Top 10 countries with the highest Indian overseas population

You don’t have to look far to see India’s imprint across the globe, it’s in the corner grocery in Toronto, the heart of a tech firm in Berlin, a bustling Dubai metro, or even on a New York Times byline. The Indian diaspora isn’t just massive in number; they have easily mixed in the fabric of the country they decide to live in.

Today, more people live outside their birth country than ever before. But among the world’s 281 million international migrants, Indians form the largest single group with nearly 18 million born in India now living elsewhere, according to the UN World Migration Report 2024. Expand that lens to include those of Indian origin, and the number swells to over 35 million. But where are most of the Indians moving, based on the opportunities a particular country provides?

The figures are based on data from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs website.

Disclaimer: Population figures are based on the latest available estimates and may vary depending on data sources and reporting methods. Rankings are for informational purposes only and may change over time.

With over 5.4 million Indians, the US tops the list due to insane opportunities in the competitive tech and healthcare sectors. Further, world‑class universities and a points‑based immigration system that favors skilled professionals. Neighborhoods like Edison (NJ), Jackson Heights (NY), and Artesia (CA) are often dubbed “Little Indias” and are lined with hundreds of Indian restaurants, grocery stores, and cultural centers.

With 3.57 million Indians, the UAE is the largest Indian expatriate market. Tax‑free salaries in construction, hospitality, and finance attract blue‑ and white‑collar workers; over 70 percent of Dubai’s labor force is Indian.

India’s second‑largest diaspora in Southeast Asia at 2.91 million stems from colonial‑era indentured laborers in the 19th-century sugar and rubber plantations. But today, they make up about 9% of Malaysia's overall population and have respectable jobs and raise a family.

Canada has about 2.88 million Indians living overseas. Major hubs like Toronto (over 700,000 Indians) and Vancouver boast Punjabi markets, gurdwaras, and Bollywood film festivals.

Nearly 2.46 million Indians work in Saudi Arabia, and this number is ever-increasing. The number surged by 200,000 in 2023–24, reflecting a sharp rise in demand across booming sectors like construction, infrastructure, and services. At the same time, the presence of Indian businesses has expanded, with over 3,000 registered Indian firms now operating in the Kingdom, signalling deeper economic ties between the two nations.

Home to 1.86 million people of Indian origin, the UK’s diaspora dates to the 1950s labor shortage s post World War II, followed by family‑reunion waves in the 1970s. Over 40 percent live in London boroughs, Leicester, and Birmingham, fueling local economies via small businesses and professionals in finance and medicine. Indian students (over 30,000 annually) attend top universities on Tier 4 visas.

Approximately 1.7 million Indians in South Africa are largely descendants of 19th-century indentured laborers brought to Natal’s sugar plantations. Modern migrants include doctors and IT professionals drawn by English‑medium education and emerging fintech hubs in Cape Town. Indian‑owned businesses dominate local retail in Durban, while annual budgets for Tamil and Gujarati language schooling exceed $10 million.

With 1.61 million Indians, Sri Lanka’s diaspora combines plantation‑era Tamil workers and modern contract employees in the tea, tourism, and IT sectors. Shared Tamil and Sinhala cultural history also helps in the smooth transition from one country to another. On the other hand, Colombo’s burgeoning finance zone attracts Indian fintech specialists.

Kuwait hosts roughly 995,000 Indians—over 20 percent of its population—working in oil fields, construction, hospitals, and household sectors.

Australia’s 976,000 Indians thrive under a points‑based Skilled Migration program that values qualifications and English proficiency. Over 120,000 Indian students enroll yearly, mainly in engineering and IT, contributing $5 billion in tuition fees. Cities like Melbourne and Sydney have active Indian chambers of commerce, yoga studios, and Diwali street fairs.