17.2 Number of students and researchers from developing countries and least developed countries
The data basis for this indicator are the statistics on students and staff at higher education institutions of the Federal Statistical Office. Both are based on full surveys derived from the administrative data of higher education institutions. The indicator includes students enrolled in the respective winter term. Data on researchers is collected as of the reference date 1 December. The number of reasearchers includes academic and creative arts staff at German higher education institutions; student assistants are not included. Doctoral students who are simultaneously employed at higher education institutions may lead to double counting in the indicator.
In 2023, the total number of students and academic staff from developing and emerging countries at German higher education institutions was approximately 349,000. Students accounted for the vast majority of this figure, representing 91.3% of the total. In the winter semester 2023/24, 318,663 students from developing and emerging countries were enrolled at German higher education institutions. This corresponds to a share of 11.1% of all enrolled students. The majority of students from these countries came from India (49,483), China (42,190), and Turkey (35,559).
Since the winter semester 2005/06 (134,462 students), the number of students from developing and emerging countries has risen continuously, with the only exception being a decline in the winter semester 2007/08. Compared to the previous year (approximately 307,000 students in the winter semester 2022/23), the number increased by 3.8% in the winter semester 2023/24. Among these students were 19,505 from the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), which represents an increase of 6.5% compared to the previous winter semester.
Overall, the proportion of women among students from developing and emerging countries at German higher education institutions was 42.0%. When considering only students from LDCs, the share is significantly lower at 31.2%. The gender ratio among students from European (54.3% female) and American (50.6% female) developing and emerging countries is relatively balanced. In contrast, only 34.5% of students from African developing and emerging countries were women.
In 2023, around 30,000 researchers from developing and emerging countries were employed at German higher education institutions. This corresponds to a share of 7.1% of all academic and creative arts staff, which is considerably lower than the corresponding share among students. Compared to the previous year, the number increased by 7.8%, and it has quadrupled since 2005. In 2023, a total of 1,190 researchers came from LDCs – representing 0.3% of the entire academic and creative arts staff (previous year: 1,070).
It should be noted that all figures and year-on-year comparisons may also be affected by changes in the classification of countries within the groups of LDCs or developing and emerging countries. The politically established goal of increasing the number of students and researchers from developing and emerging countries by 10% compared to 2015 (215,000) was already achieved in 2017. Since then, the targeted stabilisation of these numbers has also been maintained.
