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More than 2 lakh Indians gave up citizenship in 2024
Data tabled in Parliament shows citizenship renunciations fell slightly in 2024 after record highs in 2022 and 2023.
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Pranavi Sharma - Sun, 10, Aug 2025
- 22:56 EDT
- 34
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Stock image. / istock
Around 2.06 lakh Indians renounced citizenship in 2024, down from 2.16 lakh in 2023, the Ministry of External Affairs told Parliament. The data was shared in response to a query by Congress MP K C Venugopal in the Lok Sabha on Aug.8.
Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said 2,06,378 people gave up Indian citizenship last year, compared with 2,16,219 in 2023 and 2,25,620 in 2022. The figure was 1,63,370 in 2021 and 85,256 in 2020. He also provided older reference data, noting that the numbers stood at 1,22,819 in 2011 and 1,20,923 in 2012.
ALSO READ: YOUR 2023 DATA STORY HERE
The list of countries whose citizenship these individuals acquired was placed in the parliamentary record as an annexure.
When asked if the government had conducted any study to determine the reasons behind such renunciations, Singh said the decision to take up foreign citizenship was personal and “known only to the individual”.
He added, “The Government recognizes the potential of the global workplace in an era of knowledge economy. It has also brought about a transformational change in its engagement with Indian diaspora.”
“The Government’s efforts are aimed at harnessing the diaspora potential to its fullest, including through sharing of knowledge and expertise,” Singh said. He also described a “successful, prosperous, and influential diaspora” as an asset for India.
The ministry did not outline any specific new measures aimed at reducing citizenship renunciations, including among younger generations.
World Population Review 2025 shows that the United States, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Canada remain the top choices for Indians settling abroad. The US has an estimated 5.4 million people of Indian origin, followed by the UAE with 3.5–4.4 million, Malaysia with about 2.9 million, and 2.8 million in Canada.
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