The number of international students in Spain increased by almost 50,000 in the 2021/22 academic year, reaching a total of 224,080.

European countries neighbouring Spain sent a record number of students to the country, surpassing the figures from South American nations. Italy topped the list, sending 22,688 students to Spain, followed by France with 19,519 students and Germany with just over 10,000 students.

Colombia remained in third place, with 19,351 students studying in Spain. Ecuador slipped to fourth place with 17,854 students sent, which was still a thousand more than the previous year.

The data indicates a significant surge in interest from European countries, even though there was greater ease of movement during the 2021/22 academic year following the pandemic.

Peru's numbers remained steady at 10th place, climbing to 7,377 students, while both Mexico and Chile dropped out of the top 10 list of biggest sending countries, making room for the US.

The US experienced a remarkable rebound, sending 7,717 students to Spain, representing a staggering year-on-year increase of over 190%.

China, despite being one of the largest sources of international students globally, maintained a consistent number of students studying in Spain, with an increase of only around 700 year-on-year, totalling 12,525 students. It remained the fifth most popular country of origin for international students in Spain.

Regarding the preferred destinations for students within Spain, Madrid retained its top spot, hosting a record-breaking 46,223 international students at its universities, surpassing its previous record of 44,000 from the 2018/19 academic year.

Cataluña followed closely as the second-most popular destination, welcoming 43,787 overseas students in the latest cohort. Andalucía also demonstrated strong progress, bouncing back from pandemic numbers and accommodating 25,472 students in the 2021/22 academic year, up from 18,954.