The number of students enrolled in tertiary education outside their country of citizenship increased more than
threefold, from 1.3 million in 1990 to nearly 4.3 million in 2011, representing an average annual growth rate of
almost 6%. This is a greater increase than the overall rise in tertiary enrolments globally. Contrary to what some
observers expected, there has been no decline in the growth rate of international students during the global
economic crisis