This note presents the number of student visa holders present in Australia from the end of the financial years 2006 to 2024. Over this period, the international student population grew by 191%, while Australia’s estimated resident population grew by 33%. The paper presents a composition of the student visa population at the end of the 2024 financial year by country of origin.

Key findings

• The number of international students studying in Australia reached a record high in 2024.
• Since 2006, India has overtaken China as the largest contributor to Australia’s international student population.
• Higher income countries and regions – such as South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia – have been replaced in the top 15 countries of origin by lower-income countries.