The given tables illustrate the number of overseas students from various source countries in Canada and the USA during two school years.
Overall, it is readily apparent that while the number of international students in Canada experienced an increased, the opposite was true for the figures in the USA. Notably, China provided the largest number of overseas students in both countries, whereas India followed a contrasting pattern.
In Canada, the total number of international students rose significantly from 59,870 in 2002-2003 to 70,004 in 2003-2004, representing an increase of 17%. China remained the leading source country, with student numbers climbing sharply by 45% from 5,400 to 7,850. Similarly, the number of India students increased markedly by 35% from 2,100 to 2,835, while the figure for students from the USA grew modestly by 9% to 5,450 in 2003-2004.
By contrast, the USA saw a slight decline in the total number of overseas students, dropping from 581,600 to 570,000, representing a decrease of 2%. Despite continuing to contribute the largest portion of international students, the number of China students dropped considerably by 9% from 200,000 to 182,000. Meanwhile, student numbers from Canada and India rose moderately, increasing by 6% and 7% respectively to 116,600 and 33,170 2003-2004.
