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In the 2022/2023 winter semester, a total of 3,800 students were under the age of 18, representing 0.13 per cent of 2.9 million students in the German universities.

According to Destatis, the Federal Statistical Office, the number of underage students in Germany has changed in the last decade, with the highest number being recorded in 2018, Studying-in-Germany reports.

“However, due to compulsory military service, which has been suspended since 2011 and the introduction of the shortened Abitur in many federal states, the number of underage students has recently been significantly higher than ten years ago,” Destatis, the Federal Statistical Office press release reads.

The data further show that in the winter semester of 2012/2013, 2,100 students were under 18 years old, representing 0.08 per cent of all students in the country. This number peaked at 4,800 students in 2018, while in 2023, this number is experiencing another decrease – reaching 3,800.

German Universities Witness a Surge in Senior Students

However, while the number of younger students is on the rise, so is the number of senior students; in the last semester (2022/2023), almost 4,000, which is half the number of senior students recorded one decade ago – a total of 2,100.

While Germany is one of the best study destinations in the world, a surge in German students studying abroad has been noticed in the last few years. Data from Destatis shows that the number of German students moving abroad to pursue their studies has increased by three per cent in 2021, with the total number of Germans studying abroad reaching 137,700 for that year. The difference compared to the previous year was 4,200 more students abroad than there were in 2020.

EU Countries Are Most Popular Destinations for German Students

Some of the most popular destinations for German students were the Netherlands and Switzerland, being listed as second and third most popular, while Austria held the first position with the highest number of German international students.

In total, 36,100 German students were studying at Austrian universities in 2021, while there were 24,400 in the Netherlands and some 12,400 in Switzerland. Mainly, 68 per cent of German students for the year, were studying in another country within the European Union.

While the share of German students in the EU countries rose, fewer went to study in the United Kingdom, which is one of the most popular destinations for those pursuing academic studies. There were 1,600 or 12 per cent fewer German students in the UK in 2021 compared to one year prior.