Top 10 countries of origin over time

Summary

• Germany has been the most common country of origin for international degree students throughout this period, although numbers have been in decline since 2021. There were 21,362 students from Germany registered at a Dutch higher education institution in 2023-24, 6% fewer than the year before.
• Romania moved up the most in this period. Between 2006 and 2023, Romania grew from 27th to 3rd most common country of origin for international degree students.
• China remained the only non-EEA country of origin in the top 10 in 2023-24. With its growing degree student population in the Netherlands (+624, +11.2%), China rose to 4th place, overtaking Spain.
• Out of the top 5 since 2022-23, Belgium dropped further down the ranking in 2023-24, with the 8th largest international degree student population in the Netherlands.
  

For more detailed information about all countries of origin, see Countries of origin.

For more data on university degree students coming from abroad to study in the Netherlands in 2023-24 and an analysis of current trends and developments, see our report Incoming degree mobility in Dutch higher education 2023-24.

For further information, please send an email to analytics@nuffic.nl.