How many UK students travel abroad every year during their gap year?

Dear iago,
I've been looking at this question. I have not found any reliable
fugures on this. I cannot even find a reliable source as to how many
take a gap year, let alone travel abroad. See details below. Perhaps
another researcher may be more succesful for you.

"Every year, around 25,000 UK teenagers to take a gap year before they
settle into university, and the numbers have been growing in recent
years." http://www.ivillage.co.uk/computers/software/words/articles/0,,118_174638,00.html

Article 2002
"....ever-increasing numbers of students are choosing to take a gap
year before embarking on their university careers. One in five
students take a year off, and 85 per cent of those who don't, end up
wishing they had. According to UCAS (Universities and Colleges
Admissions Service) figures, 22,073 applicants were accepted for
deferred entry university or college places starting in autumn 2001,
an increase of 7.3 per cent on the same point last year, when 20,570
people accepted places starting in autumn 2000.
These figures represent the tip of the gap-year iceberg, and although
there are no official statistics, it is estimated that every year up
to 50,000 students choose to defer their studies in search of
adventure. "
http://education.independent.co.uk/higher/advice/story.jsp?story=300523

"It is estimated that there are around 60,000 students every year who
take a gap year."
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/feature/newsitem.shtml?faqs

August 2003
"Last year 29,139 students applied for deferred entries, but over
40,000 were estimated to have taken a year off overall."
http://travel.guardian.co.uk/gapyears/story/0,10787,1017815,00.html

answerfinder-ga

Dear answerfinder - Thank you for the interesting figures that show a
'wide' range of estimates as to the number of gap year students in
existence in the UK. I guess finding the actual number who travel
abroad will be a hard one, as there is so much variation in the
estimates of actual numbers of 'gap' students in the first place! (let
alone those who travel abroad!)If anyone has further thoughts please
contribute. But thanks anyway for trying. It's appreciated. Iago