69,000 international student enrolments in New Zealand in 2023
Increasing numbers of international students chose to study in New Zealand in 2023, according to full year enrolment data released today.
The latest figures show that there were 69,135 international student enrolments* with New Zealand education providers in 2023. This represents a 67 per cent increase compared to the full year in 2022 and 60 per cent of annual enrolments in 2019.
“Over 69,000 enrolments from international students all over the world is good news for our education sector and positive for our communities,” said Dr Linda Sissons, Acting Chief Executive of Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao.
“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.”
“New Zealand is a small country and for many students, rubbing shoulders with people from other cultures gives them 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.”
The university subsector saw the strongest recovery with 29,065 students, representing 86 per cent of 2019 enrolments. Universities and schools are New Zealand’s two largest subsectors for international students.
International student enrolments have grown compared to 2022 in all subsectors except wānanga. English Language Schools saw the greatest percentage increase in international enrolments, lifting by 511 per cent from 1,565 to 9,570.
As with all New Zealand’s competitors in the international education sector, China is the largest source market for international students at 35 per cent. India is second largest at 17 per cent, Japan at 10 per cent, South Korea at five per cent and Thailand at four per cent. Of the other source countries, no other country represented more than four per cent of total enrolments.
“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.
More information on enrolment numbers can be found here.