Total number of international students in Canada
At the end of 2023, there were 1,040,985 international students in Canada across all levels of study, compared to 807,750 at the end of 2022, according to CBIE.
Top 10 sending markets for international students in Canada in 2023
India was the largest sending market (41%) of international students to Canada in 2023, followed by China (10%) and the Philippines (5%).
Number of students in the post-graduation work stream:
According to the IRCC, there were 396,235 post-graduate work permit holders across Canada at the end of 2023. This marks a 35% increase on the previous year.
Economic value of international students in Canada
International students contributed $30.9 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2022, the latest year for which figures have been released by Global Affairs Canada. Accounting for scholarships and bursaries, the figure includes the expenditure of visiting family and friends and accounts for 1.2% of Canada’s GDP.
Number of new study permits issued
According to ApplyBoard, the total number of study permit applications were predicted to drop by 39% in 2024. Based on the projections and the study permit approval rate of 51%, it is estimated that 231,000 new study permits were approved in 2024, approximately 47% lower than the 436,600 in 2023.
