Key figures: International mobility in the face of the pandemic

Campus France has just published the 2021 edition of the Key Figures of student mobility.

The health crisis strongly affected student mobility

The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted international student mobility. Successive lockdowns, difficulty in travel and closed borders have slowed down travelling. Large host countries have been closed to international students, sometimes completely (Australia, New Zealand, China), sometimes by encouraging distance enrolment (United States, Canada). Meanwhile, Brexit and its consequences on mobility within Europe affect British universities. 

France continues to welcome international students

Despite the challenging context, France has asserted itself as a destination of choice. Students have responded, showing a renewed desire to study in France, particularly those from sub-Saharan Africa, the Maghreb, the Middle East and Europe, as shown in the first part of Key Figures. The moderate decline in the number of international students this year (-25%), compared to that of neighboring countries, is the result of the voluntary and joint action of the government and institutions.

France, 6th largest host country and country of origin

However, the data prior to the health crisis showed a pre-pandemic world where France was experiencing a relative loss of appeal. At the time, France was the sixth most popular country to study in, behind Germany and Russia but ahead of Canada. The number of foreign students - 370,000 - is still growing (by 23% over the last five years), but at a slower rate than the world average and competitors. 

France was also the sixth country of origin for students, who are heading in particular to French-speaking institutions in Quebec, Belgium and Switzerland.

2021: A year of transition?

Student mobility, partly interrupted or postponed after a transition year, could resume at the end of the year. France should see its ties with Africa strengthen and will likely be able to count on a resumption of European mobility in the fall semester. Indian students seem to be eager to study abroad again, while mobility from China is likely to decrease, both in France and in the world. In the medium term, there seems to be an increased interest in more regional study plans, particularly in Asia. While this is of concern to Anglo-Saxon institutions (in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States) that are often dependent on Chinese mobility, it is also an opportunity for French universities to deepen their ties with their European counterparts and to renew ties with the major emerging countries of Latin America and Asia. 

View the Key Figures 2021

All of these analyses, and many others, are included in Key Figures 2021, a complete and exhaustive panorama of the internationalization of higher education.