The new report, Higher education – International mobility in higher education from a Swedish perspective 2016/17 says that “compared to the previous academic year, the number of incoming students both from the EU/EEA and outside has increased, but the biggest increase was in incoming students from countries outside the EU/EEA”.

Nowhere is the increase more apparent than the intake of international students from Asia in higher education. 4,649 students from Asian countries enrolled for the first time in Sweden in the 2016/17 academic year – in 2011/12 that figure was 2,889.

“The single largest countries were India, Finland and China”

The number of first time Indian students has more than doubled from 274 in 2011/12 to 841 in 2016/17. In five years first time Pakistan students have risen from 95 to 261, Chinese students from 1,093 to 1,592, Bangladeshi students have increased from 58 to 189. Students from Singapore have increased more gradually from 395 to 429.

The overall number of visiting students studying in Sweden in the 2016/17 academic year is 35,900 up from 32,600 in 2013/14. 12,600 students were from countries from outside the EU and 5,700 were from unknown countries. EU and Switzerland students now account for almost 17,600.

Free-movers who organise international studies independently made up 23,500 of the total 35,900 incoming students in the 2016/17 academic year.

“Among the incoming free-movers, 30% of the 9,800 first-years were from Europe. Next came Asia with 25%. The single largest countries were India, Finland and China,” the report continued.

According to Tomas Egeltoft, UKÄ analyst, UKÄ had not analysed why enrolments of Asian students risen so significantly in previous years but he speculated that economic growth in Asia and an increased need of people with higher education might have impacted the numbers.

“There are yet not enough number of student program positions in these countries and therefore the student mobility from these countries increases,” Egeltoft said.

According to the document, Lund University had 3,300 international students – the largest number of incoming students who were studying in Sweden for the first time.

Maria Lindblad, international marketing manager at Lund told The PIE News that along with marketing and common recruitment activities, Lund’s strong international alumni base helps increase international admissions.

“With so many students and alumni from around the world who have studied at Lund, the reputation of the university travels and of course attracts many new applicants,” she said.