International students and graduates contributed over 23 million euros in taxes last year

Text Mark Taylor
Photo Andrei Chertkov

According to data released by Statistics Estonia, international students paid 16.6 million euros in income and social taxes in the academic year 2022/23, and graduates from the previous year before contributed 6.9 million euros. This was 2.5 million euros more than in the previous academic year, despite a lower number of foreign students.

“In the academic year 2022/23, a little more than half of the international students in Estonian higher education institutions worked at least one day in Estonia during their studies. Most of them worked for more than six months during the academic year,” explained Kadri Rootalu, a data scientist at Statistics Estonia, and the author of the analysis.

The analysis also provides information on the tax contribution of international students and graduates based on income and social tax receipts. Last academic year, international students and graduates contributed a total of 23.5 million euros to the Estonian economy. International students paid 11 million euros in social tax and 5.6 million euros in income tax. Students who graduated in the academic year 2021/22 and stayed to work in Estonia contributed a total of 6.9 million euros in taxes.

The most likely areas of work for students were in information and communication technologies (ICT), engineering, manufacturing and construction, business, administration and law. For example, 70 per cent of international ICT students worked during their studies in the academic year 2022/23.

“Our higher education institutions are doing an excellent job in teaching international students, and our labour market is seeing the fruits of this. In addition to participating in the Estonian labour market, international students pay tuition fees in Estonia, consume local services and products, and invite their family and friends to visit Estonia as tourists. Based on a preliminary assessment, the economic impact of international students outweighs at least twice the investment needed by the Estonian state to teach them,” added Eero Loonurm, head of the Study in Estonia programme at the Education and Youth Board.

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