Bengaluru:After a COVID-induced dip, the number of Indian students studying abroad has again increased with the Ministry of External Affairs informing the Parliament that a total of 13,35,878 (about 13.36 lakh) students are pursuing their higher education abroad in 2024.
This was increased by about 1.2 per cent from last year’s 13,18,955 (13.19 lakh), the data showed.
| Country | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Canada | 218520 | 179480 | 216360 | 318380 | 427085 | 427000 |
| USA | 193124 | 167582 | 199182 | 268923 | 351106 | 337630 |
| UK | 58780 | 90300 | 136700 | 12000 | NA | 185000 |
| Australia | 115094 | 115137 | 97613 | 96000 | 124829 | 122202 |
| Germany | 29872 | 35147 | 41486 | 66118 | 24474 | 42997 |
| Russia | 12500 | 14370 | 16984 | 21511 | 25278 | 24940 |
| China | 15207 | 2950 | 11636 | 3213 | 7858 | 8580 |
Key Points:
- Canada, the US, the UK, Australia, and Germany remain the top five destinations for higher studies.
- Despite all the controversies, Canada remains the top destination for Indian students with around 4.27 lakh students studying in this North American country.
- The US is the second most preferred country for Indian students with around 3.37 lakh students opting for this country.
- About 1.85 lakh students study in the UK, while around 1.22 lakh students have opted for Australia for higher studies.
- Germany as a destination has seen the maximum growth rate in students’ interest in 2024 with 42,997 students going to various educational institutions in this European nation.
- While 24,940 students have gone to Russia, Ukraine has seen the maximum drop in Indian students on the back of ongoing war with Russia.
- China has seen about 8,580 students opting for the country in 2024, indicating rising interest among students in the post pandemic era.