LONDON, March 6 (Xinhua) -- London is experiencing an unprecedented boom in international student numbers, with the growth rate doubling year-on-year, according to new data published on Wednesday.
A report published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) reveals that 118,145 international students arrived in London in 2017-2018, an increase of 5.3 percent from 2016-2017. The growth rate in the preceding year was 2.6 percent.
Study London, the official university guide, has hailed the statistics as a "significant win" for London with a marked increase in the number of overseas students arriving in the British capital for the fifth consecutive year.
According to the report, China remains London's largest student market. The number of Chinese students studying in the British capital has increased by 89.6 percent since 2011 to the current total of 21,350.
The United States and Italy are in second and third position, with 7,105 and 5,770 students in London, respectively.
India and China are the fastest growing markets, with student numbers from both increasing by 20 percent since 2016-2017.
"These new statistics show that London is as big a draw as ever for the brightest young talent from around the world. I'm delighted to see so many students choosing our city as their destination of choice to learn and to discover all the benefits of a first-class education," said Rajesh Agrawal, London's deputy mayor for business.
"London has more world-leading universities than any other city on the planet, and a buzzing cultural landscape, which attracts international students from more than 200 countries. This is yet more evidence that London is open," he added.
London has four universities listed in the World University Rankings Top 40, and five universities in the Top 200, cementing it as one of the best cities in the world for higher education.
Almost 30 percent of London's 389,215 students come from overseas. In 2016-2017, international students contributed 3 billion pounds (3.95 billion U.S. dollars) to the UK economy.
