In 2024, the number of Indians studying abroad decreased by 15%, with significant declines in Canada, the UK, and the US, while Russia, Germany, and Uzbekistan became more popular.
Indian students heading abroad for higher education have dropped sharply in 2024, with Canada, the UK, and the US seeing the biggest declines. Data from the Bureau of Immigration shows a 27% drop in Indian students travelling to these three countries for education in 2024. Stricter visa rules, higher financial demands, more rejections, and diplomatic issues likely caused this decline. Meanwhile, alternative destinations like Russia, Germany, and Uzbekistan are witnessing an uptick.
Data indicates that the total number of Indians studying in Canada, the UK, and the US decreased by 164,370 within a single year. Canada experienced a decline of 41%, with numbers dropping from 233,532 in 2023 to 137,608 in 2024, marking it as the most affected destination. Additionally, the UK and the US noted considerable declines of 27% and 13%, respectively.
This sharp decrease was a factor in the total 15% reduction in the number of Indians studying abroad, which fell from 892,989 in 2023 to 759,064 in 202 following year.
DIPLOMATIC TENSIONS AND STRICTER POLICIES AFFECT CANADA
The significant decline in the number of Indian students opting for Canada aligns with increasing diplomatic tensions between Ottawa and Delhi. In September 2023, the situation intensified when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that India was involved in the murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
In reaction, India removed security measures for Canadian diplomats, which resulted in Canada recalling 41 of its diplomats from India.
In the midst of this tension, Canada strengthened its visa and student permit regulations. Stricter regulations have been introduced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which empower authorities to cancel study and work permits under specific conditions.
UK RULES LIMIT STUDENTS BRINGING FAMILY
In 2023, the UK government declared that starting January 2024, international students (excluding those in postgraduate research or government-funded programmes) would not be permitted to bring family members.
This probably dissuaded numerous Indian students, resulting in a 27% decline in those opting for the UK for higher education.
SHIFT TO OTHER COUNTRIES
Although the usual favorites experienced drops, a number of new destinations became more popular with Indian students.
In 2024, Germany registered an increase of 34,702 Indian students. The number of students in Uzbekistan and Bangladesh rose by 9,915 and 8,864, respectively.
At the same time, India saw a rise of 34% in student enrollments from Russia. Aspects such as reasonably priced education, simplified visa regulations, and increasing academic collaborations have rendered these countries appealing alternatives.
Since 2019, this is only the second occurrence (excluding the pandemic year 2020) in which the number of Indians studying abroad has decreased. The evolution of visa policies, diplomatic relations, and economic factors will determine whether the numbers rebound in 2025.
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