The number of Indians travelling abroad for studies declined by 15 per cent in 2024 as countries worldwide tightened their visa regulations.

As per a reply by Sukanta Majumdar, Minister of State in the Education ministry, in the Lok Sabha on Monday, 7,59,064 students went abroad for studies, according to information provided by the Bureau of Immigration (BoI). While this is a dip from 8,92,989 students in 2023, the number of students travelling overseas for education is marginally higher compared to 2022, when it was 7,50,365.

The data pertains to the number of Indians who disclosed their purpose of visit as “Study/Education” while going abroad. The data from BoI for prior years, as per information shared in Lok Sabha earlier, shows that the 2024 tally is higher than in the pre-pandemic days of 2019, when 5,86,337 students went abroad for studies.

Interestingly, the top destinations that registered biggest decline (in percentage terms) are Canada, US, and UK, all of whom have tightened Visa regulations for immigrants. In the backdrop of worsening diplomatic relations with Canada in 2024, the country had become stricter on student visa regulations. This had led to increased visa rejections and more scrutiny on applications.

Indian students travelling to Canada dipped 41 per cent; the UK saw a 27 per cent decrease, and 13 per cent fewer students travelled to the US for their studies in 2024. Australia also saw a 12 per cent decline. At 2,04,058, the US welcomed the maximum number of Indian students in 2024. Canada had the second-highest at 1,37,608. China is another country that saw a decline as 7,279 students travelled there in 2023 while only 4,978 went in 2024.

Interestingly, Germany, Bangladesh, Russia, and Ireland were among the top countries that saw biggest jump in Indian students travelling for studies at 49 per cent, 44 per cent, 34 per cent and 30 per cent increase respectively. At 34,702 there was a 49 per cent jump in Indians going to Germany for their studies. 31,444 students went to Russia for studies in 2024 compared to 23,503 in 2023. France, Philippines, and Uzbekistan are other countries that saw an increase in 2024.

“The dip in numbers for the US, and the UK are expected; largely driven by a shift in government and the impact of elections. Canada’s larger geopolitical tension with India with it putting caps on immigration always signaled a fall off this year,” Akshay Chaturvedi, Founder & CEO of study abroad platform firm Leverage Edu, said. “Germany has undoubtedly been a dominant force in attracting international students over the past 12-18 months, driven by its strong economy, tuition-free education, and thriving STEM ecosystem,” he added.

While countries like Germany have sustained their numbers for a long period, we are yet to see for how long these destinations can support exponential growth and how well their infrastructures are set up to support international students, Chaturvedi said.

Published on March 11, 2025