HESA 2023/24 academic year data: how have international student numbers changed?

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) recently released their latest data on international students studying in the UK. We’ve taken a closer look at this data and pulled some trends by level of study, country of domicile and institution.

Key findings up to the 2023/24 academic year:

• Overall, international student numbers were down by 3.6% YoY (year-on-year), driven predominantly by a decrease in undergraduates
• Postgraduate numbers have been fluctuating, but were down 4.5% YoY, equating to just under 2,300 students
• International students (ex. UK, ex. Europe) have essentially remained flat at -1.3% change YoY; European student numbers continue to decline with a staggering 17.9% drop for the second year in a row
• Indian students represented the largest international student group at 36%, with China a close second at 33%
• Chinese student numbers dropped by 2.9% YoY despite strong previous growth, alongside decreases in Indian and Nigerian students; however countries such as Pakistan, USA and Turkey show continued long term growth
• At an institution level, performance is mixed; some show strong growth, while others - including Coventry, Glasgow and UCL - are down YoY
• Looking at the top 5 countries (by student count) at postgraduate level, only Pakistan has seen an increase, with others flat or down YoY

Chart 1: Total international students by level of study, 2016-2023

Source: HESA

For the 2023/24 academic year the HESA data shows another decline in total international students, driven by an undergraduate drop of 2.1% YoY, continuing a downward trend from a peak of just over 292,200 total students in 2020/21. While postgraduate student numbers are down 4.5% YoY, this equates to around 2,300 students, where undergraduate students dropped by around 5,900 in the same period.

Chart 2: Year-on-year change in international students by level of study, 2016-2023

Source: HESA

Looking at yearly change by level of study, postgraduate student numbers are continuing to fluctuate long term, with a recent swing from +5.7% in 2022/23 to -4.5% in 2023/24. Undergraduate student numbers have been declining since 2020/21, where multiple years of growth started to reverse.

Chart 3: Year-on-year change in international students by region, 2016-2023

Source: HESA

When splitting by region, European (excl. UK) student numbers have continued to drop post-Covid with another YoY decline of 17.9%. This is slightly less than 2021/22 which saw a 20.7% drop, but the overall trend has resulted in a decrease of around 71,500 students since 2020/21. For rest of world (RoW) (excl. Europe, excl. UK), 2023/24 marks the first yearly decline for almost a decade, with a 1.3% drop reported YoY.

Chart 4: International student breakdown by country (top 6), 2023-24

Source: HESA

Breaking down the most recent year of data, Indian students are the largest group for the second year in a row since India overtook China in 2022/23. China is a close second at a third of total students.

Chart 5: International student growth by country, 2016-2023 (indexed at 2016-17 academic year)

Source: HESA

Looking at these country trends in more detail for the top 3 countries by total students, all three have seen numbers fall in the 2023/24 academic year. While growth of Chinese students has been slowing for the previous 5 years, both India and Nigeria had seen strong increases followed by a sharp drop. While many factors will play into this, local economies will have some influence, including the weakening of currencies against the pound.

Chart 6: International student growth by country, 2016-2023 (indexed at 2016-17 academic year)

Source: HESA

Expanding the view more widely, the USA and Turkey have been showing an overall growth trend for almost a decade - while the USA has had some fluctuations, overall growth has been strong, with an additional 4,600 students recorded in 2023/24 compared to 2016/17. UAE and Kuwait growth has slowed in more recent years, with Hong Kong fluctuating: overall, there are only an additional 150 students from Hong Kong in 2023/24 compared to the index year (2016/17). This represents relatively flat performance over the long run, despite their position as the 6th largest body of international students in the UK in 2023/24.

Chart 7: International student growth by institution, 2016-2023 (indexed at 2016-17 academic year)

Source: HESA

At an institutional level, there is a wide variety of trends. Some universities such as BPP have added over 21,000 students since the index year (2016/17), with the University of Hertfordshire also adding almost 15,500 in the same period. The University of Leeds has also seen respectable growth. Others, including the universities of Nottingham, Glasgow and Coventry, saw a drop in 2023/24, with Coventry seeing a drastic 24.3% fall YoY. Cardiff University has fluctuated in recent years with a decline of 16% reported in 2022/23, albeit this recovered slightly with numbers growing by 3.4% in 2023/24.

Chart 8: Postgraduate international student growth by country, 2016-2023 (indexed at 2016-17 academic year)

Source: HESA

Isolating postgraduates and looking at the top 5 countries by numbers of students in 2023/24, 4 out of 5 have seen declines in postgraduate numbers YoY. This ranges from a drastic 23.8% drop in Nigerian postgraduates to a smaller 1.4% decline in US postgraduate numbers. On the other hand, Pakistan has seen strong growth of 39.4% YoY this year - while a smaller percentage than previous years, this still equates to around 10,000 additional students each year since 2021/22.

Once again the HESA data shows the volatility in the international student population and that broader insights are often hiding nuances at more granular levels, highlighting the need to consult a wider variety of data sources to build a more comprehensive understanding of the UK student market. For more information about our proprietary, highly granular data covering UK student accommodation contact the StuRents Research team today. Or book a demo of our Data Portal to find out how you can have up-to-the-minute university housing insights at your fingertips.