Which countries are home to the largest number of Indian migrants?

Indian migrants are spread across the world, with several countries emerging as major destinations. (AI-generated image) For millions of Indians, moving abroad has meant building a career, starting a business, joining family or simply looking for a different life. But where do Indians who leave the country actually settle?The latest United Nations estimates offer a snapshot of where people born in India were living in 2024. According to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) International Migrant Stock 2024, around 18.5 million people born in India were living outside the country. The data, analysed by Our World in Data, shows which countries have the largest populations of Indian-born migrants.Countries with the largest populations of Indian migrantsAs of the available data from 2024, the United Arab Emirates tops the list, with about 3.2 million people born in India living there. That accounts for roughly 17.5% of Indians living abroad. The United States follows closely, also with about 3.2 million Indian-born residents, representing around 17.1% of the total.The large Indian populations in the two countries reflect very different migration patterns. The Gulf ...