This map shows the countries where all the world’s international students are moving from and to using the most recent data from UNESCO, published in May 2014.

The primary colour shows the ranking of a country based on the number of outbound international students. The inner colour of the circle shows the ranking of a country based on the number of inbound international students.

The data covers roughly 200 countries for outbound students and only 125 for inbound students, thus countries with no data are marked in grey (see all countries in the table below).

If you’re thinking of becoming an international student in the UK, check our Beginner’s guide to Studying in the UK and this article on Saving money on shipping for international students.

As specified by UNESCO in this instance the term international students refers to students who pursue a higher education degree outside their country of residence but excludes students under short-term, for-credit study and those on exchange programmes. If you’re thinking of moving abroad for studies, but can’t quite decide where, then check out this quiz on Which Country You Actually Belong in.

International Student Mobility

CountryOutbound International StudentsInbound International Students
Antigua and Barbuda552215
United States58133740482
United Kingdom27968427686
France62416271399
Australia10968249588
Germany117576206986
Russian Federation51171173627
Japan33751150617
Canada45509120960
China69404188979
Italy5123677732
South Africa637870428
Malaysia5557963625
South Korea12367459472
Austria1519158056
Netherlands1350357509
Spain3013555759
United Arab Emirates852654162
Singapore2177752959
Egypt1621749011
Saudi Arabia6253546566
Switzerland1195044468
Ukraine3962743609
Belgium1319842914
New Zealand532740995
Czech Republic1207739455
Turkey5148738590
Greece3236032828
India18947231475
Sweden1766128629
Jordan1682527931
Lebanon1308927230
Poland2926323525
Cuba178522754
Denmark576722361
Hong Kong3082721100
Thailand2449120309
Portugal1347418525
Norway1554518454
Finland821217636
Hungary788617520
Romania3201717219
Kyrgyzstan573616425
Brazil3072914432
Macao180313623
Belarus4064312131
Yemen1494311393
Bulgaria2532911214
Ireland1891711100
Ghana91039132
Slovakia331279059
Kazakhstan430398982
Serbia109038931
Morocco441618604
Kuwait106867984
Cyprus274117454
Indonesia349997235
Qatar34107154
Côte d'Ivoire73506569
Algeria247516529
Bosnia/Herzegovina114376296
Gambia12365358
Azerbaijan201274628
Iran, Islamic Rep.515494512
Grenada5744235
Armenia70114164
Viet Nam538023996
Israel138583946
Chile88143461
Cameroon222973385
Lithuania123643138
Tajikistan91283107
Latvia66322716
Bahrain40962648
Slovenia24332357
Congo, DR52972242
Luxembourg76982226
Oman100492108
Albania248472091
Burkina Faso33132040
Republic of Moldova176461935
Tunisia189111901
Burundi18721813
Central African Rep.9711800
Estonia47201720
Barbados11391714
Georgia84071670
Bangladesh219271589
Honduras30861582
Madagascar48811567
TFYR Macedonia44401372
Niger21081181
Iceland27451099
Mongolia107171058
Chad3621978
Guinea6056930
Mauritius6788924
Croatia6096842
Liechtenstein934777
El Salvador3008688
Malta1355591
Lao PDR4369588
Rwanda4028547
Mali4544462
Mozambique1887396
Sri Lanka16204375
Brunei Darussalam3423354
Zimbabwe27994352
Saint Lucia1156325
British Virgin Is513247
Botswana6634141
Cabo Verde2775133
Lesotho4260127
Malawi2358117
Nepal29184107
Andorra1320102
Bermuda143586
Swaziland429679
Myanmar725465
Congo828039
Aruba10536
Guyana155934
Marshall Islands25513
Comoros39122
Nigeria49531
Pakistan37962
Turkmenistan27959
Mexico26866
Uzbekistan24489
Colombia23602
Syrian Arab Republic18222
Palestine17637
Peru14844
Iraq14465
Kenya13573
Senegal11893
Venezuela11720
Philippines11210
Ecuador10926
Afghanistan9754
Bolivia9096
Argentina8084
Namibia7602
Angola7534
Guatemala7032
Ethiopia6540
Gabon6461
Libya6431
Tanzania5741
Zambia5011
Trinidad and Tobago4970
Uganda4853
Cambodia4287
Jamaica4262
Mauritania3939
Haiti3907
Benin3871
Montenegro3762
Sudan (pre-secession)3632
Dominican Republic3452
Togo3363
Somalia3315
Timor-Leste3292
Solomon Islands3194
Bhutan3186
Paraguay2725
Gibraltar2637
Bahamas2521
Uruguay2472
Nicaragua2430
Panama2281
Costa Rica2068
Papua New Guinea2063
Maldives1862
Vanuatu1850
Djibouti1676
Guinea-Bissau1577
Korea, DPR1428
Equatorial Guinea1374
Fiji1307
Eritrea1284
Tonga1168
Kiribati1072
Suriname858
Sierra Leone810
St Vincent/Grenadines799
San Marino798
Samoa773
Dominica765
Belize761
Liberia680
Sao Tome and Principe498
Saint Kitts and Nevis483
Monaco481
Seychelles448
Tuvalu434
Cayman Islands373
Cook Islands215
Turks and Caicos Is179
Nauru143
Anguilla95
Tokelau81
Niue50
Montserrat41
Holy See29