In 2020, India stood out as the country with the largest number of its citizens living abroad, according to the United Nations’ World Migration Report 2022. The data revealed that just under 17.9 million individuals who were born in India were residing overseas in the middle of that year. Mexico and Russia, both countries with substantial populations, secured the second and third positions, with 11.2 million and 10.8 million expatriates, respectively.
Diverse Motivations for Indian Migration Abroad
Indians migrate to foreign countries for diverse reasons, such as better economic opportunities, high-quality education, improved living standards, reuniting with family members abroad, escaping political instability, retirement in favourable locations, pursuing entrepreneurial ventures, experiencing cultural diversity, participating in programs like the H-1B visa in the USA, and maintaining connections with the global Indian diaspora. These motivations for migration can be complex, and government policies in both India and host countries play a role in shaping migration patterns.
The data chart visually depicts how India surpassed Mexico and Russia between 2000 and 2020, experiencing a remarkable increase of 10 million more Indian citizens living abroad compared to two decades ago.
Indian Migration Trends: Top Destinations and Global Impact
The report further highlights that Indians predominantly choose to migrate to neighbouring Gulf nations. The United Arab Emirates emerges as the top destination, hosting 3,471,300 Indian migrants in 2020, primarily due to employment opportunities. Saudi Arabia secured the third position, with 2,502,337 Indian migrants. However, the United States continued to attract millions of Indian expatriates, securing the second position with 2,723,764 Indian residents.
On a global scale, there was a total of 281 million international migrants recorded in 2020, marking a significant increase from 173 million in 2000 and 221 million in 2010. This figure represented an average of approximately 3.6 percent of the global population living outside their country of origin.
This information was originally presented in an infographic on Statista.
