The line graph compares how many overseas candidates from European nations, the Middle East, the Far East, and Africa applied to a British university from 1999 to 2003.
In general, the popularity of the university among students in the Middle East, the Far East, and Africa increased over the period shown, while the opposite was true for European nations. Notably, initially, the vast majority of applications came from Europe; however, by the end, the Far East overtook the others and became predominant.
There were reverse trends in the numbers of applications from European nations and the Far East. Although the vast majority of applications came from these nations in the beginning of the period (around 30,000), the popularity of the university among European students declined sharply by approximately 15,000 applicants every year by 2001, falling to the lowest point of 8,000 in 2003. By contrast, applicants from the Far East rose substantially from 16,000 in 1999, and then it overtook Europe in 2001, increasing to nearly 32,000 and becoming the highest number of applicants by 2003.
In comparison, the Middle East and Africa saw a rise in the quantity of applicants. The number of candidates from the Middle East began at 12,000 in 1999, followed by that from Africa with 5,000. After five years, a gradual rise was seen in the number of applications from the Middle East, with more than 20,000 by 2003, albeit a slight fall in 2002. Similarly, Africa exhibited a relatively constant trend (at roughly 5,000) from 1999 to 2001 before a moderate rise to nearly 8,000 in 2003.