Germany surpasses the UK as the most popular European destination for international students
Germany is the second most popular country in the world for international researchers and students, after the US.
Germany is the second most popular country in the world for international researchers and students, after the US. According to a recent report by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Germany is the second-most significant host nation for foreign scholars and researchers, after the United States. India was the country with the largest number of foreign researchers, followed by China and Italy.With more than 75,000 researchers from around the globe working in Germany, the country has established a new milestone. Furthermore, 380,000 foreign students were enrolled in German academic institutions.About 80% of foreign researchers in Germany are employed by universities, including about 4,000 professors, while 20% are employed by non-university research organizations. The majority of foreign researchers were from China (5,900), Italy (5,800), and India (6,700).India has been the primary nation of origin for the past two years. Over the past five years, the number of Indian students has increased by over 138% to about 49,000, up 15% annually on average and accounting for 13% of all international students.“The latest figures show that Germany is the most important European destination for international academics and researchers, even ahead of the United Kingdom. The rising number of international students is also an extremely positive development for our country, which urgently needs more skilled labour. These trends underline Germany’s attractiveness as a location for science and study, which is based in particular on the high quality of German universities and research institutions and their international integration,” said DAAD President Prof. Dr Joybrato Mukherjee.Germany surpassed the United Kingdom in 2021 with more than 75,000 foreign researchers at universities and public research institutions, further solidifying its standing as a desirable site for science. Germany is surpassed only by the United States, which has 86,000 international researchers.
International Students in Germany
In the winter semester of 2023–2024, 379,900 international students were enrolled in German universities, a 3% increase from the year before. The number of international students studying in Germany is still growing.Therefore, approximately 13% of all students are international. Particularly remarkable is the rise of international first-year students: about 114,700 students started their studies in Germany in the 2022 academic year, which is also a record.China has over 38,700 students and India has about 49,000, making them the two most significant countries of origin for international students.With almost 18,100 students, Turkey is currently in third place for the first time as a nation of origin, only behind Austria (15,400) and Iran (15,200). Syria now ranks sixth (13,400), having been among the top five countries of origin since 2019.North Rhine-Westphalia has 78,500 international students registered at its universities, followed by Bavaria (61,400) and Berlin (40,800).“The number of international students at German universities has risen for fifteen years in a row, even during the coronavirus pandemic,” said Prof Dr Monika Jungbauer-Gans, Scientific Director of the DZHW. “This is a clear sign of the attractiveness of German universities and their study programmes, especially the English-language Master’s programmes. To further increase student numbers, it will be important not to let up in our efforts to improve their academic success in both Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes.”Germany raised the amount required as proof of income starting in September 2024, from 934 euros per month, or 11,208 euros annually, to 992 euros per month, or 11,904 euros. You will also have to pay for housing, books, and living expenses.You can work while studying if you're an international student with a study visa. Up to 140 full days or 280 half days may be worked annually without previous Federal Employment Agency permission. There are no limits on the number of hours you can work during the semester breaks.In 2021, around 6.4 million students attended a university outside of their nation of origin, according to UNESCO. Internationally mobile students have increased by over 2.4 million, or nearly 60%, since 2011. With around 833,000 international students as of right now, the USA is the top host nation for international students. With around 996,000 students enrolled in institutions worldwide in 2021, China is the most significant country of origin. The epidemic caused decreases in both countries: in 2019, 1.1 million Chinese students studied overseas, while 960,000 international students were enrolled in the United States.
