More than half a million international students have chosen to study in Australia in 2018.

According to a report from the Department of Education and Training, the number of international students has increased by 12 percent in one year.

There were 509,610 international students enrolled in 542,054 courses in February, and the number is predicted to grow.

The enrolments are spread across Australian universities, private colleges, English language courses and schools.

Students from China make up the largest proportion of foreign students at 31 percent, followed by India, Nepal, Malaysia and Vietnam.

There has also been a rise in the number of students from Brazil and Colombia.

According to Sydney Morning Herald, Education Minister Simon Birmingham said the Australian market was “uniquely positioned” to support further growth.

“We’re on track to continue our record breaking run of growth in international education,” he said.

“We’ll continue to work to promote the value of our education system to the rest of the world.”

The international student market is currently worth $32.2 billion a year, which is a 22 percent growth since 2016.

Universities Australia chief executive Belinda Robinson said the growth of international students in Australia was a significant contributor to the economy, according to the Australian.

“We have almost doubled enrolments over the past decade and built international education into Australia’s third largest export sector. This supports Australian communities, jobs, regional economies and our relationships in the world,” she said.

“These half a million international students will become tomorrow’s global leaders, returning home as informal ambassadors for Australia and extending our nation’s worldwide networks in business, diplomacy and politics.”