Why fewer students are going outside Japan for further studies ?
The number of Japanese students studying abroad decreased by 31.1%, dropping to 42,709 in 2020, according to research by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology. This data includes information from the OECD, UNESCO, the Institute of International Education, and other organizations.
Several factors contributed to this decline, including limited scholarship opportunities and rising tuition costs at foreign institutions. The recent depreciation of the yen is also expected to further discourage students from pursuing education overseas.
In response to these trends, the Japanese government has set an ambitious goal to increase the number of high school and university students studying abroad to 500,000 annually by 2033, covering long-, medium-, and short-term programs. The government is expanding scholarship programs, recognizing the urgent need to develop individuals who can actively participate on the global stage.
