New Zealand’s international education recovery is being driven by a shift in how students view the destination, rather than simply a post-pandemic rebound, according to Education New Zealand chief executive David Downs.
Speaking to The PIE News following the release of figures showing international education export earnings have reached NZ$4.98 billion, Downs said New Zealand was benefiting from a combination of high-quality education, safety, practical learning and a more personalised student experience.
“Honestly, I think it comes down to New Zealand offering something the very large destinations can’t: a high-quality education in a safe, welcoming country, where students are known by name, taught to think for themselves, and leave with real experience behind them,” said Downs, who joined the organisation as chief executive in June 2026.
“Students today want more than a certificate. They want practical learning, good job prospects at the end of it, and a place where they aren’t just a number. That is what we offer.”
The comments come as New Zealand’s international education sector moves beyond a recovery in student numbers and towards a broader focus on the value generated by the sector.
International education export earnings reached NZ$4.98bn, surpassing the sector’s pre-pandemic value of NZ$4.403bn in the year to June 2019.
At the same time, student numbers remain below their pre-pandemic peak. There were 92,580 international student enrolments in 2025, compared with 115,705 in 2019, while the country is on track for around 99,000 enrolments in 2026.
For Downs, the significance of the recovery goes beyond the headline numbers.
“Enrolments are up, export earnings are up, and interest from our key markets is up,” he said.
“This isn’t a post-pandemic bounce – it’s a shift in how students see us.”
The recovery is also becoming more widely distributed across New Zealand’s education system.
Between January and April 2026, 68,780 international students enrolled with New Zealand education providers, an 8% increase on the same period in 2025.
Universities recorded 14% growth, schools rose 9% and private training establishments increased 6%. Within the school sector, primary enrolments increased by 22%.
Downs said the breadth of that growth was particularly encouraging, arguing that it pointed to a sector that was becoming more resilient.
“This is the part I’m most pleased about,” he said.
“Growth spread across the whole sector and across more countries tells me we’re not standing on one leg. Universities, schools and PTEs are all growing, and the interest is coming from established and emerging markets alike.”
Growth spread across the whole sector and across more countries tells me we’re not standing on one leg. Universities, schools and PTEs are all growing, and the interest is coming from established and emerging markets alike
David Downs, ENZ
“A broader base is a sturdier base, and that’s what makes growth last.”
China and India remain the country’s two largest markets, together accounting for close to half of enrolments, but Downs pointed to growing momentum from other countries, including Sri Lanka and Viet Nam.
“Diversification is central to achieving the New Zealand government’s International Education Going for Growth plan,” he said. “It shapes where we invest and which markets we back, and in all of them the aim is growth that lasts.”
“China and India are hugely important to us and will stay that way – together they’re close to half our enrolments. But we’re also seeing real momentum from countries like Sri Lanka and Viet Nam, helping broaden New Zealand’s international student base.”
Downs stressed that diversification should not be interpreted as a move away from established markets.
“Let me be clear, though: diversification doesn’t mean walking away from our biggest markets. It means adding to them, so we’re never over-reliant on any one country and we’re better placed to support long-term, sustainable growth.”
He said there was scope to grow across both established and emerging markets over the next several years.
“Looking a few years out, I see room to grow in both our long-standing markets and the newer ones.”
Downs said New Zealand needed to resist the temptation to measure success simply by the number of students arriving.
“Sustainable growth isn’t a numbers game,” he said. “It means working alongside providers and government to attract students who are the right fit for New Zealand and then doing right by them once they’re here.”
For Downs, that means ensuring the benefits of international education extend beyond providers and into the wider economy and communities hosting international students.
“It also means growth that pays off for students, providers, communities and the wider economy – and that sends work-ready graduates back out into the world as lifelong friends of New Zealand.”
He warned that pursuing volume at the expense of quality could ultimately undermine the very factors currently helping New Zealand compete.
“Where we need to be careful is chasing volume for its own sake,” he said.
“Our quality standards, our students’ wellbeing and our reputation as a safe, welcoming place to study took decades to build, and they wouldn’t take long to lose.”
That emphasis comes as New Zealand looks to increase international education export earnings to NZ$7.2bn by 2034.
The government has also highlighted the contribution international students make beyond tuition, with ENZ data showing students spend an average of around NZ$45,776 a year in New Zealand excluding tuition fees.
That spending supports businesses and communities through demand for accommodation, transport, retail, hospitality and travel.
The next challenge, Downs argues, is to maintain New Zealand’s momentum while differentiating the country from larger destinations.
“The challenge now isn’t to keep growing. It’s to keep getting better,” he said. “We need to hold our quality, keep giving students an experience worth talking about, and push harder in both established and emerging markets.”
“We’re safe, we’re welcoming, we teach people to think and to do, and students here are known rather than counted.”
“Do that, and I’m confident we hold our own no matter how competitive this market gets.”
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