Study in UK: Indians make up the largest student population in England and Wales

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has conducted a 2021 census statistics analysis conducted for England and Wales. The analysis has revealed that Indians make up 11.6% of the non-UK-born student population. China holds the second position with 11.2% of Chinese students enrolled in the two regions of the UK. 

Also, a total of 43,175 Indian students and 41,810 Chinese students have enrolled in higher institutions in England and Wales.  

International student population in the UK

The international student population in England and Wales is led by Indians with 11.6%. This is from China at 11.2%, Romania at 9.5%, and Nigeria with 5.3 % student population. According to the ONS, these were the 4 main international student’s countries of birth.

However, a third of the international student population was located in London. That is, around 33.9%. 11.9% of Indian students are most likely employed. It is followed by Romania at 21.4%.

An international student is someone who is a usual resident of England and Wales. To be considered as an International student the following criteria need to be met. Also, for the 2021 census, a total of  3,73,600 International students were present in the UK.

• Enrol in a full-time education 
• A non-UK born student and a non-UK passport holder
• Aged 17 or above upon the most recent arrival in the UK
• Aged 18 or above on the census day

International students in higher education (HE) is an important subgroup because they contribute to the income of universities through tuition fees. Moreover, they add to the economy of the community in which they live. Hence, they are an important subgroup of the population in England and Wales.

To know more about the student population in England and Wales check this out:

The ONS data revealed that a majority of Indians students have taken up English as their main language. However, Telugu, Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Malayalam, Urdu, Gujarati, Tamil and Marathi are among the other languages recorded in the census.

Moreover, the Indian student population has overtaken the Chinese student population in the UK. A total of 11.6% of Indian students enrol in higher educational institutions making them the largest International student community in England and Wales. Further, it means that UK universities are welcoming International students including students from India. 

To discover more news updates like this one, visit the study abroad experts at Leverage Edu.