US, UAE and Canada host the largest overseas Indian communities, while the share of NRIs has risen steadily in recent years
The number of Indians living outside the country has risen sharply over the past 14 years, reaching about 37.3 million in January 2026, according to an analysis based on data from India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The figure represents a roughly 70 per cent increase from the 2012 level.
The MEA data combine Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) living across nearly 200 countries and territories. The total stood at around 21.9 million in May 2012, rising to 28.5 million by 2015 and 31 million by 2018. It reached 34.4 million in January 2025 before climbing further last year. Dataful Insights
The growth, however, has not been evenly distributed. The United States, the UAE and Canada now have the largest overseas Indian populations, with about 6.08 million, 4.34 million and 3.25 million Indians respectively. The top 10 countries together account for more than 72 per cent of the global Indian diaspora. Dataful Insights
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The UAE has recorded particularly strong growth, with its Indian population increasing from about 1.75 million in 2012 to more than 4.3 million in 2026
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Canada has also seen rapid expansion, while the Indian population in Saudi Arabia has remained comparatively stable
The composition of the diaspora has also changed. NRIs accounted for about 46 per cent of Indians abroad in 2012. By January 2026, their share had risen to 47.6 per cent, with PIOs accounting for the remaining 52.4 per cent. Changes in citizenship and classification have contributed to some of the shifts.
The Gulf remains central to India’s overseas population. The six Gulf countries together account for nearly 10 million Indians, representing about 27 per cent of the global diaspora and more than half of the NRI population. Dataful Insights
