Sector analysts report that growth is now driven mainly by local and nationally based families, who already form the majority of enrolments in many markets. They want an English-medium, globally benchmarked education — but close to home, and without the cultural detachment that once came with it.
That demand is visibly reshaping provision. More than a third of international schools now offer bilingual instruction, and a large share follow hybrid models that blend national curriculum requirements, local language and culture with international outcomes.
From the margins to the mainstream
The trend is strongest in Asia, Latin America, the European Union and the Gulf, and it is moving international schools from the edge of national systems toward their mainstream. It also quietly redefines the product: for a growing share of parents, "international" describes the qualification and the outlook, not the passport.
Sources
ICEF Monitor — Expansion driven more by growing local demand · ISC Research — Global International Schools Snapshot 2026
