There has been an increase in the number of Indians studying abroad by 52.2 per cent over the last five years, from 5,86,337 in 2019 to 8,92,989 in 2023, the Education Ministry said in the Rajya Sabha yesterday, Wednesday, December 18.

Out of 8,92,989 Indian students abroad, the most number of them are in the United States (2,34,473), followed by Canada (2,33,532) and the United Kingdom (1,36,921).

According to data from the Education Ministry, the number of Indians choosing to study abroad has steadily increased since 2019, except in 2020, when the total fell by 55.7 per cent to 2,59,655, reports Hindustan Times.

This decrease was caused by global travel restrictions enacted in response to COVID-19, which also prompted many educational institutions to completely shift to online study between 2019 and 2020.

In answer to enquiries from V Sivadasan, a Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) Member of Parliament (MP) from Kerala, Minister of State (MoS) for Education Sukanta Majumdar indicated in a written response that the Education Ministry does not keep statistics on Indian students studying overseas.

He noted that the ministry has data on the number of Indians who went abroad in the last five years and stated their purpose of travel as 'Study or Education', as provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs' Bureau of Immigration (BoI).

Among the top three nations with the most number of Indian students, Canada had a 76 per cent growth in enrollment, from 1,32,620 in 2019 to 2,33,532 in 2023. This growth occurred despite rising diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

The number of Indian students in the United States increased by 91 per cent between 2019 and 2023, from 1,22,535 to 2,34,473.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom experienced an even more remarkable 273.9 per cent increase in Indian student enrolment, rising from 36,612 in 2019 to 1,36,921 by 2023.