Canada’s International Student Enrollment Rose by Nearly 30% in 2023

The number of international students in Canada increased by nearly 30 percent in 2023 compared to 2022, according to data from Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees Canada (IRCC).

There were 1,040,985 international students with active study permits in the country last year, up from 807,750 in 2022.

India and China continue to lead as the largest sources of international students in Canada. However, in 2023, the largest increase of 166 percent over 2022 was observed in the number of students from Nepal.

There were only 7,680 Nepali students in Canada in 2022, which rose to 20,465 in 2023, Erudera.com reports.

A significant rise was recorded in the number of students from the Philippines and Nigeria within the same period, 50.6 and 113.2 percent, respectively.

Over a more extended period, from 2020 to 2023, the number of Indian students in Canada witnessed a 138 percent increase, climbing from 179,510 to 427,085, the most substantial surge since 2019.

On the other hand, during this period, the number of Chinese students declined by 12 percent, from 116,215 students in 2020 to 101,150 in 2023.

However, the number of both Indian and Chinese students has increased in one year, specifically from 2022 to 2023, by 33.8 percent for Indian students and a slight 1.1 percent for Chinese students.

The table presented below shows the trend of international students in Canada over the years from the top seven markets:

As for the provinces where these students settle, the highest number is reported to be in Ontario. During 2021, 49 percent of all Canada's international students went to Ontario. This figure increased to 51 percent last year.

The second place with the highest number of students is usually British Columbia; however, in this province, there was a decrease in international student population from 21 percent in 2021 to 19.5 percent in 2023. Similarly, Quebec, which is known as the third Canadian province welcoming the most international students, experienced a decrease of 14 percent to 11.5 percent within the same period.

According to the data, the number of international students has grown more in Canada than in other top study destinations such as the US and the UK. In the US, there was a 12 percent increase in international students during the academic year 2022/23 compared to the previous year, while in the UK, the number increased by 12.4 percent in 2021/22.