Nigeria has been ranked as the world’s third-largest source of international students in 2023, contributing five per cent of global outbound student mobility, according to the first Higher Education Global Trends Report released Tuesday by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.
According to The Punch, 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.
