International education is South Australia’s largest services export. There were nearly 36,000 international student enrolments in South Australian institutions in 2017, compared to 11,100 enrolments in 2002. Given the importance of the international education and training sector in South Australia, the Department for Trade, Tourism and Investment (DTTI) engaged Deloitte Access Economics to provide an up-to-date overview of the sector and its contribution to the South Australian economy.

The analysis found:

• The international education and training sector in South Australia contributed $1,285 million in value added and sustained a workforce of 8,853 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs in 2016-17
• The average international student enrolment in South Australia contributes $36,600 in value added and 0.25 FTE jobs
• One enrolment in higher education contributes $51,500 in value added and 0.33 FTE jobs in South Australia
• The top three source markets for international students (China, India and Hong Kong) accounted for $830 million in value added – representing 65 per cent of the contribution to the South Australian economy, greater than their 58 per cent share of enrolments
• Students from China contributed $625 million in value added to the South Australian economy, while students from India contributed $131 million and Hong Kong $75 million.