Nigeria has emerged as the third-largest source of international students globally, accounting for five per cent of the world’s outbound student mobility in 2023.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation revealed this in its first Higher Education Global Trends Report released on Tuesday.
Outbound student mobility in the study refers to where international students come from.
The report shows that nearly half of all students studying abroad in 2023 originated from just 10 countries.
China and India continue to dominate global outbound mobility, contributing 37 per cent and 29 per cent of international students respectively.
At the third position, Nigeria is joined by Germany, which also recorded five per cent, while Viet Nam, Uzbekistan, the United States, France, Pakistan, and Nepal each accounted for four per cent.
Top 10 countries for outbound student mobility, 2023 (share of global total)
China (People’s Republic of) — 37%
India — 29%
Nigeria — 5%
Germany — 5%
Viet Nam — 4%
Uzbekistan — 4%
United States of America — 4%
France — 4%
Pakistan — 4%
Nepal — 4%
UNESCO noted that the top 10 countries accounted for 45 per cent of total outbound student mobility globally in 2023.
The report stated that international student mobility has continued to rise globally despite disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“International student mobility has become a topic of growing importance in the field of higher education, with mobility flows increasing around the world, leading to unprecedented levels of global exchange,” the report said.
According to UNESCO, the number of internationally mobile students nearly tripled over the last two decades, rising from 2.5 million in 2002 to 7.3 million in 2023.
The organisation projected that the figure could reach nine million by 2030.
Despite the increase, UNESCO said less than three per cent of higher education students globally benefit from academic mobility.
The report described international education as largely elitist, noting that access to study opportunities abroad remains limited to a privileged minority.
“Despite growth expectations, the proportion of higher education students benefiting from academic mobility remains low, just under 3%, underscoring the elitist nature of mobility as still only a privileged few individuals gain access to higher education opportunities abroad,” the report added.
UNESCO further stated that East Asia and the Pacific accounted for 26 per cent of outbound students globally in 2023, followed by South and West Asia with 21 per cent.
The organisation attributed global outbound mobility trends to factors such as macroeconomic conditions, the quality and capacity of domestic higher education systems, government policies, visa regulations, and post-graduation work opportunities.
According to the report, governments around the world are increasingly adopting policies to promote student mobility, with 35 per cent of countries setting explicit targets to increase outbound student mobility.
