Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The number of international students enrolled in higher education across the European Union reached 1.76 million, representing 8.4% of the total student body, according to figures published by Eurostat, the European Statistical Office in Brussels.
Among EU countries, Luxembourg recorded the highest proportion of international students among higher education students (52.3%), followed by Malta (29.6%) and Cyprus (22.3%) in distance learning.
In contrast, Greece (3.0%), Croatia (3.7%), and Spain (4.3%) recorded the lowest proportions.
Across the 20 EU countries, the largest group of international students came from elsewhere in Europe. This proportion was highest in Slovakia (91.3%), followed by Slovenia (89.4%) and Croatia (89.0%).
Students from Asia constituted the largest group of international students in Ireland (45.0%), Finland (43.35%), Germany (40.1%), and Italy (36%). In France, more than half (52.3%) of international higher education students in 2023 were from Africa, which is also the largest group of international students in Portugal (42.1%). In Spain, most international higher education students (46.7%) were from the Caribbean and Central and South America.