MigrantoImmigrants in India
4.3M foreigners live in India — 0% of the country's population
Immigrants in India by country
The 3 largest groups make up 86% of all immigrants
| Country | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| Bangladesh | 2293959 |
| Pakistan | 768138 |
| Nepal | 663518 |
| Sri Lanka | 253869 |
| Myanmar | 132598 |
| China | 88321 |
| Brunei | 21878 |
| UAE | 19941 |
| Afghanistan | 17646 |
| USA | 16671 |
| Malaysia | 11283 |
| Saudi Arabia | 10381 |
| Kuwait | 7034 |
| Bhutan | 6555 |
| United Kingdom | 5693 |
| Singapore | 5575 |
| South Africa | 3709 |
| Canada | 2590 |
| Kenya | 2078 |
| Iran | 1810 |
| Australia | 1769 |
| Germany | 1366 |
| Somalia | 892 |
| France | 888 |
| Sudan | 811 |
| Japan | 802 |
| Indonesia | 780 |
| Nigeria | 720 |
| Uganda | 718 |
| Yemen | 665 |
| Iraq | 656 |
| Russia | 640 |
| Maldives | 574 |
| Vietnam | 520 |
| Cameroon | 236 |
| DR Congo | 234 |
| Zambia | 221 |
| Mauritius | 172 |
| Ireland | 155 |
| Fiji | 108 |
| Portugal | 91 |
| Kazakhstan | 78 |
| Turkey | 58 |
By region of origin
98% of immigrants come from Asia
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Key facts
Immigrants in India in numbers
Bangladeshis are the largest group by a wide margin
53% of all immigrants were born in Bangladesh, while the next group accounts for just 18%.
47% of all emigrants from Brunei live in India
No other country has more people born in Brunei.
People born in Myanmar are the fastest-growing group
The number of people born in Myanmar living in India has grown 81% since 2015, from 73.3K to 132.6K.
Immigrant population in India over time
Foreigners living in India, by year
| Year | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 7094812 |
| 1995 | 6709048 |
| 2000 | 6284042 |
| 2005 | 5655989 |
| 2010 | 5156402 |
| 2015 | 4834887 |
| 2020 | 4514143 |
| 2024 | 4346401 |
Largest groups over time
The 5 largest groups in India, by year
| Year | Bangladeshis | Pakistanis | Nepalis | Sri Lankans | Burmese |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 4061412 | 1826106 | 479544 | 457662 | 81566 |
| 1995 | 3962322 | 1553996 | 543728 | 287440 | 70359 |
| 2000 | 3750017 | 1331798 | 628223 | 253567 | 61700 |
| 2005 | 3270309 | 1120825 | 709768 | 243750 | 61009 |
| 2010 | 2801919 | 940336 | 794073 | 267883 | 66524 |
| 2015 | 2604674 | 873404 | 746906 | 248749 | 73259 |
| 2020 | 2429312 | 814599 | 696618 | 248065 | 63898 |
| 2024 | 2293959 | 768138 | 663518 | 253869 | 132598 |
Fastest-changing groups
How each group's numbers have changed since the selected year
Share of each diaspora living in India
Of each group's emigrants worldwide, the share who live in India
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many foreigners live in India?
Around 4.3M immigrants live in India — the world's #15 largest immigrant population.
What percentage of the population of India are immigrants?
Immigrants make up around 0% of the population of India — that's 4.3M out of a total population of 1.5B.
Where do most immigrants in India come from?
Most immigrants in India come from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal — these three countries account for about 86% of all immigrants.
How many Bangladeshis live in India?
Around 2.3M Bangladeshis live in India — about 53% of all immigrants, the largest group.
Is the immigrant population in India growing?
No — over the past decade, the number of immigrants in India has fallen from 4.8M to 4.3M, about 10%.
Where does the data on immigrants in India come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born abroad who now live in India. Their children born in India are not included.
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Living in India
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