,023 international students and Columbia University, which hosted 20,321 international students.

This domain covers statistics and indicators on key aspects of the education systems across Europe. The data show entrants and enrolments in education levels, education personnel and the cost and type of resources dedicated to education.

For a general technical description of the UOE Data Collection see UNESCO OECD Eurostat (UOE) joint data collection – methodology - Statistics Explained (europa.eu).

The standards on international statistics on education and training systems are set by the three international organisations jointly administering the annual UOE data collection:

• The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation Institute for Statistics (UNESCO-UIS),
• The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and,
• The Statistical Office of the European Union (EUROSTAT).

The following topics are covered:

• Pupils and students – Enrolments and Entrants,
• Learning mobility,
• Education personnel,
• Education finance,
• Graduates,
• Language learning.

Data on enrolments in education are disseminated in absolute numbers, with breakdowns available for the following dimensions:

• ISCED level of education,
• Sex,
• Age or age group,
• NUTS1 and NUTS2 regions,
• Type of educational institution (public or private) – referred to as the ‘sector’ in Eurobase,
• Intensity of participation (full-time, part-time, full-time equivalent) – referred to as ‘working time’ in Eurobase,
• Programme orientation (general/academic or vocational/professional),
• Type of vocational programme (school-based only or combined school and work-based),
• Level of attainment that can be achieved upon programme completion (e.g. insufficient for level completion or partial level completion, sufficient for partial level completion without direct access to tertiary education),
• Field of education (ISCED-F13).

Additionally, the following types of indicators on enrolments are calculated (all indicators using population data use Eurostat’s population database (demo_pjan)):

• Participation rates by age or by age groups as % of corresponding age population.
• Participation rates by age as % of total population.
• Pupils from age 0, 3, 4 and 5 to the starting age of compulsory education at primary level, as % of the population of the corresponding age. In some countries, the start of primary education is not compulsory and in some countries compulsory education starts at pre-primary level. This indicator calculates the participation rates of pupils up until (but not including) the starting age of formal education that is both compulsory and at the primary level. This age varies from 5 years to 7 years across countries and the national starting ages for compulsory primary education used in the calculation of this indicator are listed in the file Ages_educ_indicators which is available to download in the Annexes section of this page.
• Pupils under the age of 3 as % of corresponding age population. This indicator does not include 3 year olds (includes ages 0, 1 and 2).
• Out-of-school rates at different ages. This indicator is calculated as 100 – (students of a particular age who are enrolled in education at any ISCED level / Total population of that age *100).
  • Out-of-school rates in population of lower secondary school age and in population of upper secondary school age. This indicator is calculated as 100 – (students who are of the official age range for ISCED X who are enrolled in education at any ISCED level / Total population in the official age range for ISCED X *100). The official age range for each ISCED level varies across countries, and national age ranges for lower and upper secondary used in the calculation of this indicator are listed in the file Ages_educ_indicators which is available to download in the Annexes section of this page.
  • Students in education of post-compulsory school age - as % of the total population of post-compulsory school age. The final age at which formal education is considered as compulsory in national education systems in the calculation of this indicator are listed in the file Ages_educ_indicators.
  • Students participation at the end of compulsory education - as % of the corresponding age population. Indicator is calculated for age (X-1), (X), (X+1), (X+2) where X = the final age at which formal education is compulsory in national education systems. The final age at which formal education is considered as compulsory in national education systems in the calculation of this indicator are listed in the file Ages_educ_indicators.
  • Students in education aged 30 and over - per 1000 of corresponding age population
    • Expected school years of pupils and students at different levels of education
    • Distribution of pupils and students enrolled in general and vocational programmes by education level and NUTS2 regions
    • Distribution of students in different fields of education
    • Ratio of the proportion of the population who are tertiary students in NUTS1 regions to the proportion of the population who are tertiary students in NUTS2 regions

Data on entrants in education are disseminated in absolute numbers, with breakdowns available for the following dimensions:

• ISCED level of education,
• Programme orientation (general/academic or vocational/professional),
• Sex,
• Age or age group,
• Field of education (ISCED-F13).

Additionally the following indicator on entrants is calculated:

• Distribution of new entrants in different fields of education.

Data on learning mobility is available for degree mobile students, degree mobile graduates and credit mobile graduates. Degree mobility means that students/graduates are/were enrolled as regular students in any semester/term of a programme taught in the country of destination with the intention of graduating from it in the country of destination. Credit mobility is defined as temporary tertiary education or/and study-related traineeship abroad within the framework of enrolment in a tertiary education programme at a "home institution" (usually) for the purpose of gaining academic credit (i.e. credit that will be recognised in that home institution). Further definitions are in Section 2.8 of the UOE manual.

Degree mobile students are referred to as just ‘mobile students’ in UOE learning mobility tables. Data is disseminated for degree mobile students and degree mobile graduates in absolute numbers with breakdowns available for the following dimensions:

• ISCED level of education,
• Sex,
• Field of education (ISCED-F13),
• Country of origin (defined as the country of education prior to entering tertiary although there may be national deviations. These are listed in the Helpsheet of the latest footnotes report available to download in the Annexes section of this page) – referred to as ‘Geopolitical entity (partner)’ in Eurobase.

Additionally the following types of indicators on degree mobile students and degree mobile graduates are calculated ((all indicators using population data use Eurostat’s population database (demo_pjan)):

• Share of all students/graduates who are mobile students/degree mobile graduates from abroad,
• Distribution of mobile students/degree mobile graduates from abroad in different fields of education.

For credit mobile graduates, data are disseminated in absolute numbers, with breakdowns available for the following dimensions:

• ISCED level of education,
• Sex,
• Type of mobility scheme (e.g. Credit mobility under EU programmes i.e. ERASMUS, Credit mobility in other international/national programmes),
• Type of mobility (study period only or study period combined with work placement),
• Country of destination – referred to as ‘Geopolitical entity (partner)’ in Eurobase.

Data on personnel in education are available for classroom teachers/academic staff, teacher aides and school-management personnel. Teachers are employed in a professional capacity to guide and direct the learning experiences of students, irrespective of their training, qualifications or delivery mechanism. Teacher aides support teachers in providing instruction to students. Academic staff are personnel employed at the tertiary level of education whose primary assignment is instruction and/or research. School management personnel covers professional personnel who are responsible for school management/administration (ISCED 0-4) or whose primary or major responsibility is the management of the institution, or a recognised department or subdivision of the institution (tertiary levels). Full definitions of these statistical units are in Section 3.5 of the UOE manual.

Data are disseminated on teachers and academic staff in absolute numbers, with breakdowns available for the following dimensions:

• ISCED

Actual value and historical data chart for Argentina Total Outbound Internationally Mobile Tertiary Students Studying Abroad All Countries Both Sexes Number

Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroad, all countries, both sexes (number) in Malaysia was reported at 61904 Persons in 2018, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Malaysia - Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroad, all countries, both sexes - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on November of 2025.

In 2023, the majority of overseas students in Australia came from China, accounting for around ** percent of international students. The next largest group was students from India, accounting for around ** percent of all international students.

This dataset provides statistics on the number of new students who enrolled in scholarships abroad, categorized by country of study and gender. It helps track trends in international education and student mobility patterns.

Actual value and historical data chart for Namibia Total Outbound Internationally Mobile Tertiary Students Studying Abroad All Countries Both Sexes Number

This data set contains the number of students appearing for Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE)

Note: The data for 2012 to 2014 and 2015 to 2018 are mentioned cumulatively, no year wise categorisation for these years is available.

Japan No. of International Students: Canada data was reported at 396.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 361.000 Person for 2016. Japan No. of International Students: Canada data is updated yearly, averaging 307.000 Person from Apr 2001 (Median) to 2017, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 396.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 219.000 Person in 2001. Japan No. of International Students: Canada data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Japan Student Services Organization. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.G009: Survey on Internation Students: Number of International Students in Japan.

Japan No. of International Students: Thailand data was reported at 3,985.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 3,842.000 Person for 2016. Japan No. of International Students: Thailand data is updated yearly, averaging 2,128.500 Person from Apr 1998 (Median) to 2017, with 20 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,985.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 1,059.000 Person in 1998. Japan No. of International Students: Thailand data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Japan Student Services Organization. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.G009: Survey on Internation Students: Number of International Students in Japan.

This statistic depicts the number of international students in higher education across India in 2015, by leading country of origin. During this year, around **** thousand international students in higher education studying in the country came from Nepal.

Estimated average scores and percent distribution of 15-year-old students, science, by proficiency level, Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Canada, provinces and participating countries, Council of Ministers of Education Canada (CMEC). This table is included in Section C: Elementary-secondary education: Student achievement of the Pan Canadian Education Indicators Program (PCEIP). PCEIP draws from a wide variety of data sources to provide information on the school-age population, elementary, secondary and postsecondary education, transitions, education finance and labour market outcomes. The program presents indicators for all of Canada, the provinces, the territories, as well as selected international comparisons and comparisons over time. PCEIP is an ongoing initiative of the Canadian Education Statistics Council, a partnership between Statistics Canada and the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada that provides a set of statistical measures on education systems in Canada.

In 2017-2018, 245000 foreign students completed graduate mobility in France (with a duration of more than one year), which places our country at the 4th place in the world. More than 90000 French students have completed outgoing graduate mobility (6th position in the world). In addition, nearly 44000 French students benefited from Erasmus + in 2016 (non-graduate mobility, with a duration of less than one year). As a factor of influence and competitiveness, international student mobility concerns four ministries and two operators (Erasmus + and Campus France), for an estimated total expenditure of EUR 2.5 billion. The public authorities set the target of 500000 foreign students by 2027 and 400000 French students in mobility in Europe in 2024. In order to meet this challenge in good conditions, several important reforms deserve to be carried out. The Court makes 11 recommendations to make the system of international student mobility better known, better promoted, better managed, better managed and ultimately more effective.

This domain covers statistics and indicators on key aspects of the education systems across Europe. The data show entrants and enrolments in education levels, education personnel and the cost and type of resources dedicated to education.

For a general technical description of the UOE Data Collection see UNESCO OECD Eurostat (UOE) joint data collection – methodology - Statistics Explained (europa.eu).

The standards on international statistics on education and training systems are set by the three international organisations jointly administering the annual UOE data collection:

• The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation Institute for Statistics (UNESCO-UIS),
• The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and,
• The Statistical Office of the European Union (EUROSTAT).

The following topics are covered:

• Pupils and students – Enrolments and Entrants,
• Learning mobility,
• Education personnel,
• Education finance,
• Graduates,
• Language learning.

Data on enrolments in education are disseminated in absolute numbers, with breakdowns available for the following dimensions:

• ISCED level of education,
• Sex,
• Age or age group,
• NUTS1 and NUTS2 regions,
• Type of educational institution (public or private) – referred to as the ‘sector’ in Eurobase,
• Intensity of participation (full-time, part-time, full-time equivalent) – referred to as ‘working time’ in Eurobase,
• Programme orientation (general/academic or vocational/professional),
• Type of vocational programme (school-based only or combined school and work-based),
• Level of attainment that can be achieved upon programme completion (e.g. insufficient for level completion or partial level completion, sufficient for partial level completion without direct access to tertiary education),
• Field of education (ISCED-F13).

Additionally, the following types of indicators on enrolments are calculated (all indicators using population data use Eurostat’s population database (demo_pjan)):

• Participation rates by age or by age groups as % of corresponding age population.
• Participation rates by age as % of total population.
• Pupils from age 0, 3, 4 and 5 to the starting age of compulsory education at primary level, as % of the population of the corresponding age. In some countries, the start of primary education is not compulsory and in some countries compulsory education starts at pre-primary level. This indicator calculates the participation rates of pupils up until (but not including) the starting age of formal education that is both compulsory and at the primary level. This age varies from 5 years to 7 years across countries and the national starting ages for compulsory primary education used in the calculation of this indicator are listed in the file Ages_educ_indicators which is available to download in the Annexes section of this page.
• Pupils under the age of 3 as % of corresponding age population. This indicator does not include 3 year olds (includes ages 0, 1 and 2).
• Out-of-school rates at different ages. This indicator is calculated as 100 – (students of a particular age who are enrolled in education at any ISCED level / Total population of that age *100).
  • Out-of-school rates in population of lower secondary school age and in population of upper secondary school age. This indicator is calculated as 100 – (students who are of the official age range for ISCED X who are enrolled in education at any ISCED level / Total population in the official age range for ISCED X *100). The official age range for each ISCED level varies across countries, and national age ranges for lower and upper secondary used in the calculation of this indicator are listed in the file Ages_educ_indicators which is available to download in the Annexes section of this page.
  • Students in education of post-compulsory school age - as % of the total population of post-compulsory school age. The final age at which formal education is considered as compulsory in national education systems in the calculation of this indicator are listed in the file Ages_educ_indicators.
  • Students participation at the end of compulsory education - as % of the corresponding age population. Indicator is calculated for age (X-1), (X), (X+1), (X+2) where X = the final age at which formal education is compulsory in national education systems. The final age at which formal education is considered as compulsory in national education systems in the calculation of this indicator are listed in the file Ages_educ_indicators.
  • Students in education aged 30 and over - per 1000 of corresponding age population
    • Expected school years of pupils and students at different levels of education
    • Distribution of pupils and students enrolled in general and vocational programmes by education level and NUTS2 regions
    • Distribution of students in different fields of education
    • Ratio of the proportion of the population who are tertiary students in NUTS1 regions to the proportion of the population who are tertiary students in NUTS2 regions

Data on entrants in education are disseminated in absolute numbers, with breakdowns available for the following dimensions:

• ISCED level of education,
• Programme orientation (general/academic or vocational/professional),
• Sex,
• Age or age group,
• Field of education (ISCED-F13).

Additionally the following indicator on entrants is calculated:

• Distribution of new entrants in different fields of education.

Data on learning mobility is available for degree mobile students, degree mobile graduates and credit mobile graduates. Degree mobility means that students/graduates are/were enrolled as regular students in any semester/term of a programme taught in the country of destination with the intention of graduating from it in the country of destination. Credit mobility is defined as temporary tertiary education or/and study-related traineeship abroad within the framework of enrolment in a tertiary education programme at a "home institution" (usually) for the purpose of gaining academic credit (i.e. credit that will be recognised in that home institution). Further definitions are in Section 2.8 of the UOE manual.

Degree mobile students are referred to as just ‘mobile students’ in UOE learning mobility tables. Data is disseminated for degree mobile students and degree mobile graduates in absolute numbers with breakdowns available for the following dimensions:

• ISCED level of education,
• Sex,
• Field of education (ISCED-F13),
• Country of origin (defined as the country of education prior to entering tertiary although there may be national deviations. These are listed in the Helpsheet of the latest footnotes report available to download in the Annexes section of this page) – referred to as ‘Geopolitical entity (partner)’ in Eurobase.

Additionally the following types of indicators on degree mobile students and degree mobile graduates are calculated ((all indicators using population data use Eurostat’s population database (demo_pjan)):

• Share of all students/graduates who are mobile students/degree mobile graduates from abroad,
• Distribution of mobile students/degree mobile graduates from abroad in different fields of education.

For credit mobile graduates, data are disseminated in absolute numbers, with breakdowns available for the following dimensions:

• ISCED level of education,
• Sex,
• Type of mobility scheme (e.g. Credit mobility under EU programmes i.e. ERASMUS, Credit mobility in other international/national programmes),
• Type of mobility (study period only or study period combined with work placement),
• Country of destination – referred to as ‘Geopolitical entity (partner)’ in Eurobase.

Data on personnel in education are available for classroom teachers/academic staff, teacher aides and school-management personnel. Teachers are employed in a professional capacity to guide and direct the learning experiences of students, irrespective of their training, qualifications or delivery mechanism. Teacher aides support teachers in providing instruction to students. Academic staff are personnel employed at the tertiary level of education whose primary assignment is instruction and/or research. School management personnel covers professional personnel who are responsible for school management/administration (ISCED 0-4) or whose primary or major responsibility is the management of the institution, or a recognised department or subdivision of the institution (tertiary levels). Full definitions of these statistical units are in Section 3.5 of the UOE manual.

Data are disseminated on teachers and academic staff in absolute numbers, with breakdowns available for the following dimensions:

• ISCED

Japan No. of International Students: Sweden data was reported at 525.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 534.000 Person for 2016. Japan No. of International Students: Sweden data is updated yearly, averaging 212.000 Person from Apr 2005 (Median) to 2017, with 13 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 572.000 Person in 2014 and a record low of 116.000 Person in 2005. Japan No. of International Students: Sweden data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Japan Student Services Organization. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.G009: Survey on Internation Students: Number of International Students in Japan.

Abstract

“What is important for citizens to know and be able to do?” That is the question that underlies the triennial survey of 15-year-old students around the world known as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). PISA assesses the extent to which students near the end of compulsory education have acquired key knowledge and skills that are essential for full participation in modern societies. The assessment, which focuses on reading, mathematics, science and problem solving, does not just ascertain whether students can reproduce knowledge; it also examines how well students can extrapolate from what they have learned and apply that knowledge in unfamiliar settings, both in and outside of school. This approach reflects the fact that modern economies reward individuals not for what they know, but for what they can do with what they know. All 34 OECD member countries and 31 partner countries and economies participated in PISA 2012, representing more than 80% of the world economy.

With mathematics as its primary focus, the PISA 2012 assessment measured 15-year-olds’ capacity to reason mathematically and use mathematical concepts, procedures, facts and tools to describe, explain and predict phenomena, and to make the wellfounded judgements and decisions needed by constructive, engaged and reflective citizens. Literacy in mathematics defined this way is not an attribute that an individual has or does not have; rather, it is a skill that can be acquired and used, to a greater or lesser extent, throughout a lifetime.

The PISA assessment provides three main types of outcomes: - basic indicators that provide a baseline profile of students’ knowledge and skills; - indicators that show how skills relate to important demographic, social, economic and educational variables; and - indicators on trends that show changes in student performance and in the relationships between student-level and school-level variables and outcomes.

Geographic coverage

PISA 2012 covered 34 OECD countries and 31 partner countries and economies. All countries attempted to maximise the coverage of 15-year-olds enrolled in education in their national samples, including students enrolled in special educational institutions.

Analysis unit

To better compare student performance internationally, PISA targets a specific age of students. PISA students are aged between 15 years 3 months and 16 years 2 months at the time of the assessment, and have completed at least 6 years of formal schooling. They can be enrolled in any type of institution, participate in full-time or part-time education, in academic or vocational programmes, and attend public or private schools or foreign schools within the country. Using this age across countries and over time allows PISA to compare consistently the knowledge and skills of individuals born in the same year who are still in school at age 15, despite the diversity of their education histories in and outside of school.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The accuracy of any survey results depends on the quality of the information on which national samples are based as well as on the sampling procedures. Quality standards, procedures, instruments and verification mechanisms were developed for PISA that ensured that national samples yielded comparable data and that the results could be compared with confidence.

Most PISA samples were designed as two-stage stratified samples (where countries applied different sampling designs. The first stage consisted of sampling individual schools in which 15-year-old students could be enrolled. Schools were sampled systematically with probabilities proportional to size, the measure of size being a function of the estimated number of eligible (15-year-old) students enrolled. A minimum of 150 schools were selected in each country (where this number existed), although the requirements for national analyses often required a somewhat larger sample. As the schools were sampled, replacement schools were simultaneously identified, in case a sampled school chose not to participate in PISA 2012.

Experts from the PISA Consortium performed the sample selection process for most participating countries and monitored it closely in those countries that selected their own samples. The second stage of the selection process sampled students within sampled schools. Once schools were selected, a list of each sampled school's 15-year-old students was prepared. From this list, 35 students were then selected with equal probability (all 15-year-old students were selected if fewer than 35 were enrolled). The number of students to be sampled per school could deviate from 35, but could not be less than 20.

Around 510 000 students between the ages of 15 years 3 months and 16 years 2 months completed the assessment in 2012, representing about 28 million 15-year-olds in the schools of the 65 participating countries and economies.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Paper-based tests were used, with assessments lasting two hours. In a range of countries and economies, an additional 40 minutes were devoted to the computer-based assessment of mathematics, reading and problem solving.

Test items were a mixture of questions requiring students to construct their own responses and multiple-choice items. The items were organised in groups based on a passage setting out a real-life situation. A total of about 390 minutes of test items were covered, with different students taking different combinations of test items.

Students answered a background questionnaire, which took 30 minutes to complete, that sought information about themselves, their homes and their school and learning experiences. School principals were given a questionnaire, to complete in 30 minutes, that covered the school system and the learning environment. In some countries and economies, optional questionnaires were distributed to parents, who were asked to provide information on their perceptions of and involvement in their child’s school, their support for learning in the home, and their child’s career expectations, particularly in mathematics. Countries could choose two other optional questionnaires for students: one asked students about their familiarity with and use of information and communication technologies, and the second sought information about their education to date, including any interruptions in their schooling and whether and how they are preparing for a future career.

Cleaning operations

Software specially designed for PISA facilitated data entry, detected common errors during data entry, and facilitated the process of data cleaning. Training sessions familiarised National Project Managers with these procedures.

Response rate

Data-quality standards in PISA required minimum participation rates for schools as well as for students. These standards were established to minimise the potential for response biases. In the case of countries meeting these standards, it was likely that any bias resulting from non-response would be negligible, i.e. typically smaller than the sampling error.

A minimum response rate of 85% was required for the schools initially selected. Where the initial response rate of schools was between 65% and 85%, however, an acceptable school response rate could still be achieved through the use of replacement schools. This procedure brought with it a risk of increased response bias. Participating countries were, therefore, encouraged to persuade as many of the schools in the original sample as possible to participate. Schools with a student participation rate between 25% and 50% were not regarded as participating schools, but data from these schools were included in the database and contributed to the various estimations. Data from schools with a student participation rate of less than 25% were excluded from the database.

PISA 2012 also required a minimum participation rate of 80% of students within participating schools. This minimum participation rate had to be met at the national level, not necessarily by each participating school. Follow-up sessions were required in schools in which too few students had participated in the original assessment sessions. Student participation rates were calculated over all original schools, and also over all schools, whether original sample or replacement schools, and from the participation of students in both the original assessment and any follow-up sessions. A student who participated in the original or follow-up cognitive sessions was regarded as a participant. Those who attended only the questionnaire session were included in the international database and contributed to the statistics presented in this publication if they provided at least a description of their father’s or mother’s occupation.