Premium

Over 7.6 lakh Indians went abroad for higher studies in 2024: Govt

As per the official figures, over 2.6 lakh students went abroad for studies in 2020, which increased to 4.45 lakh in 2021, 7.52 lakh in 2022, and peaked at nearly 8.95 lakh in 2023, before slightly declining to 7.6 lakh in 2024.

There is a constant increase in the number of Indians students studying abroad. (Image: MetaAI/ representative)

More than 7.6 lakh Indians went abroad for higher studies in 2024, according to data shared by the Bureau of Immigration (BoI). Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar informed the Lok Sabha on Monday while replying to a question by MP PC Mohan. He clarified that the Education Ministry does not maintain direct records of students going overseas, but BoI figures indicate a slight decline compared to 2023.

As per the official figures, over 2.6 lakh students went abroad for studies in 2020, which increased to 4.45 lakh in 2021, 7.52 lakh in 2022, and peaked at nearly 8.95 lakh in 2023, before slightly declining to 7.6 lakh in 2024.

Year	Number of Students
2020	260,363
2021	445,582
2022	752,111
2023	894,783
2024	760,073

The government said several steps have been taken to ease student mobility, including facilitating visa processing, academic recognition and migration through agreements on Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQs) and Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreements with other countries.

Story continues below this ad

To support students overseas, the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) has been set up in Indian Missions and Posts abroad. The fund provides on-site welfare assistance on a means-tested basis and covers contingency expenses incurred by Indian citizens, including students.

Read | From Harvard University to MIT: Free Data Science courses you can apply

The government has also encouraged students to register with Indian Missions and the MADAD portal to ensure their grievances are addressed in a timely manner.

Moreover, among Indian states/ cities, Chandigarh sent more students abroad per capita between 2016 and 2021. For every 1 lakh residents, over 10,000 held a student visa — meaning nearly one in 10 people left to study overseas.

By absolute numbers, Andhra Pradesh leads, followed by Maharashtra, Punjab and Gujarat. But once adjusted for population, smaller regions stand out.

Which Indian state sends the most students abroad? It’s not #Punjab or Delhi.

Between 2016 and 2021, more people from #Chandigarh went abroad to study than any other part of #India — when adjusted for population.

For every 1 lakh residents, over 10,000 held a student visa.… pic.twitter.com/dffAWkIGxa

— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) July 9, 2025

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Story continues below this ad

After Chandigarh, the highest ratios are seen in Punjab (869 per lakh), Delhi (851), Andhra Pradesh (524) and Kerala (331).

Tags:
study abroad

Nepal Army chief steps in, ex-Chief Justice agrees to be interim head

World6 hr ago

General Ashok Raj Sigdel successfully convinced former Chief Justice Sushila Karki to become the interim Chief Executive after violent protests led to the fall of the K P Sharma Oli government. He held talks with various groups and proposed an interim government to restore peace. Karki, with the support of the Nepal Army, will work towards delivering a new Constitution.

View all shorts

Live Blog