The number of Indian students studying at foreign universities in 2024 has exceeded the data of the past six years, doubling since 2019.
According to official data analysis news18In 2023 and 2024, an Indian student died abroad almost every other day. One number will only increase.
Enrollment jumps from 675,000 in 2019 to 1.335 million in 2024
According to official data from Indian missions/residents abroad, the Ministry of External Affairs of India shows that in 2024, a total of 1.335 million students will go abroad for further studies. In 2019, the number was 675,000. In 2023, this number will be 1.318 million.
Between 2019 and 2024, a total of 60,81,577 students left Canada to pursue higher education, of which 17,86,825 students immigrated to Canada. The United States is the second largest preference for higher education among Indian students with 15,17,547 students. With 6,70,875 Indian students migrating to Australia, the country is the third most preferred country.
The number of students traveling to Canada has increased over the years, with the numbers in 2023 and 2024 almost equal.
Canada, with 427,000 Indian students, is the most popular higher education destination in 2024, followed by the United States (337,000) and the United Kingdom (185,000).
The ministry said that as of January 1, 2024, the total number of Indian students studying in foreign universities around the world was estimated at 1.33 million.
Student migration to Ukraine drops sharply
Ukraine is at war with Russia and the number of Indian students traveling to the country for higher education has dropped significantly. A total of 23,515 Indian students immigrated to the country in 2022, which dropped to just 2,510 this year.
Meanwhile, enrollment of Indian students in Russia has increased, although there will be fewer students in 2024 than in 2023.
Enrollment of Indian students in neighboring China has also dropped significantly. In 2019, at least 15,207 Indian students traveled to the country to pursue higher education, a number that dropped to 8,580 by 2024.
In 2024, 65 Indian students will go to Sri Lanka for further studies, and 2,134 Indian students will go to Nepal. At least 8,534 Indian students have traveled to Bangladesh.
An Indian student will die abroad almost every two days in 2023 and 2024
In 2023, at least 170 Indian students died abroad due to accidents or medical reasons—an average of one student every two days. So far in 2024, 124 students have died due to similar reasons.
The number of students dying abroad has increased over the years. Between 2019 and 2024, a total of 614 students died abroad due to accidents or medical reasons. In addition, at least 18 people were killed in violence during this period.
In fact, 2024 had the highest death toll with seven deaths, four in Canada alone. In 2023, five Indian students were killed abroad and four in the United States.
Of the 124 students who died in 2024, 31 were from Canada, 37 from the United States and 13 from Austria. This compares with 33 deaths from medical causes or accidents in the United States in 2023, and 37 reported deaths in the United States this year.
Similarly, in Australia, the number of deaths increased from 13 in 2024 to 9 in 2023 and 8 in 2022. It is the lowest in comparison.
