MigrantoImmigrants in India
4.3M foreign-born residents — the #15 largest immigrant population in the world
Where immigrants come from
The top 3 countries account for 86% of all immigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| 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
Asia is the leading region of origin at 98%
4.3M
38.7K
19.3K
9.8K
8.8K
1.9K
Ask Migo
Tap a question — our AI assistant answers it in chat, with real migration data
Interesting facts
Notable statistics about immigration in India.
Bangladesh is the leading source of immigration by a wide margin
Bangladesh accounts for 53% of all immigrants, far ahead of the second-largest source at just 18%.
India is a primary destination for emigrants from Brunei
India attracts 47% of all emigrants from Brunei, making it the leading destination for those leaving the country.
Myanmar is the fastest-growing major source
Immigration from Myanmar has increased by 81% since 2015, rising from 73.3K to 132.6K in 9 years.
How immigration changed over time
Total immigrant population by year
| Year | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 7094812 |
| 1995 | 6709048 |
| 2000 | 6284042 |
| 2005 | 5655989 |
| 2010 | 5156402 |
| 2015 | 4834887 |
| 2020 | 4514143 |
| 2024 | 4346401 |
Top sources over time
Immigration from the 5 largest source countries
| Year | Bangladesh | Pakistan | Nepal | Sri Lanka | Myanmar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 origins
How immigration from each country has changed since the selected year
India as a destination, by diaspora
Share of each country's emigrants who settled in India
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many immigrants live in India?
Around 4.3M foreign-born residents live in India, making it the #15-largest immigrant population in the world.
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 foreign-born residents.
What share 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.
How has immigration to India changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the immigrant population in India has fallen from 4.8M to 4.3M people, a decline of about 10%.
Where to live?
Match a country to your priorities
Explore other countries
See where people move around the world