Overview
The Scatter Plot Report in the Global Student Flows (GSF) dataset helps you quickly identify patterns in international student mobility. By combining destination size, growth trends, and flexible filters, the report allows you to compare locations and spot emerging or declining study destinations over time.
Understanding the Scatter Plot
Each bubble in the Scatter Plot can display student volume and growth for:
Source Location
Source City
Destination Location
Each bubble is also colour-coded according to geographic location i.e. regions.
Bubble size – largest destinations
The size of each bubble reflects the total number of international students for the selected criteria.
Larger bubbles indicate major source/ destination locations with high volumes of students.
Smaller bubbles represent sources/ destinations with lower overall student numbers.
This view makes it easy to identify the world’s largest study sources/ destinations at a glance.
The vertical Y axis is defaulted to Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) to show percentage-based growth or decline from 0. The horizontal X axis is defaulted to number of students (in millions or thousands).
*note - both axis can be interchanged
Source/ destinations positioned higher on the axis are experiencing stronger growth in student numbers. Sources/ destinations lower on the axis indicate slower growth or decline.
By combining bubble size with growth position, you can identify:
Large and mature sources/ destinations with stable growth
Smaller but fast-growing, emerging source/ destinations
Established source/ destinations that may be stagnating or declining
Using Filters to Refine Insights
In the upper-right hand corner of the Scatter Plot Report, you have three filters to help you focus your analysis.
Source filter
Use the Source filter to select where students are coming from. This allows you to analyse outbound mobility patterns from specific countries or regions.
Destination filter
The Destination filter lets you focus on specific study destinations or compare a subset of locations rather than the global picture.
Time Period filter
The Time Period filter lets you choose how many years of historical data to include, combined with future projections.
Each option follows the same structure:
“Last X years” = historical data
“+ F” = forecast data
The years in brackets show the exact date range covered
For example:
Last 3Y + F (2023–2030)
Shows the last 3 years of historical data up to the present, plus forecast data through 2030.Last 5Y + F (2021–2030)
Includes a longer historical view, combined with the same forecast horizon.Last 10Y + F (2016–2030)
Useful for long-term trend analysis, showing a full decade of past data plus projections.Max (2014–2030)
Displays all available historical data, along with the full forecast period.
Use shorter periods (3Y or 5Y) to focus on recent trends
Use longer periods (10Y or Max) to analyse structural or long-term changes
All options include future projections, allowing you to compare past performance with expected trends
Combining filters
Filters can be used together to answer more targeted questions, such as:
Which destinations are growing fastest for students from a specific source country?
How have destination trends changed over time for a particular region?
Using the Scatter Plot for Strategic Analysis
The Scatter Plot Report is especially useful for:
Identifying priority recruitment markets
Spotting emerging destinations early
Comparing destination performance across time periods
Supporting data-driven strategy, reporting, and presentations
By adjusting the filters and interpreting bubble size and growth positioning together, you can move beyond raw student counts and gain a more nuanced view of global student mobility trends.