In 2018, approximately 492,185 foreign students from 196 different countries and regions were studying at 1,004 universities and academic institutions in China. The total number of students increased considerably over recent years. A breakdown by country of origin reveals that Asian countries ranked highest in 2018.
No data on the number of foreign students in China has been published by official Chinese sources for years after 2018.
Total number of foreign students studying in China from 2014 to 2018
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Ministry of Education (China). (April 12, 2019). Total number of foreign students studying in China from 2014 to 2018 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved January 23, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1092488/china-total-number-of-foreign-students/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Ministry of Education (China). "Total number of foreign students studying in China from 2014 to 2018." Chart. April 12, 2019. Statista. Accessed January 23, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1092488/china-total-number-of-foreign-students/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Ministry of Education (China). (2019). Total number of foreign students studying in China from 2014 to 2018. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: January 23, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1092488/china-total-number-of-foreign-students/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Ministry of Education (China). "Total Number of Foreign Students Studying in China from 2014 to 2018." Statista, Statista Inc., 12 Apr 2019, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1092488/china-total-number-of-foreign-students/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Ministry of Education (China), Total number of foreign students studying in China from 2014 to 2018 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1092488/china-total-number-of-foreign-students/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed (last visited January 23, 2025)
Total number of foreign students studying in China from 2014 to 2018 [Graph], Ministry of Education (China), April 12, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1092488/china-total-number-of-foreign-students/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed