In 2008, international students in Canada spent in excess of $6.5 billion on tuition, accommodation and discretionary spending; created over 83,000 jobs; and generated more than $291 million in government revenue.

Altogether there were 178,227 long-term (staying for at least six months) international students in Canada in 2008, generating more than $5.5 billion to the Canadian economy. Nearly 40 percent of that revenue came from two countries – China and South Korea. As of December 2008 there were 42,154 Chinese and 27,440 South Korean citizens in Canada undertaking a formal education. Ontario and BC hosted nearly two thirds of the international students in Canada (65,833 and 50,221 respectively) while Quebec was a distant third with only 28,010. Some institutions, such as Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia, rely heavily on International Students. Approximately 12 percent of TRU’s student population is international and with an average annual growth of 18 percent since the 2004/05 school year, they could exceed both UBC and SFU in terms of per capita enrolment.

The remaining expenditure of $1.0 billion was generated by shorter term students for which we have less detailed data. Therefore, this is a minimum estimate.

Over all, the total amount that international students spend in Canada ($6.5 billion) is greater than our export of coniferous lumber ($5.1 billion), and even greater than our export of coal ($6.07 billion) to all other countries.

When the value of educational services provided in Canada to international students is compared to the value of the more traditional goods that Canada exports, the impact for some countries is even more striking. The South Koreans, for example, spend the equivalent of 22.1% of the value of the goods they import from Canada on educational services. Similarly, we see that Saudi Arabia (14.3%), China (12.4%), India (9.3%), Taiwan (8.2%), France (8.1%) and Hong Kong (7.2%) all spend significantly for educational services when compared to the trade goods they import from Canada.

In this report, Roslyn Kunin and Associates, Inc. (RKA) has used primarily secondary sources to collect information on the quantitative impact of international students in various levels of study on the Canadian economy. The RKA team has also worked extensively with international education stakeholders and organizations to collect data on different types of expenditure items and their dollar amounts, and calculated total expenditure by level of study and by province/territory.

International Students Contribute Over $6.5 Billion to Canadian Economy
(No. 319 - October 28, 2009 - 11:10 a.m. EDT) The Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, today released a study showing that international students contributed more than $6.5 billion to the Canadian economy in 2008. This is the first time a dollar figure has been attached to the economic impact of international students in Canada.

“International students provide a significant boost to Canada’s economy,” said Minister Day. “Their presence helps create thousands of jobs and generates billions in revenue. Our government will continue its efforts to promote Canada as the destination of choice for international students by enhancing outreach efforts at our missions around the world.”

The findings are part of a report entitled Economic Impact of International Education in Canada prepared by Roslyn Kunin & Associates, Inc., for the Government of Canada. The report was commissioned by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada and released today by Minister Day at a meeting of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.

The number of international students in Canada has more than doubled since 1998 to 178,000, and their presence provided employment for over 83,000 Canadians last year.

In November 2008, the Government of Canada, in collaboration with the provinces, announced the launch of a new branding campaign aimed at attracting more international students. It conveys the message that a Canadian education opens doors to opportunities.

“In addition to attracting students to Canada, our government has also made tremendous strides in issuing study permits in key markets,” said Minister Day. “We are seeing rising approval rates in places like China and India. We have also established policies and programs that help international students gain valuable work experience during their study term and help meet skill and labour needs of Canadian employers.”

These efforts support the government’s commitment to international education under its Global Commerce Strategy. Canada has seen a 7‑percent increase in international students since 2007.

To view the report, visit Economic Impact of International Education in Canada.