Taiwan's foreign student number climbs back toward pre-COVID level: MOE

Taipei, Sept. 5 (CNA) The number of foreign students in Taiwan's universities has grown for four consecutive years, reaching 123,188 in the 2024 academic year, close to the pre-pandemic level of 128,157 in 2019, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said Friday.

Vietnamese students saw the largest increase, rising by about 12,000 in a single year to 39,695, making Vietnam the biggest source of foreign students at 32.2 percent. About 76 percent of the Vietnamese students are degree-seeking students, MOE data showed.

Indonesia remained the second-largest source, accounting for 13.2 percent of foreign students. Although the total number of Indonesian students fell slightly, the number of degree students grew by 20 percent.

Malaysia ranked third at 7.9 percent, followed by Japan (7.1 percent) and Hong Kong (5.6 percent).

Students from China continued to decline after Beijing suspended new enrollments in Taiwan in 2020. Only 3,489 Chinese students, continuing their studies, were in Taiwan in 2024, down to 2.8 percent of the total.

Myanmar students ranked seventh but grew rapidly, from 928 in 2020 to 2,973 in 2024. Most are of "overseas compatriots," with numbers likely rising due to political turmoil, conscription policies and instability at home, the MOE noted.

The ministry attributed the overall growth in foreign students to policies aligned with the New Southbound Policy and Taiwan's immigration strategy. Support includes scholarships, New Southbound talent programs, and Mandarin language scholarships.

Malaysia's decline may be linked to lower birth rates among its overseas compatriot population, higher costs of studying abroad, and expanded higher education options at home, the MOE added.