Indian diaspora - statistics & facts

From tech giants in Silicon Valley to medical professionals in the Anglophone world to blue-collar workers in Gulf countries, the Indian diaspora is the world’s largest, with over 35 million Indians overseas. The trend to migrate abroad increased by 65 percent from a decade ago, with over 200,000 Indians relinquishing their citizenship in 2023. Why are Indians migrating, and where are they headed?

Number of overseas Indians
****m

Country with the highest number of Indian migrants
USA

Remittance as a share of Indian GDP
***%

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Current statistics on this topic

Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

Share of departures of Indian nationals 2022, by purpose

Migration

Number of Indians renouncing citizenship India 2011-2024

USA

U.S. employment-based visas issued to Indians in 2023

Overview

Migrant population worldwide 2020, by country of origin
Migrant population worldwide 2020, by country of origin
Countries with the highest number of emigrants among migrant stock worldwide in 2020 (in 1,000s)
Countries with highest number of Indian migrants 2025
Countries with highest number of Indian migrants 2025
Countries with highest number of Indian migrants as of 2025 (in millions)
Share of emigrants and immigrants in India 1995-2020
Share of emigrants and immigrants in India 1995-2020
Share of emigrants and immigrants in India from 1995 to 2020
Number of overseas Indians 2025, by type
Number of overseas Indians 2025, by type
Number of overseas Indians in across the world as of January 2025, by type (in 1,000s)
Number of Indians renouncing citizenship India 2011-2024
Number of Indians renouncing citizenship India 2011-2024
Number of people renouncing Indian citizenship from 2011 to 2024 (in millions)
Share of Indians granted first EU residence permits 2023, by purpose
Share of Indians granted first EU residence permits 2023, by purpose
Share of Indian citizens granted first-time residence permits in the European Union in 2023, by purpose

Residency status

Number of Indian passports issued abroad 2014-2025
Number of Indian passports issued abroad 2014-2025
Number of Indian passports issued abroad from 2014 to 2025 (in millions)
Number of Indian nationals with permanent residency in the U.S. 2011-2023
Number of Indian nationals with permanent residency in the U.S. 2011-2023
Number of Indian nationals who received permanent residency in the U.S. from 2011 to 2023 (in 1,000s)
Immigrants receiving citizenship in the U.S. FY 2024, by selected origin countries
Immigrants receiving citizenship in the U.S. FY 2024, by selected origin countries
Number of immigrants naturalized in the United States in fiscal year 2024, by leading countries of birth
Number of Indian nationals who got permanent residency in Canada 1996-2018
Number of Indian nationals who got permanent residency in Canada 1996-2018
Number of Indian nationals who got permanent residency in Canada from 1996 to 2018
Number of Indian nationals with permanent residency in Australia 2011-2023
Number of Indian nationals with permanent residency in Australia 2011-2023
Number of Indian nationals who got permanent residency in Australia from 2011 to 2023 (in 1,000s)
EU countries with most number of first residence permit grants to Indians 2024
EU countries with most number of first residence permit grants to Indians 2024
European Union (EU) countries with a high number of first residence permit grants to Indian citizens in 2024
Share of immigrants in South Africa 2001-2022, by population group
Share of immigrants in South Africa 2001-2022, by population group
Percentage distribution of immigrants in South Africa from 2001, 2011, and 2022, by population group

Work emigration

Labor migration outflow from APAC 2024, by country
Labor migration outflow from APAC 2024, by country
Labor migration outflow from the Asia-Pacific region in 2024, by country (in 1,000s)
Number of work emigrants India 2020-2022
Number of work emigrants India 2020-2022
Number of Indian work emigrants from 2020 to 2022 (in million)
Number of emigration clearances via e-Migrate India 2014-2024
Number of emigration clearances via e-Migrate India 2014-2024
Number of emigration clearances (EC) approved via e-Migrate in India from 2014 to 2024 (in 1,000s)
U.S. employment-based visas issued to Indians in 2023
U.S. employment-based visas issued to Indians in 2023
Number of U.S. employment-based (EB) visas issued to Indians in 2023 (in 1,000s)
Top 10 origin countries of TFWP permit holders in Canada 2023
Top 10 origin countries of TFWP permit holders in Canada 2023
Top ten origin countries of Temporary Foreign Worker Program permit holders in Canada in 2023
Number of work visas granted in the UK 2024, by nationality
Number of work visas granted in the UK 2024, by nationality
Number of work visas granted in the United Kingdom in 2024, by leading nationalities

Student emigration

Number of Indian students emigrated abroad 2016-2025
Number of Indian students emigrated abroad 2016-2025
Number of Indian students emigrated abroad from 2016 to 2025 (in 1,000s)
Indian students' spending on higher education abroad in 2023, by country
Indian students' spending on higher education abroad in 2023, by country
Indian students' expenditure on higher education abroad in 2023, by country (in billion U.S. dollars)
Indian students studying abroad 2025, by country of destination
Indian students studying abroad 2025, by country of destination
Leading countries of destination of Indian students pursuing higher education abroad in 2025, by country of destination (in 1,000s)
Number of study visas granted in the UK 2025, by nationality
Number of study visas granted in the UK 2025, by nationality
Number of study visas granted in the United Kingdom in 2025, by leading nationalities
Number of international students studying in Russia 2022, by origin
Number of international students studying in Russia 2022, by origin
Number of inbound internationally mobile students in Russia in 2022, by country of origin (in 1,000s)
F1 student visa issuance by the U.S. for India 2014-2023
F1 student visa issuance by the U.S. for India 2014-2023
Number of F1 student visa issued by the United States of America for India from fiscal year 2017 to 2024 (in 1,000s)

Remittances

Top 50 highest remittance receiving countries in the world in 2025
Top 50 highest remittance receiving countries in the world in 2025
Largest remittance countries worldwide in 2025, by value of remittance inflow towards said country (in billion U.S. dollars)
Top 50 highest remittance sending countries in the world in 2023
Top 50 highest remittance sending countries in the world in 2023
Largest remittance countries worldwide in 2023, by estimated value of remittance outflow sent away from said country (in billion U.S. dollars)
Personal remittances received as share of GDP APAC 2023, by country
Personal remittances received as share of GDP APAC 2023, by country
Personal remittances received as share of the gross domestic product (GDP) in the Asia-Pacific region in 2023, by country or territory
Quarterly transaction speed of remittances toward India 2016-2024
Quarterly transaction speed of remittances toward India 2016-2024
Transaction speed for traditional and digital remittances to India coming from any other country from 2nd quarter 2016 to 3rd quarter 2024 (in hours)
Quarterly market share of digital remittances from the U.S. to India 2016-2025
Quarterly market share of digital remittances from the U.S. to India 2016-2025
Share of digitally initiated remittances in the United States and India corridor from 2nd quarter 2016 to 3rd quarter 2025
Share of foreign inward remittances from GCC to India FY 2022
Share of foreign inward remittances from GCC to India FY 2022
Foreign inward remittances from GCC to India as a share of total remittances in financial year 2022

Number of overseas Indians
****m

Country with the highest number of Indian migrants
USA

Remittance as a share of Indian GDP
***%

Key figures

The most important key figures provide you with a compact summary of the topic of "Indian diaspora" and take you straight to the corresponding statistics.

- Leading Indian-origin leader on HSBC Hurun Global Indian List
- Satya Nadella (CEO, Microsoft)
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Detailed statistics
Leading CEOs on Hurun Global Indian List 2024, by company value
- Richest non-resident Indian
- Gopichand Hinduja
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Detailed statistics
The richest non-resident Indians 2025
- Revenue of Priyanka Chopra's Anomaly Hair Care brand
- **m USD
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Detailed statistics
Leading celebrity beauty brands worldwide 2024, by revenue

- Australia
- ***k
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Detailed statistics
Number of overseas Indians in Australia 2024, by type
- Germany
- *****k
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Detailed statistics
Number of overseas Indians in Germany 2024, by type
- Singapore
- *****k
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Detailed statistics
Number of overseas Indians in Singapore 2025, by type