New Zealand International Enrolment Drops 6%

Foreign enrolment in educational institutions in New Zealand fell 6% in 2018 although some education sectors registered strong growth. New Zealand Education Strategy 2018-30 was unveiled last year which intends to build the economic value of the sector to NZ$ 7 bn by 2025 up from just over NZ$4 bn in 2017. In 2018, 117,276 international students enrolled for various courses. Among international students China accounted for 32%, India 14%, Japan 8% and South Korea 5%. As international student numbers grow in New Zealand’s education institutions, the government has conducted research (called the “Perceptions” study) to evaluate how much support there is among the country’s citizens for the internationalisation strategy. The research shows that nearly 60% feel that international education is positive for New Zealand as a country and over half think it provides benefits at the community level. A notable statistic is that 65% of New Zealanders believe that international education is good for the economy, up from 56% just two years ago (2017).