In 2019–20, more than 340,000 overseas students came from 204 countries worldwide (excluding the EU and UK): 35% of those came from China and 14% from India.30 We received written evidence from Universities UK that this income stream may be subject to pressure from wider concerns, with overreliance on certain countries that may leave UK universities vulnerable to competition and concerns about global affairs.31 The Department told us that it was seeking to encourage providers to diversify the...

In 2019–20, more than 340,000 overseas students came from 204 countries worldwide (excluding the EU and UK): 35% of those came from China and 14% from India.30 We received written evidence from Universities UK that this income stream may be subject to pressure from wider concerns, with overreliance on certain countries that may leave UK universities vulnerable to competition and concerns about global affairs.31 The Department told us that it was seeking to encourage providers to diversify the range of countries from which they recruit, and has identified five priority markets which it was working to develop: Indonesia, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Type: conclusion | Number: 16 | Response status: not_addressed Government response: 4: PAC conclusion: We are concerned that the financial sustainability of some providers is being put at risk by their heavy dependence on their ability to continue growing overseas student numbers. 4: PAC recommendation: The Department, drawing on OfS analysis as