Indian migration to OECD countries increases by 172%

The 'International Migration Outlook 2023' states that India experienced the highest migration flows to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in 2021 and 2022.

500k Indians moved to OECD countries

It has surpassed China as the primary country of origin of new migrants to OECD countries in 2020. In 2021, India, with its 0.41 million new migrants, retained its position as the top country of origin for the second consecutive year.

China followed with 0.23 million new migrants, and Romania with around 200,000 new migrants. Despite a recent drop of 15% compared to 2019, India has been the main origin country of new citizens in OECD countries since 2019.

The report also highlighted that policy responses to displacement directly and indirectly impacted by climate change have been gaining interest from policy makers and the international community in recent years. For instance, Colombia’s Congress began discussing a bill to recognise climate-induced displacement in April 2023.

Indian migration to OECD countries increases

In terms of nationalities, 0.13 million Indian citizens acquired the nationality of an OECD country in 2021, mostly in the United States, Australia, and Canada. Migration flows from India (+172%), Uzbekistan (+122%), and Turkey (+240%) rose sharply, making them primary countries of origin after Ukraine.

The Ukrainian crisis has led to significant displacement, with approximately 4.7 million Ukrainians finding refuge in OECD-member countries as of June 2023. The majority of these refugees have been hosted by Germany, Poland, and the United States.

In terms of international students, OECD-member countries continue to see a steady influx, primarily from China and India. In 2021, these countries had 43 lakh international students enrolled, with China leading with 8.9 lakh students and India following with 4.2 lakh students - a figure that remained relatively unchanged from 2020. Vietnam ranked third with 1.3 lakh students.

The United States hosted the largest share of international students in the OECD, accommodating 8 lakh students or one-fifth of the total. The UK followed with 14% (or 6 lakh) of all international students, and Australia hosted 9% with nearly 3.8 lakh international students.

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