The international student population of England and Wales by country of birth, passport held, age, sex and other characteristics.

In 2022, Canada had the greatest number of international students compared to their entire higher education population, with nearly 40 percent of students being international. Australia followed with a share of 31 percent of the students being international, while the United Kingdom ranked third.

Census 2021 data on international student population of England and Wales by country of birth, passport held, age, sex and other characteristics.

These datasets are part of the release: The changing picture of long-term international migration, England and Wales: Census 2021. Figures may differ slightly in future releases because of the impact of removing rounding and applying further statistical processes.

Figures are based on geography boundaries as of 1 April 2022.

This release includes comparisons to the folllowing 2011 Census data:

• Students in full-time education
• International students (by Region)
• International students by country of birth
• International students by Top 100 countries of birth

Quality notes can be found here

Quality information about demography and migration can be found here

Quality information about labour market can be found here

Usual resident

A usual resident is anyone who on Census Day, 21 March 2021 was in the UK and had stayed or intended to stay in the UK for a period of 12 months or more, or had a permanent UK address and was outside the UK and intended to be outside the UK for less than 12 months.

International student

An international student is defined as someone who was a usual resident in England and Wales and meets all the following criteria:

• in-full-time education
• non-UK-born
• non-UK passport holder
• aged 17 years or over upon most recent arrival in the UK
• aged 18 years or over on Census Day.

Country of birth

The country in which a person was born. The following country of birth classifications are used in this dataset:

• Country of birth 12a: Political groupings of countries by EU membership and geographical location for non-EU countries.
• Country of birth 190a: Individual countries. This classification includes geographical groupings for low volume countries.
• Country of birth (3 categories): These categories have been derived from country of birth 12a and include all UK countries in "Europe: United Kingdom", all EU countries in "Europe: EU countries" and all remaining countries including British Overseas territories in "Non-EU countries (including British Overseas)".

More information about country of birth classifications can be found here.

Passports held

The country or countries that a person holds, or is entitled to hold, a passport for. Where a person recorded having more than one passport, they were counted only once, categorised in the following priority order: 1. UK passport, 2. Irish passport, 3. Other passport. The following classifications were created for this dataset for comparability with other international migration releases:

• Passports held (4 categories): High level political groupings of passport held by EU membership and geographical location for non-EU countries.
• Passports held (12 categories): Political groupings of passport held by EU membership and geographical location for non-EU countries.
• Passports held (150 categories): Individual countries for passport held. This classification includes geographical groupings for low volume countries.

More information can be found here

Economic activity status

The economic activity status of a person on Census Day, 21 March 2021. The following classification is used in this dataset:

• Economic activity status classification status_12a

Industry

The industry worked in for those in current employment. The following classification was used for this dataset:

• Industry (current) classification 22a

Student accommodation

Student accommodation breaks down household type by typical households used by students. This includes communal establishments, all student households, households containing a single family, households containing multiple families, living with parents and living alone.

More information can be found here

Second address indicator

The second address indicator is used to define an address (in or out of the UK) a person stays at for more than 30 days per year that is not their place of usual residence. Second addresses typically include: armed forces bases, addresses used by people working away from home, a student’s home address, the address of another parent or guardian, a partner’s address, a holiday home. There are 3 categories in this classification.

Detailed description can be found here

Main language (detailed)

This is used to define a person's first or preferred language. This breaks down the responses given in the write-in option "Other, write in (including British Sign Language)". There are 95 categories in the primary classification.

More details can be found here

Proficiency in English language

Proficiency in English language is used to determine how well a person whose main language is not English (English or Welsh in Wales) feels they can speak English. There are a total number of 6 categories in this classification.

More details can be found here

Forecast: International Students in Tertiary Education in Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics, as a Share of All Students Enrolled in This Field in the UK 2023 - 2027 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

This statistic illustrates the most common European Union countries of domicile for international students enrolled with higher education providers in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2017/18, by number of students. At that time, a total of approximately ** thousand students enrolled in the United Kingdom (UK) were domiciled in Italy.

This statistic illustrates the most common non-European Union countries of domicile for international students enrolled with higher education providers in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2017/18, by number of students. At that time, a total of ****** students enrolled in the United Kingdom (UK) were domiciled in Nigeria.

Summary tables from a Survey of Graduating International Students to accompany the ONS response to the Migration Advisory Committee call for evidence on international students.

The United Kingdom and United States are the most preferred international destinations for Chinese students studying abroad, together accounting for ** percent of overseas Chinese students. While the share of Chinese students preferring the United States decreased due to stricter visa requirements and the tense relationship between the two countries, the share of Chinese students studying or planning to study in the United Kingdom grew up to ** percent as of 2022.

Presents an overview of all aspects of higher education in the UK. It draws together data on students, staff and institutional finance, applicants via the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS), graduates and graduate destinations, student support, and international comparisons.

Source agency: Business, Innovation and Skills

Designation: National Statistics

Language: English

Alternative title: Higher Education Statistics for the United Kingdom

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a survey of the educational achievement of 15-year-olds organised by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). A total of 65 countries participated in PISA 2009. Source agency: Education Designation: Official Statistics not designated as National Statistics Language: English Alternative title: Results for England 2009

This release replaces the previous annual and quarterly publications Control of Immigration Statistics and the annual British Citizenship, following a public consultation. Each topic now has its own entry, links to these related reports can be found under the "additional links" section. There are a number of different measures that can be used to monitor numbers of people coming to the United Kingdom for study.

For those students who are subject to immigration control, administrative information is available on student visas and visa extensions, as well as records of students admitted. The International Passenger Survey (IPS), run by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), provides estimates of all students arriving in the UK, with the ONS migration statistics focussing on those who intend to stay for a year or more. Research into students has also been published, for example Migrant Journey Analysis that involved linking records to give a more complete picture as to what happened to a group of students over a five year period.

These various statistics and research can appear to give different pictures of student immigration. Often this is because the latest data for different measures cover different time periods. In addition, they also count different aspects of the immigration process, with some showing intentions or permissions, whilst others show actual events.

Over the five years through 2025-26, the Universities industry's revenue is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 0.6% to £54.9 billion. The increase in tuition fees to £9,250 in 2017-18 has been an important driver of revenue growth. However, with tuition fees frozen up to 2024-25, inflation and particularly high inflation in the two years through 2023-24 have meant their real value has plummeted. This has also put a strain on profit over the past five years. The cap on undergraduate student numbers in the UK was lifted in 2020-21, leading to a rise in student enrolments, which has helped prop up universities’ income. Universities have struggled in the face of cuts to the level of research funding received from the government and disruption caused by the pandemic. Teaching went online in the final term of 2019-20 and remained there for most of the 2020-21 academic year due to restrictions imposed following the COVID-19 outbreak, pushing down revenue. However, despite fears of a fall in demand, student applications for 2020-21 rose, and higher education UCAS applications for 18-year-olds living in the UK for the 2025-26 academic year hit a record high. Universities are also benefiting from the UK rejoining Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research programme – they’ve been able to access funding since January 2024. However, there are big concerns over ailing international student numbers since they currently prop up university finances and help to subsidise domestic students' places. The introduction of the dependent ban in January 2024 on overseas students bringing family with them on their student visa for taught master's has seen applications from several countries fall. Revenue is still set to grow 1% in 2025-26 as tuition fee rises for the first time since 2017, from £9,250 to £9,535, which is propelling revenue rises despite poor enrolment figures. Over the five years through 2030-31, university revenue is forecast to fall at a compound annual rate of 0.8% to reach £52.8 billion. Strong demand from domestic students will further support revenue growth, but without further tuition fee rises, real income for universities is likely to suffer. The industry will need more funding intervention to prevent closures and budget cuts. Additionally, proposals by the government to make it harder for international students to settle in the UK will disincentivise international applicants, putting a strain on revenue.

Forecast: Tertiary International Student Inflow in the UK 2023 - 2027 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

In 2024, over ******* study visas for the United Kingdom were issued to students from China, making it by far the most common nationality to be granted study visas in that year. There was also a significant number of study visas granted to students from India, with almost ****** Indian students granted study visas in that year.

Japan No. of International Students: UK data was reported at 640.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 560.000 Person for 2016. Japan No. of International Students: UK data is updated yearly, averaging 400.000 Person from Apr 2001 (Median) to 2017, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 640.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 326.000 Person in 2005. Japan No. of International Students: UK 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.

The dataset comprises 13 interview transcripts, with sensitive information redacted. These interviews were conducted online during the Spring and Summer of 2021 and involved international students who had participated in study abroad or degree-seeking programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The interviews focused on the students' experiences as they transitioned from traditional in-person programs to online and blended learning due to pandemic-related isolation measures.

This release replaces the previous annual and quarterly publications Control of Immigration Statistics and the annual British Citizenship, following a public consultation. Each topic now has its own entry, links to these related reports can be found under the "additional links" section. There are a number of different measures that can be used to monitor numbers of people coming to the United Kingdom for study. For those students who are subject to immigration control, administrative information is available on student visas and visa extensions, as well as records of students admitted. The International Passenger Survey (IPS), run by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), provides estimates of all students arriving in the UK, with the ONS migration statistics focussing on those who intend to stay for a year or more. Research into students has also been published, for example Migrant Journey Analysis that involved linking records to give a more complete picture as to what happened to a group of students over a five year period. These various statistics and research can appear to give different pictures of student immigration. Often this is because the latest data for different measures cover different time periods. In addition, they also count different aspects of the immigration process, with some showing intentions or permissions, whilst others show actual events.

In 2024, approximately 419,310 study visas were issued in the UK, compared with 604,250 in 2023. There was a noticeable decline in the number of study visas granted between 2019 and 2020, due to travel restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.