The given bar chart compares the number of students from the USA, China, Japan, and Russia pursuing tertiary education in Europe over a 4-year period, starting from 2004.
Overall, the chart indicates an upward trend in the number of students from the USA and Japan choosing Europe for higher education, whereas China exhibited a contrasting pattern. Furthermore, over the first half of the period, Chinese applicants accounted for the largest portion of the total foreign students; however, from 2006 onwards, this position belonged to the USA. The number of Russian students was largely stagnant and also the lowest.
In 2004, China had the highest number of students applying to European universities, with 28,000 students, which was twice the figure for the USA. Japan and Russia recorded significantly lower numbers, with slightly over 5,000 students from the former and around 2,000 students from the latter.
Subsequently, China experienced a dramatic decline in students choosing European universities, plummeting to 15,000 students in 2008. In contrast, the number of US students increased significantly, surpassing China in 2007, and then peaked at 28,000 students at the end of the period, holding the highest position. Similar changes, but to a lesser extent, can be seen in Japan, which saw a modest annual increase of 1,000 students, ending the period with 10,000 students. Meanwhile, the number of Russian students remained relatively stable at around 2,000 throughout the period, consistently remaining the lowest.