Offshore education major New Zealand export earner

New Zealand's education sector saw revenues from services delivered abroad rise from 104 million NZ dollars (75.46 million U.S. dollars) in 2012 to 171 million NZ dollars (124.08 million U.S. dollars) last year, according to a government report out Friday.

The report from the Education New Zealand agency also showed the added value, or broader contribution to the economy of education services delivered overseas was 242 million NZ dollars (175.59 million U.S. dollars).

It showed the top markets were Australia, China, the United States and Britain.

The survey of education-related businesses did not include the economic value of international students studying in New Zealand.

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce said international education was New Zealand's fifth largest export industry, with onshore education delivery estimated to be worth 3.1 billion NZ dollars (2.25 billion U.S. dollars) annually in the year ending March.

The report attributed the increase in value to 20 percent revenue growth, and to the inclusion of a wider sample of firms and activities compared with the 2012 survey.

The government aimed to increase the value of international education to 5 billion NZ dollars (3.63 billion U.S. dollars) by 2025 and, as part of that, to increase education services exports to 500 million NZ dollars (363 million U.S. dollars), Joyce said in a statement.

"There is a huge growth opportunity offshore for New Zealand education providers," Joyce said. Endit