New Zealand increasingly competing with Asia for foreign students

New Zealand is maintaining its allure as an international education destination, despite concerted competition from Asian countries seeking to shore up their fading demographics by capitalising on their neighbours’ desire to study close to home.

New research suggests that demand for New Zealand education has receded slightly from a post-pandemic peak in 2024-25. Nevertheless, the country remains favoured by many students and particularly their parents.

Sri Lanka and the Philippines have emerged as particularly promising recruitment markets for Kiwi education exports, along with Thailand and newly designated “tier 1” Chinese cities such as Chengdu, Tianjin, Xi’an and Wuhan.

But Japan, long a major source country for New Zealand enrolments, is rapidly turning from customer to competitor.

The latest “Global Brand Track” survey, conducted last October, found that New Zealand ranked among the top three potential education destinations for 22 per cent of students and 30 per cent of parents.

It was the single preferred destination for 7 per cent of students and 10 per cent of parents, ranking sixth behind the four traditional heavyweights of international education – the US, UK, Australia and Canada – and Japan.

Parents in Thailand and Vietnam displayed twice as much enthusiasm for New Zealand as students did, reflecting the country’s reputation for safety and its relative proximity to highly populated source countries in South, East and South-East Asia.

However, countries in these regions – particularly Japan, South Korea and Singapore – are rapidly emerging as international education strongholds themselves as they seek to address their declining birth rates by attracting more foreign students.

Global geopolitical instability is also fostering inter-Asian educational mobility, as students and their parents favour local study options. This is particularly the case in China, which is asserting its strengths as an education exporter as its top universities scale the global rankings tables.

Demand for Chinese education is growing in Thailand, Vietnam and the US and within China itself, the report says.

The findings are based on survey responses from more than 4,000 would-be students and 1,000 parents across eight Asian countries and the US. The survey tracked demand for education from around a dozen countries in North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania.

Promotional agency Education New Zealand, which commissioned the study, said Kiwi education was “being seriously considered, not just recognised”.

“This research shows New Zealand is firmly positioned alongside established global study destinations,” said acting chief executive Linda Sissons. “What matters most is preference – a strong signal of intent – and we are seeing that grow across a wider range of markets.”

The report advises Kiwi education marketers to focus on affordability and quality, and tailor their communications to parents. “NZ is now competing with Japan and China more and destinations closer to home may be more attractive in Asia,” it warns.

john.ross@timeshighereducation.com