According to UNESCO data from 2022 nearly 7 million students worldwide study abroad.
China leads the top 15 countries in terms of the number of students studying abroad with over 1 million. Kazakhstan ranks last in this list with more than 78,000 students.
Figure 1: Number of Students Studying Abroad, 2022 (thousands)
Source: UNESCO
When comparing the population size of a country to the number of students studying abroad, Syria, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan are in the top three. In Kazakhstan every 250th citizen is pursuing education abroad.
Figure 2: Ratio of Population to Students Studying Abroad, 2022 (persons)
Source: World Bank; UNESCO
Despite lower GDP levels, countries such as Syria, Nepal, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan actively send their youth to pursue advanced education abroad.
For instance, according to the World Bank’s 2022 data Kazakhstan ranks 54th globally by GDP. However, it is among the top 15 countries by the number of students studying abroad.
Figure 3: GDP of Analyzed Countries, 2022 (billion USD)
Source: World Bank
Key Findings:
• The number of Kazakhstani students studying abroad has steadily declined. Between 2019 and 2022, this figure dropped by 11,000, or more than 12%.
• This decrease indicates growth in Kazakhstan’s domestic higher education system.
• Despite lower GDP and population figures, Kazakhstan ranks among the top four countries globally for students studying abroad.
• A further decline in the number of students studying abroad without significant improvements in domestic education may pose risks for developing a skilled workforce. This is particularly important given the ongoing competition for regional leadership between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in Central Asia.
