In 2016, a total of 76,730 foreign students were studying in ELT (English Language Teaching) schools, while a year later the number increased by 10,460 students to reach 87,190.
Italian students counted for the highest share of these students (29.4%). Whereas Germans attending ELT courses in Malta accounted for 11.8% and French for 10.5%. Russia, Brazil, and Poland were some other countries that amounted for a significant number of students.
General English and Intensive English were the most wanted courses. According to statistics, more than two-thirds of international students(71.5%) in Malta were enrolled in General English courses, followed by Intensive English courses with 16.5%.
The report put a stress in the gender gap between female and male students. Female students surpassed male ones in all categories and in all ages. In total female students shared 59.7% of the entire international student body in ELT schools.
As for the age group, the students aged under 15 shared the highest portion of foreign students. Precisely 28,060 of international ELT students were under 15 counting this way for more than 30% of the foreign student population in these schools.