Nigeria ranks third worldwide in the number of students studying abroad

Nigeria has become the third‑largest source of international students worldwide, representing five percent of global outbound student mobility in 2023.

This finding comes from UNESCO’s first Higher Education Global Trends Report, released on Tuesday.

“Outbound student mobility” in the study refers to the countries from which international students originate.

The report indicates that almost half of all students studying abroad in 2023 came from just ten countries.

China and India remain the dominant contributors, accounting for 37 % and 29 % of international students respectively.

In third place, Nigeria shares the five‑percent share with Germany. Vietnam, Uzbekistan, the United States, France, Pakistan and Nepal each contributed four percent.

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 notes that these ten nations together accounted for 45 % of total outbound student mobility globally in 2023.

The report also states that international student mobility continued to rise worldwide despite the 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 reads.

UNESCO reports that the number of internationally mobile students has nearly tripled over the past two decades, increasing from 2.5 million in 2002 to 7.3 million in 2023.

The organization projects that the figure could reach nine million by 2030.

Nevertheless, UNESCO points out that less than three percent of higher‑education students worldwide benefit from academic mobility.

The report characterises international education as largely elitist, observing that opportunities to study abroad remain confined to a privileged minority.

“Despite growth expectations, the proportion of higher education students benefiting from academic mobility remains low, just under 3%, underscoring the elitist nature of mobility as still only a privileged few individuals gain access to higher education opportunities abroad,” the report adds.

UNESCO further indicates that East Asia and the Pacific accounted for 26 % of outbound students globally in 2023, followed by South and West Asia with 21 %.

The organization attributes global outbound mobility trends to factors such as macro‑economic conditions, the quality and capacity of domestic higher‑education systems, government policies, visa regulations and post‑graduation work opportunities.

According to the report, governments worldwide are increasingly adopting policies to promote student mobility, with 35 % of countries setting explicit targets to increase outbound student mobility.