London is experiencing an unprecedented surge of international students, with the growth rate doubling from 2.6 percent (2015/16 - 2016/17) to 5.3 percent (2016/17 - 2017/18), new data has revealed.

Study London, the Mayor’s official university guide has hailed the statistics, announced on March 5, 2019, as a “significant win” for London with a marked rise in overseas students to the capital for the fifth consecutive year.

The new statistics from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) reveal that 118,145 international students came to London in 2017/18, which is an increase of 5.3 percent from 2016/17. This rise illustrates strong growth for London in comparison to the previous year’s growth rate of 2.6 percent.

China remains London’s largest student market, growing by 89.6 percent since 2011 with a total of 21,350 people currently studying in the British capital. The US and Italy have maintained second and third position, with 7,105 and 5,770 students in London respectively. India and China remain the fastest growing markets, with student numbers from both increasing by 20 percent since the 2016/17 school year.

Deputy Mayor for Business, Rajesh Agrawal, said: “These new statistics show that London is as big a draw as ever for the brightest young talent from around the world. I’m delighted to see so many students choosing our city as their destination of choice to learn and to discover all the benefits of a first-class education.

“London has more world-leading universities than any other city on the planet, and a buzzing cultural landscape which attracts international students from more than 200 countries. This is yet more evidence that London is open.”

London has four universities listed in the World University Rankings top 40, and five universities in the top 200, cementing it as one of the best cities in the world for higher education. Additionally, four of London’s universities have recently each been ranked as the best in the world for Art & Design, Education, Social Policy & Administration, and Veterinary Science – making them world leaders in each subject.

Almost 30 percent of London’s 389,215 students come from overseas. In 2016/17, international students contributed £3 billion to the UK economy. (Tianxing Bai)