Net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) in South Africa

South Africa: Net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) was 33,137 number in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
33,137 number
Change on year
down 11.0%
World rank
17th
of 136 countries
All-time high
63,922 number
in 2011
All-time low
10,607 number
in 1998
Years of data
21
1998–2018

Net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) in South Africa, 1998–2018

20.0k40.0k60.0k1998200820181998: 10.6k number1999: 29.9k number2000: 39.7k number2001: 33.8k number2002: 40.3k number2003: 43.6k number2004: 45.2k number2005: 44.4k number2006: 47.9k number2007: 53.2k number2008: 58.2k number2009: 54.2k number2010: 59.5k number2011: 63.9k number2012: 35.8k number2013: 35.3k number2014: 35.3k number2015: 36.0k number2016: 37.3k number2017: 37.2k number2018: 33.1k number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

In 2018, net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) in South Africa stood at 33,137 number.

That represents a change of down 11.0% on the previous year and down 43.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) in South Africa peaked at 63,922 number in 2011 and was at its lowest, 10,607 number, in 1998.

South Africa ranks 17th of 136 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.

Net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound), both sexes (number) in South Africa, 1998 to 2018.
Year number Change
1998 10,607 number
1999 29,878 number +181.7%
2000 39,699 number +32.9%
2001 33,784 number -14.9%
2002 40,252 number +19.1%
2003 43,598 number +8.3%
2004 45,212 number +3.7%
2005 44,385 number -1.8%
2006 47,872 number +7.9%
2007 53,244 number +11.2%
2008 58,174 number +9.3%
2009 54,176 number -6.9%
2010 59,519 number +9.9%
2011 63,922 number +7.4%
2012 35,775 number -44.0%
2013 35,304 number -1.3%
2014 35,321 number +0.0%
2015 35,961 number +1.8%
2016 37,282 number +3.7%
2017 37,214 number -0.2%
2018 33,137 number -11.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 20,242 number 10,607 number 29,878 number 2
2000s 46,040 number 33,784 number 58,174 number 10
2010s 41,493 number 33,137 number 63,922 number 9

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 14 Belgium 38,028 number compare
  2. 15 Switzerland 37,809 number compare
  3. 16 Malaysia 37,489 number compare
  4. 18 Czechia 32,433 number compare
  5. 19 Italy 30,657 number compare
  6. 20 Spain 28,878 number compare

See the full ranking of 136 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) in South Africa?
Net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) in South Africa was 33,137 number in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 63,922 number in 2011.
What is the lowest net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 10,607 number in 1998.
How does South Africa rank for net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound)?
South Africa ranks 17th out of 136 countries with data for 2018.
Is net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 43.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound), both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound) in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/net-flow-of-internationally-mobile-students-inbound-outbound-both-sexes-number/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Net flow of internationally mobile students (inbound - outbound), both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
136 places, 1,866 data points, 1998–2018
Last refreshed

Number of tertiary students from abroad (inbound students) studying in a given country minus the number of students at the same level from a given country studying abroad (outbound students).