Introduction

This report is the latest in a series of occasional papers investigating statistical aspects of New Zealand’s international education sector. This note presents a summary of the simple correlations, and R-squared results, for the international values of the New Zealand dollar (NZ$) compared with international student enrolments in key provider groups for the 2003 to 2013 period.

Information from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand on a range of currency values (US$, Yuan, Won, Yen and Euro) is calculated on an annual average basis. This trend is compared with the annual information from the Export Education Levy (see below) on international fee-paying student enrolments with the universities, private training establishments and schools, including enrolments from key source countries.¹

For the universities, the available data indicates a significant relationship at the 95% confidence level between the NZ$/US$, and the number of international fee paying students. For the unfunded private training establishment sector, there was a significant correlation at the 99% confidence level indicated as relates to the NZ$/US$ value and their overall enrolment levels. This relationship was particularly evident for the enrolments of German students in this sector. For schools, the results indicate a significant relationship between the currency value and enrolments of South Korean students for the 2006 to 2013 period.

There was no significant relationship between international enrolments and the value of the NZ$ for institutes of technology/polytechnics, or for funded private training establishments. This indicates that other factors were more important as drivers of demand from international students seeking to enrol in those provider groups.

Footnote

1. The Export Education Levy data on international fee-paying students excludes international students who have domestic fees status in New Zealand. This group includes PhD students, exchange students, and students enrolled in state schools whose parents are in New Zealand on work permits.