MigrantoMigration trends in India
Asia
18.5M people from India have built lives abroad. That's 1.3% of the country population, spread across 124 different countries
1.5B
Population
4.3M
Immigrants
18.5M
Emigrants
−14.2M
Outflow
The #1 largest source of emigrants worldwide
Despite emigrants making up just 1.3% of those born in India
Top corridors
The largest migration routes in India
Key moments
How migration has changed since 1990
1990
7.1M immigrants · 6.6M emigrants
1995
- Became the biggest country by emigrants in Asia
- The country became a place of departure — more people leaving than arriving
2000
- The outflow deepened — net losses doubled to 1.5M
2010
- UAE replaced Pakistan as the main destination for those leaving
- Slipped out of the world's 10 biggest immigrant destinations
- Surge of departures to Qatar — 330.8K people left
- Surge of departures to Australia — 177.7K people left
2015
- Surge of departures to Oman — 360.4K people left
- The diaspora abroad passed 15M people
Today
- Since 1990: 2.7M fewer foreign-born residents and 12M more citizens living abroad
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
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