Fewer Swedish Students Study Abroad, Data Shows

The number of Swedish students pursuing degrees abroad has declined in the 2023/24 academic year, according to statistics from the Swedish Board of Student Finance (CSN).

Data show there has been a 27 percent decrease in Swedish students who pursued education abroad in the past ten years, with the support of the Swedish Board of Student Finance, the agency that offers financial support to students, including loans and grants.

According to CSN, a total of 30,000 students from Sweden went to other countries to study during 2024/15. This number fell to 22,000 in the 2023/24 academic year, Erudera.com reports.

Statista, the data provider, shows that 383,494 students chose to stay in the country and enroll at Swedish institutions last year, a 3 percent increase from 2022 when the number of enrolled students in the country stood at 372,414.

Sweden is also known as a popular choice for international students, attracting a significant number every year. According to the Swedish Higher Education Authority, nearly 40,000 international students studied in Sweden during the 2021/22 academic year, of which 21,754 were female and 18,052 were male.

This number increased by 19 percent compared to the previous year when 33,298 international students studied in this country. Data also revealed there were 6,162 exchange students in Sweden in the 2020/21 academic year and the number increased to 11,644 in 2021/22.

Meanwhile, the number of free movers who are international students studying abroad independently, reached 28,197. That is more than twice the number of exchange students in the country. The two main source countries of international students in Sweden are China and Germany.

There were 4,166 students from Germany in the 2021/22 academic year, of which 2,346 were exchange students, followed by China with 2,302 students of which 2,003 were free movers.

India sent 2,125 students - 2,066 free movers and 59 exchange students and Finland 1,951 – 1,760 free movers and 192 exchange students. Students also came from the following countries:

• Spain (1,463 – 563 free movers and 900 exchange students)
• Pakistan (1,395 – 1 391 free movers)
• Italy (1,305 – 591 free movers and 719 exchange students)
• The Netherlands (1,152 – 419 free movers and 737 exchange students
• The United States (931 – 593 free movers and 338 exchange students)

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