Over 9.2 lakh Indians became citizens of OECD countries between 2020 and 2024

New Delhi: More than 9.2 lakh Indians acquired citizenship in countries belonging to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) between 2020 and 2024, according to the International Migration Outlook report released by the intergovernmental forum. This represents a 41 per cent jump from the 6.5 lakh Indians who became citizens of OECD nations between 2015 and 2019.

The OECD, a group of 38 developed economies, said the rise was largely driven by Indians who had earlier moved abroad, often on temporary visas, and later secured citizenship in their host countries. The report noted that the trend reflects a growing pool of Indian migrants choosing to settle permanently overseas.

Canada emerged as the most preferred destination for Indians seeking citizenship. Around 2.6 lakh Indians became Canadian citizens during the five-year period, a 150 per cent increase compared with 2015-2019. The United States, the United Kingdom and Australia also recorded high numbers of Indian citizenship acquisitions.

Together, Canada, the US, Australia, the UK and New Zealand accounted for the largest share of Indians obtaining foreign citizenship. In 2024 alone, nearly 2.3 lakh Indians received passports from these five countries.

The OECD findings closely match figures shared by the Union government in December 2025, which stated that nearly nine lakh Indians had relinquished their Indian citizenship between 2020 and 2024. The Ministry of External Affairs told Parliament that 85,256 people gave up Indian citizenship in 2020, followed by 1.6 lakh in 2021, 2.2 lakh in 2022, 2.1 lakh in 2023 and 2 lakh in 2024.

The report also highlighted the growing presence of Indian students in OECD countries. India was the second-largest source of international students in 2024, with 8.2 lakh Indians enrolled in universities across the bloc. China remained ahead with 8.5 lakh students.

The number of Indian students in OECD countries has nearly quadrupled over the past decade, narrowing the gap with China. The rise in student numbers has also contributed to a larger pool of Indians eligible for permanent residency and eventual citizenship.

Despite the increase in citizenship acquisitions, overall migration from India to OECD countries declined in 2024. Permanent migration to the bloc fell by 4.7 per cent globally in 2024 and by 1.6 per cent in 2025.

Migration from India fell even more sharply, dropping by 19 per cent. Fewer than five lakh Indians migrated to OECD countries in 2024, although India remained the largest source of migrants to the group.

The OECD attributed the sharp fall mainly to a steep decline in Indian migration to the UK. The number of Indians moving to Britain halved in 2024 compared with the previous year, falling to just 66,000. Migration to other major destinations such as Australia, Canada and the US also declined, though only marginally.