German students in major host countries, 2019–2020

Internationally comparable student data (e.g. based on UNESCO statistics) are still not available for the 2020 reporting year that would enable a comprehensive global analysis of the international mobility of German students and the adverse effects of the pandemic. However, several of the key host countries for German students seeking a degree abroad have published national student data for the year 2020 or, to be more precise, for the 2020/21 academic year. An initial assessment of the development in the international mobility of German students in the first year of the pandemic can be carried out on the basis of these data.

In summary, with regard to the degree-related international mobility of German students, it is clear that developments in the first year of the pandemic differed in the extreme, depending on the host country, and not all host countries reported a drop in numbers. Particularly worthy of note in this regard are the trends in Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland, with some unexpectedly significant increases in German students.

At this point in time, it may be assumed that the degree-related international mobility of German students will continue to develop very differently, depending on the host country. Particularly in host countries in Europe, international mobility is expected to make a swift recovery, returning before long to pre-pandemic levels. With regard to non-European host countries, however, this recovery is likely to be a protracted process, especially for countries that have been subject to pandemic-related entry restrictions for a particularly long time or are still subject to them, such as China and Japan.