The EU’s Erasmus+ programme has reached a historic milestone: since the programme began in 1987, one million students from Germany have gone abroad for a study or internship placement with funding from Erasmus+. This was announced by the National Agency for Erasmus+ University Cooperation at the German Academic Exchange Service (NA DAAD) in Bonn. With a social media campaign entitled “One in One Million”, the NA DAAD will be celebrating the success story of the European exchange programme at German higher education institutions from Monday (8 June).

“For almost 40 years, Erasmus+ has been connecting young people in Europe and beyond. One million students from Germany who have been abroad with Erasmus are a powerful testament to the programme’s impact. Behind this figure lie a million educational pathways, formative experiences abroad, personal development and, often, partnerships. Erasmus+ opens up new perspectives for study, career and life – and makes Europe a tangible reality,” said DAAD President Prof. Dr Joybrato Mukherjee. 

“One million Erasmus+ students from Germany demonstrate just how deeply rooted Erasmus+ is in German higher education institutions. This success story was made possible by the tremendous commitment of the universities and their international offices, Erasmus coordinators, and many partner institutions across Europe and worldwide. Today, Erasmus+ stands, like almost no other programme, for active European cooperation and international university collaboration,” added Dr Stephan Geifes, Director of the NA DAAD.

17 million people across the EU – one million from Germany

Since the programme’s launch in 1987, more than 17 million students and university staff across Europe have taken part in Erasmus+. Since then, one million students from Germany have gone abroad with Erasmus+ funding; at the same time, just under one million international students have come to Germany through the programme. For years, Spain, France and Italy have been among the most popular destination countries for German Erasmus students. If we add together the students and university staff from Germany who have received Erasmus funding, the total comes to around 1.1 million people.

According to calculations by the NA DAAD, the milestone of one million funded students from Germany will be reached during the current Erasmus+ funding period. The calculation is based on student mobility data from Germany recorded since 1987. According to the calculations, the one-million mark was passed in March 2026.

Programme launch and further development

The Erasmus programme began in the winter semester of 1987/88. Around 70 German higher education institutions were involved right from the start. The exchange programme for study periods, which began 39 years ago, has since developed into a broad-based European education programme: today, Erasmus+ at higher education institutions supports not only study periods abroad, but also internships, short-term and blended mobility formats, teaching and further training stays for university staff, as well as international university cooperation.

Impact on employment, career and personal development

The impact of Erasmus+ extends beyond studies and higher education institutions: former Erasmus+ grant recipients regularly report that their experiences abroad have opened up new perspectives on Europe, their personal development and their career opportunities. International experience is also in demand in professional life: it strengthens language skills, intercultural competence, independence and the ability to work in international teams.

Furthermore, as a European programme, Erasmus+ also has a social impact: a survey by the DAAD on the last European elections showed that 85 per cent of the former Erasmus grant holders surveyed intended to vote. The European Commission also estimates that around one million children have been born from partnerships formed during Erasmus stays. These so-called ‘Erasmus babies’ are still regarded today as a symbol of European encounters in action.

Participatory campaign at higher education institutions

To mark this milestone, the NA DAAD is inviting German higher education institutions to nominate their “one-millionth male or female Erasmus student” as a representative. Under the title “One in One Million”, the aim is to highlight personal experiences abroad, skills acquired and European encounters. The campaign is being promoted on social media under the hashtag #OneInOneMillion.