The provided line graphs illustrate the enrolment figures for overseas and local students in Australian universities between 2001 and 2010, distinguishing between commencing and total student numbers.
Overall, overseas student enrolments exhibited a steady upward trend throughout the decade. In contrast, local student numbers were significantly higher, though their growth rate slowed considerably, with total enrolments remaining constant from 2007 onwards.
Regarding overseas students, the total number rose from 20,000 in 2001 to 81,000 by 2010. Commencing overseas students followed a similar trajectory, increasing from 11,000 to 41,000 over the same period. The growth was particularly pronounced between 2008 and 2009, where commencing numbers jumped from 30,000 to 40,000.
Local student data presents a different pattern. Total enrolments grew from 400,000 in 2001 to a peak of 605,000 in 2007, after which the figure remained static until 2010. Commencing local students fluctuated more noticeably; after starting at 180,000, they reached a high of 220,000 in 2002 before experiencing a period of decline and recovery, eventually finishing at 205,000 in 2010. Despite these fluctuations, local student numbers remained substantially higher than their overseas counterparts throughout the entire ten-year timeframe.