Taiwan’s foreign enrolment grew to 140,420 in 2025/26 – a +17% increase from the previous year and an all-time record. The lion’s share of foreign students are in degree programmes (roughly 90,000). The remainder are exchange students, Mandarin-language learners, and students from China and Hong Kong.
The goal is 320,000
The new record goes some way to the Taiwanese government’s aim to attract 320,000 international students by 2030, but foreign enrolment will have to more than double to meet this target. Taiwan’s population is ageing rapidly: about 1 in 5 Taiwanese is now aged 65+. An influx of foreign students and workers is necessary to sustain Taiwan’s higher education institutions, increase the working-age cohort, strengthen public infrastructure, and keep Taiwan competitive with other economies.
Vietnam is fuelling the rise
Nearly 4 in 10 international students in Taiwan (38%) are from Vietnam. Of the roughly 53,000 Vietnamese students in Taiwan, about half are in degree studies. Vietnam sent 11,800 new students to Taiwan in 2025/26, a major increase over the previous year.
The top five sending markets for Taiwan in 2025/26 are:
- Vietnam (52,970, +33% y-o-y)
- Indonesia (18,740, -3%)
- Malaysia (8,740, -10%)
- Japan (8,730, -1%)
- Philippines (5,540, +24%)
Other growth markets include Myanmar (4,430, +24) and India (2,830, +12%). Of the top 20 markets for Taiwanese institutions, just under half grew in 2025/26.
Taiwan is very reliant on Vietnamese enrolments – and these are continuing to increase. Had Vietnamese numbers not increased, Taiwan’s total international enrolment growth would have nearly halved from +17% to about +9%.
The importance of semiconductors
Taiwan produces more than 60% of global semiconductors and over 90% of the most advanced chips, according to the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. Given the importance of these chips to countries around the world, this is a key competitive advantage. Semiconductors are a main draw for international students, and it is likely why:
- The composition of students from many top markets for Taiwan is more and more concentrated in degree studies.
- There is such strong growth from Vietnam. The Vietnamese government has an explicit strategy to build its semiconductor industry called the “National Strategy for the Development of Vietnam’s Semiconductor Industry to 2030 with a vision to 2050.”
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