This July, the number of international students who moved to Australia has doubled compared to last year, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). As per the data, 131,640 international students entered in Australia representing an increase of 60,420 from the last year.
There were only 71,220 international students in Australia. According to Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackso, the doubling of student arrivals in the country is proof of the provision of quality education at Australian universities. The quality of education at the universities is the driving factor in attracting students from over 144 countries.
Even though the arrival rate is high, the enrolment rate has not yet reached the pre-pandemic level. As per the data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of student arrivals in July was 8.5 lower than the July 2019 level. The total number of international students at Australian higher education institutions in July stood at 100,060. However, the total number of students in July 2019 at Australian universities was 4,590 more than in July 2023.
Taking into consideration the number of international students moving to Australia, it stands at 619,370, which is 8 percent more compared to 2021. However, the number was still 15 percent less than in 2019. In 2019, there were 756,713 international students in Australia.
China was the country from which the majority of students in Australia came, then India and Pakistan. Other countries that send students to Australia include:
- Colombia
- Vietnam
- Thailand
- Brazil
- Philippines
Moreover, international students contributed $25.5 billion to the Australian economy in 2022. However, earlier students were contributing $40 billion to the economy.
