The international education industry likes to tout the myth that education exports are Australia’s fourth biggest export earner, and that the collapse in international student enrolments will necessarily cripple the economy.
This myth is based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) International Trade: Supplementary Information, Financial Year, 2018-19 report, which shows that total education ‘exports’ soared by $5.0 billion in 2018-19 to a record high $37.3 billion (see next chart).
Expenditure on goods and services by international students rose by $2.9 billion to $21.4 billion, whereas fees from international students increased by $2.1 billion to $15.9 billion.
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