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US remains top destination for Indian migrants, data shows
Canada also saw strong growth as North America's share of India's diaspora expanded.
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Ankita Baidya - Mon, 06, Jul 2026
- 04:05 EDT
- 79
Representative image / X/@USISPForum
The United States remains the world's leading destination for Indian-born migrants, with an estimated 3.17 million people of Indian origin living in the country in 2024, according to data compiled by Data For India using figures from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA).
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Canada ranked second in North America, with approximately 1.02 million Indian-born residents. Together, the two countries account for a significant share of the estimated 18.5 million Indian migrants worldwide, reflecting North America's growing importance as a destination for the Indian diaspora.
The data shows a sharp increase over the past three decades. In 1990, the United States was home to 444,698 Indian-born migrants, while Canada had 162,668. By 2024, those figures had grown more than sevenfold and sixfold, respectively, highlighting a long-term shift toward North America alongside traditional migration destinations in West Asia.
According to Data For India, one in four Indian migrants now lives in North America. West Asia, however, remains the largest regional destination, with countries including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait collectively accounting for about half of the global Indian migrant population.
India has the world's largest emigrant population, accounting for 6% of all international migrants globally as of 2024.
— Data For India (@dataforin) July 3, 2026
According to the United Nations, an international migrant is someone who has moved across an international border and changed their usual place of residence,… pic.twitter.com/l5WWcFOa3h
Using the UN definition of an international migrant, someone who has changed their country of usual residence for at least 12 months, India continues to have the world's largest emigrant population, representing about 6 percent of all international migrants in 2024.
The data also reflects the continuing demographic impact of the 1947 Partition. The number of Indian-born residents in Pakistan has declined from 2.82 million in 1990 to 1.6 million in 2024, reducing Pakistan's share of India's global migrant population to less than one-tenth.
Outside North America, the United Kingdom remains another major destination with 1.04 million Indian-born residents, while Australia hosts 876,074, underscoring continued growth of the Indian diaspora across Europe and Oceania.
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