International School Enrolment Trends: Are Student Numbers Growing or Declining?

It is a catch-22. If the student population is increasing, then you might have one or more of the following: the maximum number of students (or even a few more) allowed in each classroom, the need to build a new school building (which can take years and a lot of headaches), the school gets more money to pay for teachers and other things, etc…

If the student population is declining, then these things might happen: teachers might be made redundant, the school stops funding certain programs and decreases various budgets, maybe a better education for students as the student-to-teacher ratio might be lower, etc…

But this is the life of an international school, and they should be prepared to adjust to the different waves of their student population.

Many of these waves are caused by outside forces, most recently the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic caused many families to relocate due to lost jobs or many companies to close their sites in the country.

So international school teachers need to be aware of these waves and be prepared when they go up and down.

When you first arrive at the school, there might be a wave of increasing student population. Things are going great. Budgets for teachers are ample and ready to use. PD opportunities off-campus are available for teachers to apply for. And most importantly, teachers are getting paid and on time.

After a few years at this school, the student population could easily be declining, and teachers could be experiencing quite a different situation.

Before taking a job at an international school, it might be a good idea to ask about the predictions of their student population.

Luckily, the International School Community has a comment topic on our school profile pages about student populations. In this comment topic, our members can share their experiences working at various international schools around the world. There are a total of 787 comments (March 2026) that have been submitted by our veteran international school teachers on this specific comment topic (one out of the 73 in total) called – “Is the student population declining, staying the same, or increasing? Give details why.”

Here are a few of those submitted comments:

“Right now, the student population is about the same – a similar number of students are leaving, and a similar number are coming in…”
American International School of Vilnius (Vilnius, Lithuania) – 16 Total Comments

“WIS currently enrolls around 450+ students from over 45 countries. The international and local blend continues to grow, supporting diversity and global perspectives…”
Windhoek International School (Windhoek, Namibia) – 88 Total Comments

“The student population appears to be relatively stable, with a noticeable concentration of students from Chinese, Korean, and Thai backgrounds. Enrollment trends seem to be influenced by regional demographics and the school’s strong appeal to families from these communities…”
International School Bangkok (Bangkok, Thailand) – 58 Total Comments

“Between 2023 and 2025, there was an 82% student population increase. This has remained the same this academic year. Boarding was hoped to boost numbers, but this has not worked. The numbers remain at 5. With the current economic and political situation in the country, there is little hope of these numbers (boarding/whole school) increasing. There are 2 other more stable international primary schools in the area, and their fees are cheaper too…”
St Andrews International Primary School (Blantyre, Malawi) – 11 Total Comments

“Student population has decreased further since last year, with many parents sending their rising seniors to a school out of the country for their final senior year. Some have done so with their juniors as well. This is primarily due to the political/military situation and the fear that if the student stayed in Myanmar long enough to graduate, they might not be allowed to leave the country to attend college. While actual conscription is a legitimate fear of the poorer population, having to avoid it/get permission to leave the country is an expensive battle that parents want to avoid…”
Ayeyarwaddy International School (Mandalay, Myanmar) – 161 Total Comments

“The student population at Braeburn Mombasa International School is steadily increasing. This growth is driven by the introduction and expansion of the BTEC programme and the Sixth Form, which have attracted more students seeking diverse academic and vocational pathways. Additionally, the school’s reputation for high-quality international education, strong academic outcomes, and holistic co-curricular programmes continues to draw both local and expatriate families. This upward trend reflects the school’s ongoing commitment to inclusive learning and innovation, in line with the broader Braeburn Group’s vision of providing world-class education across East Africa….”
Braeburn Mombasa International School (Mombasa, Kenya) – 31 Total Comments