In this Inbound Insight series article, we examine the factors influencing the growing number of Iranian students choosing to study abroad and explore the priorities of this student cohort when searching for student accommodation based on data gathered through the Global Student Living Index.
Outbound destinations
UNESCO figures show that in 2021, Iran had 71,248 outbound international students. ICEF analysis highlights that top destinations for students from Iran include the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, Italy, Turkey and Malaysia. More recent figures from destination countries suggest that Iranian outbound student numbers are steadily growing. For example, the latest Open Doors Data shows that in 2022/23, 10,812 Iranian students studied in the US—a 16.3% increase from the previous year. Similarly, Canada issued 24,960 study permits to Iranian students in 2023 —an 18.6% increase from 2022, placing Iran as Canada’s sixth-largest source market.
What’s contributing to this growth?
Iran has a population of 82.8 million and more than 60% of it is under the age of 30. The Iranian population is expected to reach 105 million by 2060.
Poor employment prospects for graduates and high youth unemployment rates are contributing to the high levels of interest in studying abroad. In Iran, graduate unemployment rates sit at around 50%, with reports from Iranian media outlets suggesting that there are issues with the quality of education provided and a mismatch between what students study and the skills required in the workforce. Iran also has a high youth unemployment rate. According to International Labour Organisation data, 22.8% of Iran’s 15-24-year-old population were unemployed in 2023.
The World Bank notes that “external shocks, including sanctions and commodity price volatility, caused a decade-long stagnation that ended in 2019/20 … and sustained high inflation has led to a substantial reduction in households’ purchasing power.” Iran’s official inflation rate is around 43%, and its currency, the Iranian rial (IRR) has experienced significant depreciation due to high inflation and international sanctions. Because of this, the Iranian market is likely to be more price-sensitive than others.
Social media
BBC analysis notes that Iranian authorities routinely block or filter websites considered ‘objectionable’. However, Iranian citizens routinely use virtual private networks to circumvent this issue. Blocked sites include Facebook, one of the most popular social media platforms in Iran. ICEF analysis notes, however, that “those Iranian students who are determined to study abroad will be doing their best to find a way to check out foreign institutions’ websites.”
Search priorities
Global Student Living Index data shows that Iranian students have similar priorities to other international students. However, certain aspects of accommodation matter more to Iranian students. These include travel time to place of study (81% vs 72% for all international students), budget (68% vs 60%), ensuite (62% vs 56%), transport links (53% vs 45%), and living on their own (60% vs 50%).
Room type and rent
Students from Iran are more likely to be in university halls (24% vs 15%) than other international students and less likely to be living in private halls (76% vs 85%). Iranian students are much more likely (70%) to be living in a private bedroom than the broader international student cohort (59%), but less likely to be in a studio flat than other international students (27% vs 34%).
Search resources
Students from Iran are less likely to use social media than the broader international student cohort (23% vs 29%) when it comes to searching for somewhere to live. The top five resources used by Iranian students are university websites (75%), general web searching (25%), social media (23%), online student reviews (13%) and accommodation fairs (12%). Iranian students are significantly less likely (4%) than other international students (12%) to use an educational agent to assist them in their search.
Booking
When it comes to booking their accommodation, Iranian students are significantly more likely to have booked with the university housing or accommodation office (45% vs 34% of all international students). Students from Iran also favour booking through online student accommodation listings sites, although the proportion using these sites is lower than it is for all international students (20% vs 24% of all international students). Iranian students are also less likely to have booked via a consultant or agent than international students in general (4% vs 9%).
