The table and pie charts provide a comparison of research scholars in Australian universities in 2001 and 2010, categorized by nationality and gender distribution.
Overall, while the number of both domestic and international research students increased over the period, the growth was significantly more pronounced among overseas scholars. Another significant feature was that there was a considerable shift in gender composition, with international female students showing the most substantial rise.
It is clear that the number of local research students grew moderately from 33,657 in 2001 to 39,488 in 2010. In contrast, the number of overseas students almost tripled, rising sharply from 5,192 to 14,593 over the same period. Consequently, the total number of research scholars increased from 38,849 in 2001 to 54,081 in 2010.
Regarding gender distribution, domestic male and female students accounted for approximately 44% and 43%, respectively, in 2001. However, by 2010, these proportions had declined to 38% and 35%, indicating a decreased relative share of local scholars. Meanwhile, the percentage of overseas female researchers rose significantly from 4% to 15%, reflecting an 11% increase. Similarly, the proportion of international male scholars grew slightly, from 9% to 12%.