As India’s population grows, so does its student-aged demographics: In 2024, 20 to 24 year olds and 25 to 29 year olds became the two largest age groups in India.1 This year, there are over 244 million Indians in their 20s. While a relatively small share of this group studies abroad—Indian parliamentary data cites over 1.3 million Indian students were pursuing international education at the post-secondary level as of January 2024—this proportion is also rising.2 As it does, Indian students will continue to drive international education worldwide over the next decade.
Now midway through 2025, we’re seeing how Indian outbound students’ destination preferences and motivations are shifting, even compared to a few years ago. While established destinations continue to attract these ambitious and innovative students, we’re also seeing Indian students choose a wider range of destinations in greater numbers.
To understand how outbound Indian student populations have evolved in the 2020s, we’re looking at the top destinations for Indian international students worldwide, with additional focus on the Big Four anglophone destinations: Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Read on to learn more about how Indian student preferences are shifting, and what we expect to see in the coming years.
Key Insights at a Glance
- In 2024, almost 760,000 Indian nationals disclosed their purpose for going abroad was study or education.3
- More outbound Indian international students have declared the US as their study destination than any other country since 2020.
- The number of Indian students who declared Germany as their study destination has almost doubled over the past six years.
- Uzbekistan is establishing itself as an emerging study destination for Indian international students, attracting nearly 10,000 students in 2024 compared to just 300 in 2019.
Number of Indians Declaring Education As Purpose for Going Abroad Rises in the 2020s
Indian students became the largest international student populations in many destinations over the past five years. This was especially true in 2023, when major student destinations saw the largest inflow of new international students as student mobility continued to rise.
By contrast, 2024 has seen many destinations return to more sustainable levels, a trend which is reflected in outbound Indian student figures. In 2024, per the Government of India’s Bureau of Immigration (BoI), nearly 760,000 Indian nationals stated they were leaving India for study or education purposes.
Let’s look at how study abroad interest levels among Indian students have evolved over the past six years:
Given the population growth in the demographics of Indian students most likely to pursue post-secondary study, it makes sense that their outbound population grew in the early 2020s. However, in 2024, India’s 760,000 outbound students actually demonstrates a drop of 15% from their 2023 level. This is likely due to a number of factors, from policy uncertainty in top destinations like Canada and Australia to economic pressure from a comparatively strong American dollar.4
Still, the total number of outbound Indian students in 2024 represents nearly 10,000 more students than those who departed India in 2022. As data from 2025 becomes available, any variance in this trend will help to illustrate whether the dip in 2024 marked the beginning of a stabilization, the start of a more protracted decline, or a pause before a return to growth.
Indian Students Diversify Their Study Destination Choices
As global policy and economic forces shift the international education landscape, the destinations which Indian international students choose are constantly adjusting:
That said, the top destination for Indian students has remained constant. According to BoI data, more Indian international students have declared the US as their study destination than any other market since 2020. Last year, 204,000 Indian students declared their study destination was the US. While that’s down 13% compared to 2023, it remains above the level set in previous years. Including the US, the Big Four Anglophone destinations remain top choices for outbound Indian students, despite dips in all four markets in 2024. We’ll take a closer look at student mobility trends in each of these countries in the following section.
Meanwhile, the BoI data also shows that a growing number of Indian students are considering different destinations. The number of Indian students declaring Germany as their study destination reached almost 35,000 in 2024, nearly double 2019’s total. Likewise, the number of Indian international students headed to Russia has also nearly doubled (to a total of 31,400) over the same timeframe. And, while only 300 Indians declared Uzbekistan their study destination in 2019, just under 10,000 students did so in 2024.
Many Indian students are attracted to Uzbekistan by English-language education in several programs, as well as popular medical degrees.5
Some countries’ trajectories as destinations for Indian students are more complex. Nearly 30,000 Indian students started their studies in Bangladesh in 2024, a population which has grown by 124% since 2019. Bangladeshi institutions offer Indian students many advantages: closer proximity to their home country, affordable tuition rates, and qualifications—including medical degrees—which are recognized by the Indian government. However, in July 2024, widespread student and civilian protests led to substantial civil and political instability, including violence and the formation of an interim government.6 After thousands of Indian students were extracted from Bangladesh during the crisis, it’s likely that they and future students may be hesitant to return in 2025 and beyond.
Conflict has also affected Ukraine‘s status as a popular study destination. In 2019 and 2021, 13,500 outbound Indian students declared it as their destination. In 2021, that number rose to 18,600. However, numbers dropped significantly after the 2022 escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Indian Student Population Trends Across the Big Four Destinations
While alternative destinations are on the rise for Indian students, the Big Four remain their most popular study abroad destinations. However, let’s take a closer look at how the trajectory of Indian student populations diverged in each of these countries in 2024. Note that in the following sections, the data refers to student visa holders, who may be at different points in their study program. Additionally, the data below is reported by each destination’s government and includes Indian nationals who may have already been living abroad, meaning it does not necessarily align with the figures reported by the Indian government.
Australia
In 2024, 139,000 Indian international students held Australian student visas. This was up 11% compared to 2023’s total, trending above pre-pandemic levels:
While the number of Australian student visa holders from India jumped by almost 40,000 between 2022 and 2024—spurred in part by the double cohort effect and student-friendly policies like the Temporary Graduate visa extension—Australia’s total international student population expanded at a similar rate. In fact, the proportion of Indian students in Australia’s international student population has hovered between 15% and 17% since the late 2010s, suggesting a steady level of interest.
However, in 2024, the Australian government implemented policy changes (such as Ministerial Directive 111) which limit the number of international students and their post-study options in Australia. Recent data has shown that, compared to the 2022/23 financial year,7 student visa applications from Indian students dropped by almost 20% in 2023/24. Although Indian students remain eligible for longer Temporary Graduate visa durations thanks to the Australia India – Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI–ECTA), which may encourage some Indian students to choose Australia, policy changes like higher language proficiency requirements and visa fees may further deter Indian talent over the next few years.
Canada
As in Australia, policy changes and caps on study permit applications in 2024 shifted the education sector’s momentum. This has led to a substantial drop in new study approvals for Indian students over the past 18 months. However, because study permit holder data captures all study permit holders in Canada (both new and part-way through their study program), the dip in Indian study permit holders is less precipitous:
Last year, the total number of study permit holders from India dipped by 8% to 393,000. While study permit approval rates for Indian students in 2024 remained nearly 30% higher than the global average, the caps limited the total number of new study permits reviewed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Thus, the total number of incoming students was down year-over-year.
As Indian students who started their studies in 2021 onward graduate, we expect to see the number of permit holders decline rapidly in coming years and reflect the impact of the fewer number of approvals over the past year and a half.
United Kingdom
After five years of growth, the Indian student population in the UK steadied in the 2023/24 academic year:8
The number of students in the UK with an Indian permanent address dipped by 4% year-over-year in 2023/24,9 likely tempered by sector updates like new limitations on which international students may be accompanied by dependants.
However, newly-released Q1 2025 data hints at renewed student confidence in the UK. Worldwide, the number of student visa applicants grew over 30% compared to Q1 2024 totals. Out of that total, 29% more prospective Indian students submitted main applicant UK student visa submissions in Q1 2025 versus Q1 2024.
Looking forward, the UK Government’s recently published 2025 White Paper may have far-reaching effects on international student populations. Its proposals, which include abbreviating the popular Graduate visa from 24 to 18 months, may temper future students’ decisions, many of whom see post-study work opportunities as a key factor when choosing their destination.
United States
Meanwhile, the Indian international student population in the US has grown steadily since the 2020/21 academic year:10
In the 2023/24 academic year, Indian student visa holders in the US rose by 23% year-over-year to nearly 332,000.11 Encouraged by relative policy stability and post-study incentives like extended Optional Practical Training (OPT) for eligible STEM graduates, India became the top place of origin of US student visa holders in the most recent academic year, surpassing China.
In the 2023/24 academic year, over 75% of Indian students were either taking a STEM study program or completing subject-related OPT.
While we project the 2024/25 population of Indian students in the US will remain relatively stable, extensive changes made to the international education landscape in 2025—such as the pausing of the Fulbright scholarship program, halting of new student visa interviews in late May 2025, and ongoing downsizing of the federal Department of Education—will shape student access significantly. The overall Indian student population will also adjust as new grads finish their OPT placements.
Will Indian Students Remain the Top International Student Population in 2025?
Indian students have redefined the international education landscape over the past decade, and that impact is unlikely to wane in the coming years. However, we expect Indian student flows to stabilize in the short-term. Our team’s analysis of search engine traffic from Indian students, related to studying in top Anglophone destinations, indicated all four major study destinations saw declining interest in 2024 versus 2022 and 2023. While not a direct link to enrolment, these trends can be a leading indicator of future application patterns. At the same time, BoI data shows that a relatively stable number of Indian students left the country in 2024 compared to 2022, which means that students are still going abroad—just to a wider range of destinations.
In general, Indian international students seek out high-quality programs which are recognized both in their home country and abroad, and they are open to diverse destinations. They’re also responsive to policy changes—such as those that alleviate barriers or tighten restrictions—and conscious of returns on their investment.
Due to comprehensive and, in many cases, ongoing government and policy changes in popular Anglophone destinations, we expect 2025 to be an inflection point for outbound Indian international students. As a group, Indian students have historically shown resilience and adaptability when faced with societal and economic shifts in destination markets. While established destinations will remain compelling options for many, it’s likely that outbound Indian students will continue to diversify the destinations they choose. As such, institutions in the Big Four will face increased competition to teach skilled Indian students, and will need to target their outreach carefully to continue to attract the brightest minds.
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FOOTNOTES:
1. US Census Bureau, International Database. “India – Population Pyramid.” Accessed Jun. 5, 2025.
2. Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. Media Centre – “Question No. 4166, Indian Students Going Abroad for Higher Studies.” Dec. 20, 2024.
3. Government of India, Ministry of Education. “Lok Sabha Question 1730, Answered on 10.03.2025.”
4. Jaspreet Kalra, Reuters. “India rupee drops for 7th straight year as headwinds swirl near year-end.” Dec. 31, 2024.
5. Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury, The Economic Times. “Uzbekistan positions itself as hub for Indian business, students & tourists in Central Asia.” May 27, 2025.
6. Arun Devnath, BNN Bloomberg. “Bangladesh Army Chief and President Seek Calm after PM Flees.” Aug. 5, 2024.
7. The Australian government’s financial years span from July of one year to June of the next year (for example, July 2023 to June 2024 was the 2023/24 year).
8. Academic years in the UK begin at the start of August in one year, and conclude at the end of July the following year.
9. HESA, “Where do HE students come from?” (Table 11). Apr. 3, 2025.
10. While the academic year varies across the US, the academic year generally runs from early September of one year to June of the following year.
11. The Institute of International Education (IIE), Open Doors Report. “2024 Fast Facts.” Nov. 18, 2024.
