RTL Today - Eurostat: Luxembourg tops EU for foreign students, five times bloc's average

More than half of all tertiary students in Luxembourg come from abroad – the highest proportion in the European Union and over five times the EU average.

Latest figures released by Eurostat show that in 2023, 52.3% of students enrolled in higher education in Luxembourg were from outside the country. Across the EU, the average figure was 8.4%, with 1.76 million students from abroad undertaking studies.

Luxembourg's reliance on foreign students is significantly higher than the next two member states, Malta (29.6%) and Cyprus (22.3%). At the other end of the scale, Greece (3.0%), Croatia (3.7%), and Spain (4.3%) recorded the lowest shares.

By far, the largest group of foreign students in Luxembourg (over 70%) are from the EU – as is the case for most countries – followed by students from Asia and Africa.

The data underline the Grand Duchy's position as a small state with limited domestic student numbers but strong international ties. Luxembourg's multilingual higher-education system – taught in English, French and German – has become a draw for students across Europe and beyond.

France and Portugal drew many students from Africa, while Spain attracted the largest proportion from Latin America and the Caribbean.

The findings highlight both Luxembourg's dependence on international enrolments and the EU's broader diversity of student flows.