The country’s international education sector is “rebounding strongly”, with an uptick of 24% year on year and 6% higher than 2023 totals, according to data released by the New Zealand government on December 4. University enrolments from international students are now just 7% down on pre-pandemic levels, the data showed.
“With 73,535 enrolments between January to August 2024, more enrolments have been achieved in just two terms this year than we saw in all of last year”, said tertiary education and skills minister Penny Simmonds.
She attributed the growth to New Zealand’s “global reputation for high-quality education” and stressed that international students helped to boost the economy, leading to more jobs and contributions to local businesses.
“With historical trends pointing to further enrolment increases before year-end, these are really positive results for our education providers,” added Simmonds.
She pointed out that, as well as a national recovery in international enrolments, there had been “significant regional gains from 2023”.
Gisborne had seen “remarkable growth” of 126% year on year, Marlborough a boom of 45%, Hawke’s Bay an increase of 28% and Waikato an uptick of 26%.
With historical trends pointing to further enrolment increases before year-end, these are really positive results for our education providers
Penny Simmonds, tertiary education and skills minister
Simmonds said that universities had logged a 14% increase in international enrolments year on year, with 31,345 students.
But schools had seen an even more dramatic increase – 33% – to 16,815 students, which included a 69% “surge” in primary school enrolments, she revealed.
Funded private training establishments also grew by 80% on last year.
Meanwhile, Simmonds said that source markets were diversifying. While students are predominantly from China or India, enrolments are growing among those from the US, Thailand, Germany, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines – each making up 3% of international students.
In late October, a Studymove analysis indicated that New Zealand’s international student numbers were expected to make a full recovery following the pandemic by 2025.
