International migration from India
Indians now make up the largest group of emigrants in the world, but their destination countries have changed significantly over time
India has the world's largest emigrant population, with over 18.5 million people of Indian origin living overseas in 2024.[1] Indian emigrants account for 6% of all international migrants globally.
Who is a migrant?
According to the United Nations, a person is considered an international migrant if they moved across an international border to another country, and changed their usual place of residence. Typically they must have lived there continuously for at least 12 months to qualify as a migrant.
The international migrant stock, as measured by the UN, refers to the total number of international migrants in a country at a given time, based on either their country of birth or citizenship, depending on the available data and country data conventions.
Historical migration in South Asia
A significant portion of India's out-migrant population is the historical legacy of the Partition of 1947, and Indian-origin people living in Pakistan accounted for the largest share of Indian out-migrants until the mid-2000s. However, as the Partition generation ages and dies out, this number has been declining. Pakistan is still home to 1.6 million Indian-born individuals, making up nearly 9% of all Indians living abroad in 2024.
Rise in international migration over time
Between 1990 and 2024, the number of Indian emigrants tripled from 6.5 million to 18.5 million. Their share among global out-migrants has increased from 4% to 6%.
Indian emigration remains concentrated within Asia, particularly in West Asia, where half of all Indian emigrants live. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, consisting of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, host nearly half of all Indian out-migrants.
One-quarter of Indian out-migrants live in North America, a share that has grown over time, as has migration to Australia and New Zealand. Meanwhile, although more Indians have moved to Europe in absolute numbers, its share of total Indian migrants has declined.
Top destination countries
Nearly nine out of ten Indians living abroad reside in just 10 countries, including Pakistan.
In 1990, Saudi Arabia had the highest number of Indian-born migrants, apart from Pakistan. By 2024, the UAE and the USA were the top destinations, each hosting 17% of Indian emigrants.
As a result of this massive movement of Indians to West Asia, Indians now make up nearly 40% of all immigrants in the country, and account for a third of the country's population. Indians now make up a quarter of the population of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait as well.
Indian migrants also form a growing share of the immigrant population in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the USA. They are the largest migrant group in Canada, and the second-largest immigrant group in the USA after Mexicans.
Gender composition
In 2024, over one in three migrants from India were women. Their numbers increased from 2.6 million in 1990 to 6.6 million in 2024.
Migration patterns differ significantly by gender. While men primarily migrate to GCC countries, women are more likely to move to the USA. In 2024, nearly one-quarter of Indian migrant women lived in the USA.
Unlike in the GCC countries, where male Indian out-migrants far outnumber women, the number of Indian-origin men and women in the USA and UK is nearly equal.
Data on immigration
India does not maintain official data on its emigrant population. Instead, estimates are taken from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), which compiles data from destination countries.
Most of UN-DESA's data for estimating international migrant numbers comes from the population censuses of destination countries, along with population registers and surveys.
In about 80% of the countries where the UN-DESA compiles international migrant stock data - including most of Europe, the Americas, and Oceania - migrants are identified as foreign-born individuals.
In countries where birth data is unavailable, citizenship is used to define migrants. This includes GCC nations like the UAE and Saudi Arabia, as well as India, among others. This means that the children of Indian immigrants in these countries are also counted as migrants even though they have never lived in India, since citizenship is determined by their parents' nationality.[2] In contrast, countries like the USA, Canada, and the UK determine migrant stock by place of birth, so children born there to migrant parents are not classified as migrants.
On the other hand, an Indian-born person who becomes a citizen of the USA, Canada or the UK is still included in the migrant stock. However, in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, if they are naturalised, they would no longer be counted as part of the migrant stock.
[1] UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs
[2] Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries follow the jus sanguinis legal system of granting citizenship, meaning "right of blood," where a child's citizenship is determined by their parents' nationality. Whereas, countries like Canada follow jus soli or "right of soil," granting citizenship to anyone born on their land.
