02/06/2026
UNESCO’s latest Higher Education Global Trends Report highlights a growing shift in global student mobility, with more international students choosing destinations within their own regions and across the Global South.
Key highlights:
📊 Global outbound student numbers reached 7.3 million in 2024, more than tripling over the past two decades.
🌏 International student mobility is becoming increasingly concentrated within regions, particularly across Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.
🔁 South-South mobility and emerging destinations (e.g. Argentina, China, Egypt, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates) are reshaping global student flows and expanding access beyond traditional Western markets.
🔗 Read the full analysis on ICEF: https://monitor.icef.com/2026/05/unesco-confirms-growing-trend-of-intra-regional-student-mobility/
UNESCO’s first Higher Education Global Trends Report confirms that while traditional destinations for study abroad continue to be the most popular choices for international students, there are important changes afoot, with countries such as Türkiye, Egypt, Japan, and others picking up share of in...