The bar chart provides information on the number of applicants to European universities from four different countries over five consecutive years, starting from 2004 and ending in 2008.
Overall, Japan showed an upward trend and experienced significant growth, taking the top spot on the list. In contrast, China, which began in the lead, followed a downward trend. The USA also showed an upward trend, increasing marginally, and secured third place throughout the entire period.
In detail, both Japan and the USA exhibited upward trends. There was a small difference in the number of applicants from Japan and the USA in 2004, but this gap widened by the end of the year. By 2006, the number of applicants from Japan exceeded 15,000, which was significantly higher than the approximately 5,000 applicants from the USA. The numbers followed similar trends, with Japan increasing sharply to around 22,000 applicants and the USA experiencing a slight increase to around 9,000. The applicant rate from the USA rose to exactly 10,000, while Japan saw a slight rise in applications in 2008.
As for China and Russia, their figures followed a downward trend and remained consistent. China was the leading country in 2004 with roughly 27,000 applicants, but this number steadily decreased over the years, with the exception of a stable period between 2006 and 2007, ultimately finishing at 15,000. Meanwhile, the number of applicants from Russia fluctuated slightly from 2005 to 2007, then returned to the initial level.