Ireland International Student Statistics 2024
Universities in Ireland are known for offering a high quality of education, with multiple degrees and programs available. International students find Ireland a great place to study abroad because of the country’s reputation for producing professionals in many fields.
Getting a university degree in Ireland speeds up the process of finding a job because of the country's many career opportunities. Ireland’s higher education institutions also offer low to no tuition fees and affordable living costs, and international students can easily get a post-study visa to work in the country.
Quick Summary
According to the latest statistics by HEA from the 2021/22 academic year, 30,437 international students are studying in higher education institutions in Ireland.
- The majority of international students in Ireland come from the United States, with approx. 4,504 students.
- The top ten countries with the highest number of international students in Ireland include the following (not in a consecutive order): The United States, China, India, Canada, Great Britain, Malaysia, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Italy.
- The majority of international students in Ireland are enrolled in the fields of Business, Administration, and Law, with 21.5% of the total international students.
- The majority of international students in Ireland are enrolled at the undergraduate level, specifically 15,119 of all international students in Ireland.
Historical International Student Statistics in Ireland
- Within a period of ten years, from 2011/12 to 2021/22, the number of international students in Ireland increased by 187.9%.
- There are currently 30,437 international students enrolled in Ireland's higher education institutions, the highest since the earliest statistics available.
- The number of international students decreased by 11.6% last year.
- There was an increase of 26.6% in international student enrollment from the 2016/17 to 2021/22 academic year.
| Year | International Students |
|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 30,437 |
| 2020/21 | 25,383 |
| 2019/20 | 28,726 |
| 2018/19 | 28,275 |
| 2017/18 | 25,630 |
| 2016/17 | 24,025 |
| 2015/16 | 23,242 |
| 2014/15 | 20,698 |
| 2013/14 | 16,508 |
| 2012/13 | 13,162 |
| 2011/12 | 10,571 |
| 2010/11 | 11,466 |
| 2009/10 | 9,563 |
Top Countries of Origin for International Students in Ireland
In a little more than ten years, there has been a significant change in the origin of the majority of international students in Ireland.
- According to the latest statistics for 2021/22, the US is the country with the most international students in Ireland, with around 4,504 students.
- On the other hand, in 2020/21, the United Kingdom was the leading country for the number of international students in Ireland, with around 3,774 students.
The data below shows the top ten countries of origin in Ireland with the most international students in the last 10 to 11 years:
International Students in Ireland from the United States
- According to the most recent data, there are 4,504 international students from the United States studying in higher education institutions in the United States.
- That is an increase of 63.7% from the previous year, with around 2,750 international students from the US.
- The highest number of American students studying abroad in Ireland occurred in 2019, with around 5,200 students enrolled in higher education institutions.
- Within a little more than ten years —2010-2022— the number of international students increased significantly by 96.5%.
| Year | International Students |
|---|---|
| 2022 | ~4,504 |
| 2021 | ~2,750 |
| 2020 | ~4,600 |
| 2019 | ~5,200 |
| 2018 | ~4,800 |
| 2017 | ~4,700 |
| 2016 | ~4,300 |
| 2015 | ~3,700 |
| 2014 | ~2,580 |
| 2013 | ~2,370 |
| 2012 | ~2,250 |
| 2011 | ~2,570 |
| 2010 | ~1,399 |
International Students in Ireland from China
- According to the latest statistics, there is an estimated average of around 3,628 international Chinese students enrolled in Irish higher education institutions, the highest it has ever been from the earliest statistics available.
- That is an increase of 262.8% within ten years, from 2010, with around 1,000 Chinese international students in Ireland.
- The number of Chinese international students in Ireland increased by 20.9% from 2018 within a five-year period.
| Year | International Students |
|---|---|
| 2022 | ~3,628 |
| 2021 | ~3,425 |
| 2020 | ~3,570 |
| 2019 | ~3,550 |
| 2018 | ~3,000 |
| 2017 | ~2,500 |
| 2016 | ~2,100 |
| 2015 | ~2,100 |
| 2014 | ~1,600 |
| 2013 | ~1,500 |
| 2012 | ~1,300 |
| 2011 | ~1,300 |
| 2010 | ~1,000 |
International Students in Ireland from India
- There are currently around 3,990 Indian students studying abroad in Ireland’s higher education institutions.
- In a period of six years —from 2010 to 2016— the number of Indian students in Ireland was less than 1,000, rapidly increasing to 200%.
- The number of Indian international students in Ireland increased by 110% from 2018 to 2021 (the latest data available).
| Year | International Students |
|---|---|
| 2022 | ~3,990 |
| 2021 | ~2,600 |
| 2020 | ~3,870 |
| 2019 | ~2,900 |
| 2018 | ~1,900 |
| 2017 | ~1,200 |
| 2016 | ~900 |
| 2015 | ~780 |
| 2014 | ~590 |
| 2013 | ~400 |
| 2012 | ~290 |
| 2011 | ~265 |
| 2010 | ~300 |
International Students in Ireland from Canada
- There are around 1,765 international students from Canada studying abroad in Ireland.
- The number of Canadian students enrolling in higher education in Ireland was consistent in the previous three to four years, around 1,600 - 1,670 students.
- From 2010 to 2013/14, the number of international students from Canada was under 1,000.
- The number of Canadian students in Ireland increased by 38.3% from 2015 to 2020 within five years.
| Year | International Students |
|---|---|
| 2022 | ~1,765 |
| 2021 | ~1,660 |
| 2020 | ~1,670 |
| 2019 | ~1,660 |
| 2018 | ~1,600 |
| 2017 | ~1,450 |
| 2016 | ~1,300 |
| 2015 | ~1,200 |
| 2014 | ~1,000 |
| 2013 | ~960 |
| 2012 | ~850 |
| 2011 | ~650 |
| 2010 | ~600 |
International Students in Ireland from United Kingdom
- There are around 2,891 international students from the UK studying abroad at Ireland’s universities.
- That is a decrease of 23.3% from the previous year, which means that there has not been a significant change in the number of enrolled students from the UK.
- The highest number of international students from the UK occurred last year, with approximately 3,774 students.
| Year | International Students |
|---|---|
| 2022 | ~2,891 |
| 2021 | ~3,774 |
| 2020 | ~2,982 |
| 2019 | ~3,104 |
| 2018 | ~2,982 |
| 2017 | ~2,921 |
| 2016 | ~3,682 |
| 2015 | n/d |
| 2014 | n/d |
| 2013 | n/d |
| 2012 | n/d |
| 2011 | n/d |
| 2010 | n/d |
International Students in Ireland from Malaysia
- There are around 913 international students from Malaysia studying abroad in Ireland, according to the most recent data from 2022.
- The number of international students from Malaysia has been consistently decreasing since 2015, up to a 39.1% decrease.
- From 2010 to 2012, the number of international students from Malaysia was under 1,000 and started drastically increasing in 2013, with approx. 1,300 students.
| Year | International Students |
|---|---|
| 2022 | ~913 |
| 2021 | ~1,000 |
| 2020 | ~1,200 |
| 2019 | ~1,320 |
| 2018 | ~1,350 |
| 2017 | ~1,380 |
| 2016 | ~1,400 |
| 2015 | ~1,500 |
| 2014 | ~1,450 |
| 2013 | ~1,300 |
| 2012 | ~950 |
| 2011 | ~800 |
| 2010 | ~750 |
International Students in Ireland from France
- There are around 1,187 French students enrolled in higher education institutions in Ireland.
- The number of French students in Ireland was never higher than 900 until 2022.
- The number of French students in Ireland increased by 39.6% from 2018.
| Year | International Students |
|---|---|
| 2022 | ~1,187 |
| 2021 | ~900 |
| 2020 | ~850 |
| 2019 | ~780 |
| 2018 | ~850 |
| 2017 | ~690 |
| 2016 | ~670 |
| 2015 | ~620 |
| 2014 | ~450 |
| 2013 | ~380 |
| 2012 | ~470 |
| 2011 | ~420 |
| 2010 | ~390 |
International Students in Ireland from Germany
- There are 943 international students from Germany in higher education institutions in Ireland.
- The number of incoming students from Germany increased by 36.6% from 2018.
- The number of international students from Germany never increased above 1,000.
| Year | International Students |
|---|---|
| 2022 | ~943 |
| 2021 | ~730 |
| 2020 | ~720 |
| 2019 | ~750 |
| 2018 | ~690 |
| 2017 | ~610 |
| 2016 | ~590 |
| 2015 | ~560 |
| 2014 | ~480 |
| 2013 | ~440 |
| 2012 | ~465 |
| 2011 | ~470 |
| 2010 | ~480 |
International Students in Ireland from Saudi Arabia
- There are around 669 international students from Saudi Arabia in Ireland.
- The highest number of students from Saudi Arabia occurred in 2017, with around 1,280 students.
- With only 350 international students from Saudi Arabia, the earliest data available was from 2012.
| Year | International Students |
|---|---|
| 2022 | ~669 |
| 2021 | ~655 |
| 2020 | ~690 |
| 2019 | ~720 |
| 2018 | ~800 |
| 2017 | ~1,280 |
| 2016 | ~1,230 |
| 2015 | ~970 |
| 2014 | ~820 |
| 2013 | ~600 |
| 2012 | ~350 |
| 2011 | ~n/d |
| 2010 | ~n/d |
International Students in Ireland from Italy
- The 2022 academic year is the latest available data for international students from Italy in Ireland, with around 760 students.
- The number of international students from Italy increased by 35.7% from 2018 to 2022.
- The number of Italian students increased by 25% within two years, from 2020 to 2022.
| Year | International Students |
|---|---|
| 2022 | ~760 |
| 2021 | ~700 |
| 2020 | ~608 |
| 2019 | ~580 |
| 2018 | ~560 |
| 2017 | ~490 |
| 2016 | ~460 |
| 2015 | ~n/d |
| 2014 | ~n/d |
| 2013 | ~n/d |
| 2012 | ~220 |
| 2011 | ~230 |
| 2010 | ~245 |
International Students in Ireland by Field of Study
According to the recent data from the academic year of 2021/22, the statistics below show the most popular study fields among international students in Ireland.
- The majority of international students in Ireland are enrolled in the field of Health and Welfare, 21.5% of the total international students, followed by the field of Business, Administration, and Law, with 17.7% of the total international students.
- Ranked third among the most popular study fields for international students is Arts and Humanities, with 15% of the total international students enrolled in this field.
- 11.8% of all international students are enrolled in the fields of Engineering, Manufacturing, and Construction.
- A significant percentage of 10.2% of international students are enrolled in Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Statistics; another 9% of international students enrolled study Information and Communication Technology (ICTs).
- Social Sciences, Journalism, and Information are also popular, with 7.3% of the total international students enrolled.
- Other popular study fields among international students include Education with 2.5% of total international students, Services field (2% of the total), and the field of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, and Veterinary, with 1.3% of the total international students.
- Another 1.6% of international students are enrolled in Generic Programs and Qualifications*.
*Generic programs and qualifications are like basic training that covers a lot of different skills. They don't concentrate too much on one specific area; instead, they give you a wide range of knowledge.
International Students in Ireland by Degree Level
- The majority of international students in Ireland are enrolled at the undergraduate level, specifically 15,119 of all international students in Ireland.
- Another 8,810 international students in Ireland are enrolled in Master’s degree programs.
- A smaller number of international students (3,965), are enrolled in doctoral programs.
- 1,917 international students are enrolled in other studies, and 626 international students are enrolled in postgraduate certificates and diplomas.