Venkat Raman
Auckland, July 15, 2024
China claimed the top position in the international student intake last year, accounting for 35% of enrolments, followed by India at 17%.
Figures released by Education New Zealand showed that these two countries were followed by Japan (10%), South Korea (5%) and Thailand (4%).
Student enrolments from other countries were less than 4% each.
The total number of international student enrolments (not necessarily as many students since a student could have sought entry into more than one stream) was 69,135 in 2023. This represents a 67% increase compared to the full year in 2022 and 60% of annual enrolments in 2019.
Promoting cultural diversity
Education New Zealand Acting Chief Executive Dr Linda Sissons described the higher figure as ‘good news.’
“Over 69,000 enrolments from international students all over the world is good news for our education sector and positive for our communities. It confirms that New Zealand is an attractive place to study, offering a quality learning experience inside and outside the classroom in a safe, welcoming environment,” she said.
Dr Sissons said that as a small country, New Zealand facilitates international students, to meet people from other cultures and gain a greater understanding of the issues facing our complex world.
“In this time of fragile geopolitics, the melting pot of campus life can help build greater understanding and tolerance,” she said.
University Subsector recovers
Education New Zealand figures also indicate that the University Subsector recorded the strongest recovery with 29,065 students, representing 86% of 2019 enrolments. Universities and schools are the two largest subsectors for international students.
International student enrolments have grown compared to 2022 in all Subsectors except publicly-owned tertiary institutions (wānanga). English Language Schools experienced the greatest percentage increase in international enrolments, lifting by 511 from 1565 to 9570.
“Enabling a thriving and globally connected New Zealand through world-class international education is a government priority. We are actively diversifying our recruitment efforts to reach international students in a broad range of countries,” Dr Sissons said.
About Education New Zealand
Education New Zealand is a government agency dedicated to helping New Zealand realise the social, cultural, and economic benefits of international education. Its role is to promote New Zealand as a high-quality education destination offering excellent education and student experiences and encouraging New Zealand students to study overseas.
With approximately 110 staff in 16 locations around the world, Education New Zealand works closely with the country’s diverse education sector which includes schools, English language providers, Private Training Establishments, Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (Te Pūkenga), and universities.
Internationally, it works with a range of education stakeholders, including government agencies and education providers to identify and encourage sustainable growth opportunities for New Zealand’s education sector.
