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Observatory · sector data

LIBS Observatory of International Education

Reference figures on international student mobility, worldwide and in France — aggregated, dated and sourced from the field's authoritative studies (OECD, UNESCO, Campus France). A working tool for journalists, researchers and our students — freely reusable with attribution.

Last review: 13 August 2026 · reusable data (CC BY 4.0)
I.

Global student mobility

Sources: OECD, Education at a Glance 2025 · Migration Policy Institute (2025) · ICEF Monitor

7.3 million
students studying outside their home country — more than triple the figure of two decades ago
2024 · Migration Policy Institute
5.02 million
internationally mobile students hosted in OECD countries (of 6M+ worldwide in tertiary education)
2023 · OECD
46 %
of mobile students in OECD & partner countries study in just four countries: US, UK, Australia, Canada
2023 · OECD
957 000
international students enrolled in the United States, the single largest host
2023 · OECD
II.

France as a destination

Source: Campus France — Key Figures 2025 · press release, Sept. 2025 (PDF)

443 500
international students enrolled in French higher education — +3% in one year, +17% in five years
2024-25 · Campus France
76 %
came to France specifically to study (international mobility); 24% completed secondary school in France
2023-24 · Campus France
Top 5
countries of origin: Morocco, Algeria, China, Italy, Senegal
2023-24 · Campus France
+27 %
growth of worldwide student mobility over five years (France: +17%)
2025 · Campus France
LIBS Observatory calculation — France hosts roughly 1 in 11 of the mobile students enrolled across OECD countries (443,500 ÷ 5.02M ≈ 8.8%). Derived indicator computed by us; note the year mismatch between the two sources (2024-25 vs 2023) — order of magnitude only.
III.

The sector's reference sources

A single entry point to the observatories and datasets that matter in international education.

SourceWhat you'll findFrequency
Campus France — Key FiguresThe reference on student mobility to/from France: numbers, origins, fieldsannual (spring)
OECD — Education at a GlanceTertiary education & mobility indicators across 38 countriesannual (September)
UNESCO Institute for StatisticsGlobal flows of internationally mobile students, by origin and destinationcontinuous
ICEF MonitorMarket intelligence for international student recruitmentdaily
IIE Open DoorsInternational students in the United Statesannual (November)
Erasmus+European mobility programmes: participation, budgets, destinationsannual report
Migration Policy InstitutePolicy analyses of student migration trendsstudies
Migration Data PortalCross-source compilation of international student datacontinuous
IV.

Methodology, reuse & contact

No figure is published without a source. Every data point is dated and linked to its original publication; derived indicators computed by the Observatory are flagged with their formula. The page is reviewed after each major source release (OECD EAG in September, Campus France in spring, Open Doors in November).

Reuse: our aggregated data is available as open data (JSON, CC BY 4.0) — attribution: “LIBS Observatory — lyon-business-school.fr”. Figures from cited sources remain subject to their own terms.

Journalists & researchers: we reply within one business day — [email protected] (press enquiries are forwarded to the Group's press officer).