Prime Highlights
- New Zealand plans to double the value of its international education sector to $7.2 billion by 2034.
- The government will fund a new specialist service to help schools recruit and support overseas students.
Key Facts
- New Zealand considers international education a major export sector linked to tourism and local business growth.
- International student enrolments in the country increased 11% in 2025 as recovery continued.
Background
The New Zealand government has announced new measures to help schools attract more international students as part of its plan to expand the country’s education export sector. The move aims to support future economic growth and rebuild enrolments after the disruption caused by the pandemic.
Education Minister Erica Stanford said the government wants to double the value of the international education sector to $7.2 billion by 2034. She said enrolments had already risen 11% in 2025, showing steady recovery.
Under the new programme, the government will fund a specialist support service through an external organisation chosen by tender. The provider will help schools with international student recruitment, marketing, homestay placement, compliance guidance, student welfare systems and capability building.
The support will be available to schools already hosting overseas students as well as those planning to enter the market for the first time. Officials said the programme would focus strongly on student safety, wellbeing, accommodation standards and pastoral care.
The government said international education had been one of New Zealand’s biggest export industries before the pandemic. It generated revenue through tuition fees, tourism spending, accommodation demand and local business activity. Border closures had sharply reduced student numbers and created pressure on schools and communities.
Officials said school-level enrolments were recovering during 2025 and moving closer to pre-pandemic levels. The government expects stronger support systems to help the country compete with markets such as Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom.
The tender for the new support service will open by the end of June.
