International Students in Canada ENG
International Students in Canada ENG
International Students in Canada ENG
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I
nternational students in Canada support the excellence and in traditional top receiving
innovation of Canada’s education and cultural landscape, and countries as well as lack of
are a vital building block for internationalization at Canadian access to stable and quality
institutions and in Canadian society. education in their countries
of citizenship have compelled
The following brief uses open1 Due to varied and evolving push a growing number of students
as well as specially obtained and pull factors, international to seek alternative study
data to provide a snapshot students are choosing Canada destinations. Canada continues
of international students in as their study destination to be perceived globally
Canada in 2017, illuminating in unprecedented numbers. as a country of welcome
key trends with regard to Uncertainty and higher cost and stability in addition to
level of study, province or
territory of study and country
of citizenship of international
Figure 1: International students in Canada by year, all levels of study (2014-2017)
students in Canada.
500,000
494,525
INTERNATIONAL
STUDENT MOBILITY 400,000 410,400
350,130
As shown in figure 1, in 300,000 326,120
2017 there were 494,525
international students in 200,000
Canada at all levels of study2,3,4.
This represents a 17% increase 100,000
over the previous year, and a
34% increase between 2014
0
and 2017. 2014 2015 2016 2017
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Figure 2: Top higher education host destinations worldwide (2017) offering quality and affordable
education5, making Canada an
United States 1,078,822 attractive choice for prospective
international students.
United Kingdom 501,045
Eastern Europe
and Central Asia
2%
Europe
8%
United States
of America
3% East Asia
Middle East and
40%
North Africa
7% South Asia
27%
Africa
Latin America 6%
and Carribean
7%
Oceania
and South Pacific
<1%
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share and now hosts the Figure 4: International students in Canada, top 30 countries of citizenship (2017)
fourth highest number of
international students6. Country of citizenship Percentage 2017
France 4% 21,925
In keeping with global trends,
just under half (40%) of Vietnam 3% 14,095
international students pursuing United States of America 3% 13,975
studies in Canada come from
Brazil 2% 11,775
East Asia. Proportionally, the
regional origin of international Nigeria 2% 10,880
students has remained Japan 2% 7,950
stable with two exceptions:
Saudi Arabia 2% 7,640
Since 2015, the proportion
of international students Iran 2% 7,415
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South Saudi
China India Korea France Vietnam USA Brazil Nigeria Japan Arabia Iran Mexico Bangladesh Taiwan Pakistan
+7% +63% +9% +6% +89% +10% +28% +2% +2% -16% +45% +16% +41% +11% -3%
140,530
131,135
123,940
76,075
23,050
21,925
20,605
21,175
14,095
13,975
12,760
10,880
10,640
11,775
9,200
9,075
7,950
7,640
6,920
7,770
7,470
7,415
5,955
5,120
4,070
4,095
4,190
3,700
4,310
3,060
2016 2017
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Yukon Nunavut
220 5
<1% Northwest Territories <1%
30
<1%
Newfoundland
British Columbia and Labrador
119,110 3,695
24% 1%
Alberta
26,255 Manitoba
5% 16,075
4%
Quebec
Ontario 61,565 PEI
Saskatchewan 237,280 12% 2,490
8,005 48% 1%
2%
Figure 7: Top 15 host census metropolitan areas of international students in Canada (2016, 2017)
Kitchener -
Ottawa - Waterloo - St. Catharines -
Toronto Vancouver Montreal Gatineau Winnipeg Cambridge London Edmonton Hamilton Calgary Victoria Halifax Niagara Windsor Quebec
+23% +17% +11% +17% +24% +39% +24% +14% +13% +10% +21% +10% +27% +54% +12%
168,730
137,410
109,995
93,900
59,885
54,100
22,235
18,940
18,445
18,365
17,760
17,550
15,360
14,830
14,300
14,145
13,170
12,495
12,465
11,380
10,450
11,160
11,525
11,575
10,435
9,605
8,820
7,060
6,785
6,295
2016 2017
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Figure 8: Level of study of international students in Canada (2017) Figure 11: Top countries of
citizenship, international students in
Level of study Canadian university programs (2017)
Post-secondary 370,710
74,260
Secondary or less 71,350
25,575
Figure 9: C
omposition of international students at secondary or less levels 16,115
in Canada (2017) 10,590
7,585
Secondary 56,160
Level of study
CEGEP 6,415
College 151,380
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© 2018 CBIE
ENDNOTES
1 Visit the Government of Canada’s Open Data Portal for more information.
2 CBIE uses Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data in this chapter unless otherwise stated. Student numbers are based
on valid study permits and work permits. Students in Canada for less than six months are not required to hold a study permit and are
therefore not counted. This includes many language school students and exchange students.
3 Note that 2017 data provided by IRCC is preliminary and may be adjusted in future data sets.
4 Due to privacy considerations, IRCC data is subjected to random rounding. Under this method, all figures in the table are randomly rounded
either up or down to multiples of 5. As a result of random rounding, data may not sum up to the totals indicated.
6 Project Atlas uses higher education data as provided by representative governments and non-profit agencies from participating countries.
7 Regions are designated using World Bank classifications, with one notable exception: East Asia and Oceania and South Pacific are
disaggregated.
9 Global Affairs Canada, Harnessing our knowledge advantage to drive innovation and prosperity. Accessed 20/07/2018.