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UIS · Inbound Mobility Rate, Tertiary
International students (inbound mobility) by country
What share of a country's university students come from abroad?
San Marino placed first of the 76 countries compared in 2024, at 87.125%, and 2 countries shared last place, at 0.000%. In the middle country the figure was 5.494%.
International students (inbound mobility) · 2024
Context statistic
Highest of 76San Marino
87.125%012024 · position · derived
Who leads
The three countries at the highest end of 76 compared, the three at the other end, and the first on each continent.
1Photo: Matl derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2Photo: Martin Weber derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Lowest in 2024
- =75
Seychelles0.000% - =75
Kiribati0.000% - 74
Turkmenistan0.052%
Positions out of 76. Where a country sits says how it compares with the others measured, and nothing about why.
02Every measured country
International students (inbound mobility) on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a higher value — the better end.
- 0.000–1.770%
- 1.864–3.074%
- 3.815–7.238%
- 7.889–14.085%
- 15.552–87.125%
- No reading in 2024 (101 measured in an earlier edition)
- Europe
9.889%
the middle country, of 26 measured · 49 members
San Marino87.125%
Russia0.428%Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Oceania
5.572%
the middle country, of 6 measured · 21 members
Australia31.632%Kiribati0.000%Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Asia
5.273%
the middle country, of 23 measured · 52 members
Macau72.532%Turkmenistan0.052%Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Americas
1.982%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 48 members
Aruba7.151%
Brazil0.265%Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Africa
1.894%
the middle country, of 13 measured · 55 members
Senegal29.922%Seychelles0.000%Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Every region
18 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Western Europe
20.459%
the middle country, of 6 measured · 9 members
Monaco86.733%
France9.894%Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- Northern Europe
9.883%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 13 members
Latvia14.085%
Norway4.205%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- Western Asia
9.341%
the middle country, of 10 measured · 19 members
United Arab Emirates65.003%
Azerbaijan2.682%Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Eastern Europe
6.967%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 10 members
Slovakia15.552%Russia0.428%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- Eastern Asia
5.273%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 8 members
Macau72.532%
China0.320%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Southern Europe
4.650%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 17 members
San Marino87.125%
Albania1.877%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- Eastern Africa
0.489%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 19 members
Mauritius7.048%Seychelles0.000%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- Australia and New Zealand
2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.
Australia31.632%
New Zealand17.573%Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Caribbean
3 of 24 measured — too few for a middle: Aruba, Cuba, Dominican Republic.
Aruba7.151%
Dominican Republic1.921%Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- Central America
3 of 8 measured — too few for a middle: Belize, Honduras, Mexico.
Honduras4.814%
Belize1.864%Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- Central Asia
4 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.
Kyrgyzstan19.454%Turkmenistan0.052%Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- Micronesia
3 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau.
Palau9.375%Kiribati0.000%Highest and lowest reading in Micronesia.
- Northern Africa
3 of 6 measured — too few for a middle: Algeria, Egypt, Morocco.
Egypt2.395%
Algeria0.346%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- Polynesia
1 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Cook Islands.
Cook Islands1.770%Highest and lowest reading in Polynesia.
- South America
2 of 12 measured — too few for a middle: Brazil, Chile.
Chile1.620%Brazil0.265%Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- South-eastern Asia
4 of 11 measured — too few for a middle: Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam.
Malaysia12.469%
Vietnam0.300%Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Southern Africa
1 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Botswana.
Botswana3.815%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.
- Western Africa
4 of 16 measured — too few for a middle: Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal.
Senegal29.922%
Ghana0.743%Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
03The whole field at once
The spread
76 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 5.494%; a quarter are above 11.658%, and a quarter below 1.891%. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 177 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first. “=” marks a position shared with another country. UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) ranks nobody on this measure; the position is derived here by ordering the published values. Read the top of the table with care: the rate is a share of a country’s OWN tertiary system, so a very small system fills up from abroad easily — San Marino leads 2024 at 87%, which says more about the size of its universities than about its pull.
Showing 25 of 177 countries
Values for 2024. The change column compares 2024 with 2023 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
051999–2024 · 26 editions
Over time
Each point is one edition from 1999. Female and male rates are stored beside the headline figure.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 76 | 5.494% | 1.891% – 11.658% |
| 2023 | 106 | 4.982% | 1.812% – 11.002% |
| 2022 | 105 | 4.891% | 1.762% – 10.765% |
| 2021 | 103 | 5.487% | 2.228% – 11.660% |
| 2020 | 112 | 4.425% | 2.018% – 11.324% |
| 2019 | 106 | 4.753% | 1.928% – 9.960% |
| 2018 | 109 | 4.544% | 1.859% – 9.638% |
| 2017 | 115 | 4.196% | 1.600% – 8.304% |
| 2016 | 110 | 3.932% | 1.311% – 8.750% |
| 2015 | 110 | 3.805% | 1.351% – 8.561% |
| 2014 | 100 | 3.466% | 0.830% – 7.487% |
| 2013 | 94 | 2.882% | 0.958% – 6.526% |
| 2012 | 106 | 2.384% | 0.864% – 6.626% |
| 2011 | 103 | 2.069% | 0.811% – 6.620% |
| 2010 | 87 | 2.974% | 0.954% – 6.978% |
| 2009 | 85 | 2.627% | 0.682% – 6.416% |
| 2008 | 82 | 2.229% | 0.797% – 6.243% |
| 2007 | 83 | 1.816% | 0.638% – 5.150% |
| 2006 | 80 | 1.780% | 0.621% – 5.113% |
| 2005 | 70 | 1.818% | 0.597% – 4.368% |
| 2004 | 75 | 1.607% | 0.556% – 4.289% |
| 2003 | 74 | 1.954% | 0.504% – 5.384% |
| 2002 | 66 | 2.414% | 0.485% – 4.826% |
| 2001 | 63 | 2.249% | 0.480% – 4.787% |
| 2000 | 60 | 2.185% | 0.888% – 4.608% |
| 1999 | 67 | 2.303% | 0.940% – 4.778% |
062023 → 2024
Who rose and fell
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
Improved most
before → after- Senegal8.966% → 29.922% · 39th → 8th+20.956
- Australia27.191% → 31.632% · 8th → 7th+4.442
- Macau68.879% → 72.532% · 4th → 3rd+3.653
- San Marino83.857% → 87.125% · 2nd → 1st+3.268
Hong Kong22.433% → 25.322% · 11th → 9th+2.889
Declined most
before → after- Kyrgyzstan25.593% → 19.454% · 9th → 13th−6.139
- United Arab Emirates69.726% → 65.003% · 3rd → 4th−4.722
- Russia4.791% → 0.428% · 55th → 68th−4.362
Tanzania2.002% → 0.420% · 76th → 69th−1.583
Estonia11.103% → 9.771% · 27th → 27th−1.332
68 countries were measured in both 2023 and 2024. The field changed from 106 to 76 countries, so a place can move for reasons that have nothing to do with the country itself.
07Across every edition
International students (inbound mobility) in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
Reached 7 times by 5 countries — shared, so no holder is named
100.000%
Inbound mobility rate, tertiary (%)
Lowest reading on record
Reached 66 times by 17 countries — shared, so no holder is named
0.000%
Inbound mobility rate, tertiary (%)
Biggest improvement between editions
+91.955
8.045% → 100.000%
Biggest decline between editions
−99.063
100.000% → 0.937%
Most improved since first measured
+86.389
0.344% → 86.733%
At the top most often
8 of 26
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08By sex
Inside the number
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) also publishes separate female and male readings. The gap between them, where both exist.
Of the 72 countries with both readings, the female reading is higher in 12, the male reading in 58, and they are equal in 2. The widest gaps each way:
09The measure
About international students (inbound mobility)
The inbound mobility rate is the share of a country’s own tertiary enrolment made up of students who came from abroad — how far its universities pull people across borders. It is a measure of draw, which is why it sits under mobility rather than education alone.
What the number is: Inbound mobility rate, tertiary (%).
10Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
Context, with no vote
This statistic is published in full under Education & Knowledge and Mobility & Connectivity, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.
Education & KnowledgeMobility & ConnectivityWhich statistics vote, and why
Moves with
Where international students (inbound mobility) is higher, these tend to be higher too.
No statistic lines up this closely.
Moves against
Where international students (inbound mobility) is higher, these tend to be lower.
No statistic lines up this closely.
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 0 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
11Keep reading
Explore further
The subject
The countries at either end
12Questions
International students (inbound mobility): questions and answers
Which country has the highest international students (inbound mobility)?
San Marino, at 87.125%, among the 76 countries compared in 2024.
Which country has the lowest international students (inbound mobility)?
2 countries share the lowest reading, 0.000%, among the 76 compared in 2024, so no single country is named.
How many countries does the Inbound Mobility Rate, Tertiary cover?
76 in 2024, and 177 at least once across all editions. The number measured varies from 60 to 115 between editions.
What is the world average international students (inbound mobility)?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 76 compared in 2024, the figure was 5.494%.
Is this UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)’s own ranking?
No. UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) publishes the values but ranks nobody; the position on this page is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values, and equal values share a position.
How often is the Inbound Mobility Rate, Tertiary published?
This site holds 26 editions, describing 1999 to 2024.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), under CC BY-SA 4.0. From the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. This is inbound, not outbound: UIS publishes an outbound ratio too, and it answers a different question. Every edition is available on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, unrounded.
13Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
Inbound Mobility Rate, Tertiary — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
From the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. This is inbound, not outbound: UIS publishes an outbound ratio too, and it answers a different question.
Newest edition
Report year 2024Data year 2024
Cite the source as: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. UIS Data Browser. Montreal: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0, checked 2026-09-05.
How this page reads the numbers
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) ranks nobody on this measure. The position is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values; equal values share a position.
- Which end is better follows the publisher’s own reading of the measure.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The full note on this data
26 editions (1999–2024), 60 to 115 countries. The share of a country’s own tertiary enrolment made up of students who came from abroad — how far a country’s universities pull people across borders, which is why it sits in Mobility & Connectivity rather than education alone. Female and male rates are stored beside the headline figure. ⚠ INBOUND, NOT OUTBOUND. This says who comes in, not who leaves; UIS publishes an outbound ratio too and it is a different question, not imported here. ⚠ READ THE TOP OF THE TABLE WITH CARE: the rate is a share of a country’s OWN tertiary system, so a very small system fills up from abroad easily — San Marino leads 2024 at 87%, which says more about the size of its universities than about its pull. ⚠ UIS ranks nobody, so no rank is stored; the POSITION on the statistics page is derived here by ordering the score and labelled as ours.
Photographs
The countries at the top of this statistic, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- San Marino — Matl derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Monaco — Martin Weber derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Macau — Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). International students (inbound mobility) by country: Inbound Mobility Rate, Tertiary, data from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/inbound-mobility