International student statistics 2026
Where international students go and what health cover costs them in the 35 destinations we cover — every figure with its source and year.
Where international students go
International degree students in the 35 destinations we cover — latest year published for each country.
Top 10 destinations by international students
Latest available year per country
| Rank | Country | International students | Year | vs. previous year | Source | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USA | 956,923 | 2023 | — | UNESCO UIS | Guide |
| 2 | United Kingdom | 748,461 | 2023 | +10.9% | UNESCO UIS | Guide |
| 3 | Australia | 580,287 | 2024 | +24.2% | UNESCO UIS | Guide |
| 4 | Germany | 438,260 | 2024 | +3.6% | Eurostat | Guide |
| 5 | Canada | 389,181 | 2023 | +15.5% | UNESCO UIS | Guide |
| 6 | Turkey | 336,372 | 2024 | +11.5% | Eurostat | Guide |
| 7 | France | 284,865 | 2024 | +3.1% | Eurostat | Guide |
| 8 | UAE | 238,986 | 2024 | +0.8% | UNESCO UIS | Guide |
| 9 | China | 194,327 | 2024 | -3.3% | UNESCO UIS | Guide |
| 10 | Japan | 181,821 | 2023 | -8.8% | UNESCO UIS | Guide |
| 11 | South Korea | 143,939 | 2024 | +12.8% | UNESCO UIS | Guide |
| 12 | Netherlands | 131,004 | 2024/25 | +3% | Nuffic | Guide |
| 13 | Malaysia | 128,907 | 2024 | +18.2% | UNESCO UIS | Guide |
| 14 | Italy | 123,392 | 2024 | +15.9% | Eurostat | Guide |
| 15 | Saudi Arabia | 114,886 | 2024 | — | UNESCO UIS | Guide |
| 16 | Spain | 113,650 | 2024 | +11.2% | Eurostat | Guide |
| 17 | Poland | 95,120 | 2024 | +6.1% | Eurostat | Guide |
| 18 | Austria | 92,054 | 2024 | +5.8% | Eurostat | Guide |
| 19 | Singapore | 71,239 | 2023 | +7.4% | UNESCO UIS | Guide |
| 20 | Switzerland | 67,805 | 2024 | +2.4% | Eurostat | Guide |
| 21 | Czech Republic | 57,307 | 2024 | +1.8% | Eurostat | Guide |
| 22 | Portugal | 55,330 | 2024 | -2.5% | Eurostat | Guide |
| 23 | Belgium | 48,648 | 2024 | -15.1% | Eurostat | Guide |
| 24 | India | 45,700 | 2023 | -2.1% | UNESCO UIS | Guide |
| 25 | New Zealand | 44,171 | 2024 | +21.3% | UNESCO UIS | Guide |
| 26 | Hungary | 43,137 | 2024 | +3.4% | Eurostat | Guide |
| 27 | Thailand | 40,886 | 2024 | +36.6% | UNESCO UIS | Guide |
| 28 | Romania | 38,020 | 2024 | +5% | Eurostat | Guide |
| 29 | Sweden | 35,779 | 2024 | +3.2% | Eurostat | Guide |
| 30 | Finland | 35,715 | 2024 | +17.7% | Eurostat | Guide |
| 31 | Ireland | 34,722 | 2024 | +15.3% | Eurostat | Guide |
| 32 | Denmark | 28,751 | 2024 | -3.1% | Eurostat | Guide |
| 33 | Greece | 22,856 | 2024 | -13.2% | Eurostat | Guide |
| 34 | Norway | 13,274 | 2024 | -6.1% | Eurostat | Guide |
| 35 | Croatia | 5,396 | 2024 | -9% | Eurostat | Guide |
Year = reference year of the source. For UNESCO and Eurostat this is the academic year ending in that year (2024 = 2023/24); the Netherlands figure is for 2024/25. All counts follow the same definition (students who crossed a border to enrol in a tertiary programme). National statistics can be higher because they also count exchange, language-course or post-study work students.
What the numbers show
Largest destination
USA hosts 956,923 international students (2023) — more than any other destination we cover.
Fastest growth
Thailand: +36.6% in one year (2023 → 2024), the strongest increase among our destinations.
Global growth
Worldwide, internationally mobile students rose from 4.9M (2015) to 7.3M (2023) — +49.3%.
No premium
In 5 of our 33 destinations the main route for non-EU degree students costs no premium: Denmark, France, Norway, Romania, and Sweden.
What health cover costs
The main insurance route for a non-EU degree student in each destination, converted to euros per month.
Monthly cost in the 10 largest destinations
≈ EUR per month at ECB reference rates of September 29, 2026
| Country | Main route | Cost | ≈ € per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | Public healthcare, no premium | Free | €0 |
| France | Public healthcare, no premium (Sécurité sociale) | Free | €0 |
| Norway | Public healthcare, no premium (Folketrygden) | Free | €0 |
| Romania | Public healthcare, no premium (CNAS) | Free | €0 |
| Sweden | University insurance plan (Kammarkollegiet) | Free | €0 |
| China | Compulsory insurance for foreign students (LXBX) | CNY 800/year | ≈ €9 |
| Japan | Public health insurance (NHI) | JPY 20,000/year | ≈ €9 |
| Malaysia | Compulsory insurance for foreign students (EMGS) | MYR 498–644/year | ≈ €9 – €12 |
| Poland | Public health insurance (NFZ) | PLN 55.80/month | ≈ €13 |
| Ireland | Private student insurance | €150 – €200/year | ≈ €13 – €17 |
| UAE | Compulsory insurance for foreign students (DHA EBP) | AED 805/year | ≈ €16 |
| Singapore | University insurance plan | SGD 268–320/year | ≈ €15 – €18 |
| Turkey | Public health insurance (GSS) | TRY 1,321.20/month | ≈ €24 |
| Belgium | Public health insurance (mutualité / ziekenfonds) | €78.93/quarter | ≈ €26 |
| Saudi Arabia | Private student insurance (CCHI) | SAR 1,200–2,000/year | ≈ €23 – €39 |
| New Zealand | Private student insurance | NZD 669–899/year | ≈ €28 – €37 |
| Australia | Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) | AUD 665–726/year | ≈ €34 – €37 |
| Greece | Private student insurance | €30 – €50/month | ≈ €30 – €50 |
| Portugal | Private student insurance | €30 – €60/month | ≈ €30 – €60 |
| Czech Republic | Private student insurance | CZK 850–1,500/month | ≈ €35 – €61 |
| Spain | Private student insurance | €41.45 – €55.00/month | ≈ €41 – €55 |
| Canada | University insurance plan (UHIP, Ontario) | CAD 948/year | ≈ €49 |
| Finland | Private student insurance | €30 – €70/month | ≈ €30 – €70 |
| Netherlands | Private student insurance | €40 – €60/month | ≈ €40 – €60 |
| South Korea | Public health insurance (NHIS) | KRW 79,320/month | ≈ €52 |
| Italy | Public health insurance (SSN) | €700/year | ≈ €58 |
| United Kingdom | Health surcharge paid with the visa (IHS) | £776/year | ≈ €75 |
| Austria | Public health insurance (ÖGK) | €78.84/month | ≈ €79 |
| Croatia | Public health insurance (HZZO) | €70 – €110/month | ≈ €70 – €110 |
| Germany | Public health insurance (GKV) | €139.28 – €151.42/month | ≈ €139 – €151 |
| Hungary | Public health insurance (NEAK) | HUF 96,840/month | ≈ €264 |
| USA | University insurance plan (median of 99 universities) | $3,679/year | ≈ €270 |
| Switzerland | Compulsory basic insurance (KVG) | CHF 213.40–435.80/month | ≈ €226 – €461 |
Germany: public student rate across all 15 public insurers, 2026. Australia: single OSHC for 12 months, five providers, 2026. USA: median SHIP premium of the 99 universities in our waiver finder. Poland: NFZ contribution for non-EU students, 2026. UK: Immigration Health Surcharge for students. All other figures come from our country guides. Indicative only — prices depend on age, provider and region.
Sources & method
Where each figure on this page comes from.
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)— Total inbound internationally mobile students, both sexes (number), indicator 26637 — data release February 2026. International students for non-European destinations and the worldwide total.Re-run the UNESCO query
- Eurostat— Mobile students from abroad enrolled by education level, sex and country of origin (educ_uoe_mobs02), updated 25 September 2026. International students for EU/EEA countries, Switzerland and Türkiye (latest year 2024).
- Nuffic— Incoming degree mobility at Dutch universities 2024-25. International degree students in the Netherlands, 2024/25.
- European Central Bank— Euro foreign exchange reference rates, 29 September 2026. Exchange rates for the euro conversion. AED and SAR have no ECB rate and are converted through their fixed US-dollar pegs (3.6725 and 3.75 per USD).
- Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia (NFZ)— Jak ubezpieczyć się dobrowolnie — składka dla studentów spoza UE (2026). Monthly NFZ contribution for non-EU students in Poland (PLN 55.80, 2026).
- GOV.UK— Pay for UK healthcare as part of your immigration application — how much you have to pay. Immigration Health Surcharge for students (£776 a year).
- Germany and Australia: our 2026 rate data — public health insurance (GKV), OSHC providers.
- USA: SHIP premiums of the universities in our US university waiver finder.
- All other costs: our country guides, which list their own sources.
Definition: internationally mobile students are students who crossed a border to enrol in a tertiary programme (ISCED 5–8), counted in the destination country — the joint UNESCO-UIS / OECD / Eurostat definition.
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