The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) valued education exports at $51 billion in 2023-24, suggesting a massive benefit to the Australian economy.
The ABS estimates this astonishing export figure using “an average spend estimate from Tourism Research Australia … supplemented by the addition of total expenditure on course fees”.
The ABS incorrectly classifies all international student spending as exports, even if it is paid for with money earned in Australia.
According to World Bank data on migrant remittances, Australia’s net remittance outflows were $US8.6 billion in 2023. Students would account for a considerable portion of the remittances leaving Australia.
In reality, international students cover a significant percentage of their tuition fees and living costs by working in Australia.
In recent years, there have been numerous stories of ‘desperate’ international students using food banks.
For example, The SMH reported that “demand for the University of Sydney’s student-run food welfare service, FoodHub, which offers free food and essential items such as toiletries, rose 60% in the past year, with international students making up 93% of the 57,000 students who used the service in 2024”.
Queues for Sydney University’s food bank stretch outside the door. Almost all were international students.
Allianz Partners has also partnered with Foodbank Australia “to help alleviate the burden of financial hardship and food insecurity among international students studying in Australia”.
“The current cost of living crisis has meant that more than a third of international students in Australia can’t afford fresh fruit and veggies in their weekly shop”, the media release read.
“The rising cost of living has led international students to rely on charitable organisations to meet their most basic needs, emphasising the need for further support”, Miranda Fennell, Executive Head of Health and International Student Wellbeing Spokesperson, said.
A report in The SMH revealed how large numbers of international students are living in poverty and homelessness.
Nurse unit manager at St Vincent’s Hospital’s homeless health service Erin Longbottom said international students were becoming the hidden face of homelessness.
“No one is talking about it,” she said…
Sean Stimson, a senior solicitor at the Redfern Legal Centre’s International Student Legal Service, said there had been a spike in homelessness over the past 18 months as international students faced steep rent hikes…
“We’re aware of students who are clients of ours who can’t meet the increase in rent and are asked to participate in sexual favours”, he said.
The article features an interactive graphic showing the degree by which international students are struggling.
A high proportion of students surveyed often go without necessities like food so they can pay for accommodation:
A high share of international students worry about paying rent each week:
A significant share of international students share their bedrooms with someone that isn’t their partner:
How can we claim that international education is a giant $51 billion export industry when so many are the working poor, often rely on charities, and must work jobs in Australia to pay their bills?
When international students become a drain on charitable services, it shows that their economic value to Australia has been significantly overstated.
