The Erasmus Programme is still growing, according to statistics on the academic year 2004/04 now released by the European Commission. Student mobility increased by 6.3 percent on the previous year, reaching a total of 144,037 mobile students. The mobility of academic staff grew even more, by 13 percent.

The number one destination in student exchanges was once again Spain (25,511), followed by France (20,519), and Germany (17,273). The United Kingdom, the top destination in the early programme years, came only in fourth place (16,266 students, and thus fewer than in 2003/04). As a country of origin, it even occupies only a midfield place. Among sending countries, Germany leads (22,427), followed by France (21,561), and Spain (20,819).

The European Commission notes with particular satisfaction that student mobility grew strongest in the 10 new member states. Indeed, the 10 countries increased volumes compared to 2003/04 by around 28 percent in outgoing mobility, and by even 53 percent in incoming mobility, which was boosted by the fact that exchanges between the new member states were for the first time possible in 2004/05. Despite these encouraging figures, the share of the 10 new member states of all Erasmus incoming mobility is still very low, at 5.2 percent.