A recent analysis of foreign enrolment figures in top study destinations reveals shifts in the distribution of nationalities. Australia, Canada, the UK and the US, collectively known as the “Big Four,” have seen changes in their reliance on Top 5 student source countries since 2019.
Australia’s dependence on its Top 5 markets decreased from 70% to 55% between 2019 and 2023, with China and India accounting for 37% of international students. Canada’s reliance on its Top 5 markets also decreased, from 67% to 62%, with India and China making up 51% of international students.
The UK, however, saw an increase in its reliance on Top 5 markets, from 45% to 60%, with India and China accounting for 43% of international students. The US maintained a stable reliance on its Top 5 markets, at 62%, with China and India making up 52% of international students.
Other destinations, such as Ireland, France and Germany are less dependent on their Top 5 markets with less than half of foreign students coming from these countries. France and Germany, in particular, have a more diversified international student population with only 34% and 35% of students coming from their Top 5 markets, respectively.
Drilling deeper into the data, the analysis found that around 7 in 10 students in the “Big Four” come from Top 10 markets. The UK emerges as the least reliant on Top 10 countries, at 68%, while Canada has the highest reliance, at 72%.
The analysis also highlights the importance of Chinese and Indian students to the international education sectors in these countries. In 2023, more than half of international students in Canada and the US came from India or China.
However, recent changes in immigration policies and visa approval rates may impact the diversity of international student populations in these countries. In Australia, for example, institutions are adjusting their recruitment targets due to high visa refusal rates from certain countries. In Canada, the average study permit approval rate fell from 55% in 2022 to 50% between January and April 2024, with significant declines for students from Ghana and Nigeria.
These changes may lead to a reshaping of international student populations in these countries, with emerging markets contributing more to diversity. As educators navigate these shifts, they must balance the need for diversification with the challenges posed by changing immigration policies.