As of 2024, over ** million Indians were living across the world. Of this population, over ** million were non-resident Indians (NRIs) and the rest were persons of Indian origin (PIO). Indians form the largest diaspora in the world.  Non-Resident Indians An NRI is an Indian citizen living abroad indefinitely for employment, education, business, or other reasons. If an individual spends less than *** days in a financial year in India, they qualify as an NRI. NRIs can vote in India if they are physically present in their constituency during the voting period. However, NRIs are subject to different tax and investment regulations than Indian citizens. Persons of Indian Origin Persons of Indian origin refer to people who at some point held Indian citizenship or have Indian ancestry, with some exceptions. The Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) is granted as a lifelong and multipurpose visa to people of Indian origin. It does not confer political rights, but those with this visa enjoy parity with NRIs in economic, financial, and educational benefits such as the acquisition of property (with exceptions), admission to educational institutions, and eligibility for certain housing schemes.

As of May 2024, a total of *** million Indian migrants were estimated to live in the United States of America, followed by over ***** million in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). India has over ** million overseas Indians living across the world.

There were over one million registered Indians in Canada as of December 2020. The region with the largest Indian population was Ontario, with 222 thousand, followed by Manitoba, which counted 164 thousand Indians. The regions with the smallest Indian populations were Yukon, and Northwest Territories.

In 2025, India overtook China as the world's most populous country and now has almost 1.46 billion people. China now has the second-largest population in the world, still with just over 1.4 billion inhabitants, however, its population went into decline in 2023. Global population As of 2025, the world's population stands at almost 8.2 billion people and is expected to reach around 10.3 billion people in the 2080s, when it will then go into decline. Due to improved healthcare, sanitation, and general living conditions, the global population continues to increase; mortality rates (particularly among infants and children) are decreasing and the median age of the world population has steadily increased for decades. As for the average life expectancy in industrial and developing countries, the gap has narrowed significantly since the mid-20th century. Asia is the most populous continent on Earth; 11 of the 20 largest countries are located there. It leads the ranking of the global population by continent by far, reporting four times as many inhabitants as Africa. The Demographic Transition The population explosion over the past two centuries is part of a phenomenon known as the demographic transition. Simply put, this transition results from a drastic reduction in mortality, which then leads to a reduction in fertility, and increase in life expectancy; this interim period where death rates are low and birth rates are high is where this population explosion occurs, and population growth can remain high as the population ages. In today's most-developed countries, the transition generally began with industrialization in the 1800s, and growth has now stabilized as birth and mortality rates have re-balanced. Across less-developed countries, the stage of this transition varies; for example, China is at a later stage than India, which accounts for the change in which country is more populous - understanding the demographic transition can help understand the reason why China's population is now going into decline. The least-developed region is Sub-Saharan Africa, where fertility rates remain close to pre-industrial levels in some countries. As these countries transition, they will undergo significant rates of population growth.

In 2024, over ******* students emigrated from India to study abroad. The number of students emigrating from India was the highest in 2023. The number of students going abroad declined drastically during the pandemic, however, with the opening of international borders there was an uptick in the number of students going abroad for education. Why are Indian students pursuing foreign education? English-speaking countries like the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland are most preferred by Indian students. The countries also have top-tier universities, specialized courses, and better post-study work opportunities. The easy availability of educational loans and increasing scholarship options are some of the reasons that influence Indian students to pursue foreign education. Which foreign study programs are popular? Indian students predominantly prefer enrolling in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. Postgraduate management courses also have a steady following among Indian students. The pursuit of medical education in foreign countries is increasingly becoming popular among Indian students due to the limited availability of seats in Indian medical colleges. Key destinations for medical degrees include Russia, Georgia, China, and Kazakhstan among others.

Sikhism is a religion that originated on the Indian subcontinent during the fifteenth century. Sikhs follow the teachings of 'gurus', who descend from the first guru Guru Naruk who established the faith. Followers of Sikhism are monotheists, believing in only one god, and other core beliefs include the need to meditate, the importance of community and communal living, and the need to serve humanity selflessly (or 'seva'). Sikhism and the British Empire In total, there are around 26 million Sikhs worldwide, and over 24 million of these live in India. Outside of India, the largest Sikh populations are mostly found in former territories of the British Empire - the UK and Canada both have Sikh populations of over half a million people. Migration from India to other parts of the British Empire was high in the 19th century, due to the labor demands of relatively newer colonies, as well as those where slavery had been abolished. These countries also remain popular destinations for Sikh migrants today, as many are highly trained and English-speaking. Other regions with significant Sikh populations Italy also has a sizeable Sikh population, as many migrated there after serving there in the British Army during WWI, and they are now heavily represented in Italy's dairy industry. The Sikh population of Saudi Arabia is also reflective of the fact that the largest Indian diaspora in the world can now be found in the Middle East - this is due to the labor demands of the fossil fuel industries and their associated secondary industries, although a large share of Indians in this part of the world are there on a temporary basis.

In 2025, *** million Indian students were estimated to be studying abroad. This was an ***** percent growth since 2022. India ranks as the second-largest source of international students in the world, second only to China.

Delhi had over ** percent of the external migrant population, the highest among all states in India. Himachal Pradesh and Punjab followed it with over * percent share each.

As of July 2022, *** million people from India emigrated to work. The number of people emigrating from India for work had considerably increased since 2020. The United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, and Saudi Arabia hosted the highest number of Indians during the measured time period.

In 2022, more than 21 million Indian nationals departed on outbound travels from India, marking a significant increase from the previous year. The coronavirus pandemic in 2020 restricted traveling around the world. Travel bug and the economy
Indian nationals are traveling more than ever before. However, far fewer Indians travel internationally compared to domestic travels. Since 2012, over one billion Indian nationals have traveled within the country. The various tax exemptions announced by the government in recent years was one of the reasons for an increase in disposable incomes among people. This seems to have been a welcome move, since a large section of the society in India travel on a need basis. The newly growing economy seems to have triggered an increase in travel and tourism expenditures especially by the middle and lower class of people who have built more capacity for savings. India’s busiest airport    The aviation industry has also grown drastically over the last decade, with over 125 operational airports in the country as of today. The Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi was the busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic in 2019, while the United Arab Emirates was the leading destination for passengers traveling from India. The UAE was both, a leisure and business destination for many Indians.

As of January 2024, Canada emerged as the leading destination for Indian students pursuing higher education in foreign countries, with over ******* students. The United States hosted over *******, followed by the United Kingdom. Over *********** Indian students were estimated to be studying abroad in that period. The Big 4 dominance With high-quality education, well-ranked universities, and post-study career prospects, the Big Four, namely Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and Australia emerged as favorites among other study abroad destinations. Courses offered in English and long-established migration ties have eased student pathways for years. Winds of change The changing political climate, tougher immigration policies, and higher cost of living are, however, pushing many students to explore alternative destinations like Germany, France, the UAE, New Zealand, and Russia, among others. Rising job opportunities and favorable visa policies are drawing Indian students to these non-traditional destinations. Education experts are now increasingly expecting a shift from the Big 4 to the Big 14 tier of countries.

There were over *********** Indian passports issued abroad in the year 2023. This was the highest value during the recorded period. 2020 witnessed a low number of passport issuances, most likely due to the Covid pandemic.

This statistic depicts the age distribution of India from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, about 25.06 percent of the Indian population fell into the 0-14 year category, 68.02 percent into the 15-64 age group and 6.92 percent were over 65 years of age. Age distribution in India India is one of the largest countries in the world and its population is constantly increasing. India’s society is categorized into a hierarchically organized caste system, encompassing certain rights and values for each caste. Indians are born into a caste, and those belonging to a lower echelon often face discrimination and hardship. The median age (which means that one half of the population is younger and the other one is older) of India’s population has been increasing constantly after a slump in the 1970s, and is expected to increase further over the next few years. However, in international comparison, it is fairly low; in other countries the average inhabitant is about 20 years older. But India seems to be on the rise, not only is it a member of the BRIC states – an association of emerging economies, the other members being Brazil, Russia and China –, life expectancy of Indians has also increased significantly over the past decade, which is an indicator of access to better health care and nutrition. Gender equality is still non-existant in India, even though most Indians believe that the quality of life is about equal for men and women in their country. India is patriarchal and women still often face forced marriages, domestic violence, dowry killings or rape. As of late, India has come to be considered one of the least safe places for women worldwide. Additionally, infanticide and selective abortion of female fetuses attribute to the inequality of women in India. It is believed that this has led to the fact that the vast majority of Indian children aged 0 to 6 years are male.

In financial year 2023, it is estimated that almost 93 thousand more Indians migrated to Australia than emigrated, This marked the highest net overseas migration from India within the measured period.

In 1800, the population of the region of present-day India was approximately 169 million. The population would grow gradually throughout the 19th century, rising to over 240 million by 1900. Population growth would begin to increase in the 1920s, as a result of falling mortality rates, due to improvements in health, sanitation and infrastructure. However, the population of India would see it’s largest rate of growth in the years following the country’s independence from the British Empire in 1948, where the population would rise from 358 million to over one billion by the turn of the century, making India the second country to pass the billion person milestone. While the rate of growth has slowed somewhat as India begins a demographics shift, the country’s population has continued to grow dramatically throughout the 21st century, and in 2020, India is estimated to have a population of just under 1.4 billion, well over a billion more people than one century previously. Today, approximately 18% of the Earth’s population lives in India, and it is estimated that India will overtake China to become the most populous country in the world within the next five years.

Which county has the most Facebook users? There are more than 383 million Facebook users in India alone, making it the leading country in terms of Facebook audience size. To put this into context, if India’s Facebook audience were a country, then it would be ranked third in terms of largest population worldwide. Apart from India, there are several other markets with more than 100 million Facebook users each: The United States, Indonesia, and Brazil with 196.9 million, 122.3 million, and 111.65 million Facebook users respectively. Facebook – the most used social media Meta, the company that was previously called Facebook, owns four of the most popular social media platforms worldwide, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Facebook, and Instagram. As of the third quarter of 2021, there were around 3.5 billion cumulative monthly users of the company’s products worldwide. With around 2.9 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the most popular social media worldwide. With an audience of this scale, it is no surprise that the vast majority of Facebook’s revenue is generated through advertising. Facebook usage by device As of July 2021, it was found that 98.5 percent of active users accessed their Facebook account from mobile devices. In fact, almost 81.8 percent of Facebook audiences worldwide access the platform only via mobile phone. Facebook is not only available through mobile browser as the company has published several mobile apps for users to access their products and services. As of the third quarter 2021, the four core Meta products were leading the ranking of most downloaded mobile apps worldwide, with WhatsApp amassing approximately six billion downloads.

While Indians between 12 and 34 years dominated internet use from 2013 to 2019 with about 65 percent of the total market, this was projected to change by 2025. Between 2019 and 2025, it was estimated that age group 35 years and older would make up ** percent of internet usage in India. Gender and internet Among the total internet users in the country, it was found that only about ** percent were female users. While this was expected to change to ** percent male users and ** percent female users by 2020, it still showed a gender gap in internet accessibility in the south-Asian country. While several factors lead to this digital gender gap, economic and socio-cultural barriers stand out as the most compelling reasons. Older Indians part of digitalization The median age of India’s population was around 27 years in 2015, echoing the range of the country’s majority internet user base. The estimated shift, however, in the years to come would be the successful efforts towards digitalizing India. If done right, this would propel older adults to adopt and master new media technologies in their daily activities beyond social media and communication, including the use of financial services.

The population of India is divided into several groups based on social, educational, and financial statuses. The formation of these groups is a result of the historical social structure of the country. Between 2019 and 2021, Other Backward Class (OBC) constituted the largest part of Indian households accounting for about ** percent. On the other hand, Schedule Tribes formed about *** percent of households. How prosperous is India’s caste-based society? India suffers from extreme social and economic inequality. The combined share of Schedule Tribe and Schedule Caste in the affluent population of India was less than ** percent. Contrary to this, economically and socially stronger groups constituted the major part of the affluent population. Hence, indicating a strong relationship between caste and prosperity. India’s thoughts on caste-based reservation The constitution of India provides reservations to the weaker sections of the society for their upliftment and growth. However, the need for reservation has increased with time, making the whole situation even more complicated. People are divided over the existence of a system that provides preference to certain castes or sects. In a survey conducted in 2016 about providing employment reservation to young adults of Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe, many people expressed opposition. More than ** percent of opposition came from upper Hindu caste. Minimum opposition was observed from the people belonging to Schedule Tribe and Schedule Caste.

Social network X/Twitter is particularly popular in the United States, and as of February 2025, the microblogging service had an audience reach of 103.9 million users in the country. Japan and the India were ranked second and third with more than 70 million and 25 million users respectively. Global Twitter usage As of the second quarter of 2021, X/Twitter had 206 million monetizable daily active users worldwide. The most-followed Twitter accounts include figures such as Elon Musk, Justin Bieber and former U.S. president Barack Obama. X/Twitter and politics X/Twitter has become an increasingly relevant tool in domestic and international politics. The platform has become a way to promote policies and interact with citizens and other officials, and most world leaders and foreign ministries have an official Twitter account. Former U.S. president Donald Trump used to be a prolific Twitter user before the platform permanently suspended his account in January 2021. During an August 2018 survey, 61 percent of respondents stated that Trump's use of Twitter as President of the United States was inappropriate.

In 2023, over *** thousand Indians renounced their citizenship. This was a decline from the previous which recorded the highest number of passports relinquished. The number of people giving up their Indian citizenship has significantly increased since 2020. Most of these became citizens of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.