
Image: NZ Story
International students were worth $5.1 billion to New Zealand’s economy in 2017, making higher education the country’s fourth-largest export, according to government data.
Education minister Chris Hipkins said that $4.8bn was attributed to international students visiting NZ and $0.3bn was generated by education and training services “delivered offshore”.
The government’s economic data show that universities contributed $1.4bn, an increase of 25 per cent on the previous year. Technology institutes increased their earnings from international students by 31 per cent, contributing $670 million.