Although second to China in terms of population, India's diaspora is the largest in the world at 16 million people. Of that, almost 4 million live in the United States. Immigrants came in waves: early arrivals were largely unskilled, followed by engineers and doctors and other professionals. Today, they are the top recipients of temporary high-skilled worker visas and are more likely to be higher educated, be employed, and earn a higher income that other foreign-born populations.
Over 15.5 million Indians live outside the country, a number greater than the combined populations of Zimbabwe and Kuwait. Since 2005, when Indians formed the world’s third largest diaspora at 9.5 million, their numbers have risen by staggering 60%, a new study on international migration by the United Nations has reported.
Here is Top 10 Diaspora Country of the world
1. India
2. Mexico
3. Russia
4. China
5. Bangladesh
6. Pakistan
7. Ukraine
8. Philippines
9. Syria
10. United Kingdom
The report said that the total number of international migrants—people living in a country other than the one of their birth—grew by over 41% since 2000 to 244 million, or about 3.3% of the world population.
“The rise in the number of international migrants reflects the increasing importance of international migration, which has become an integral part of our economies and societies,” Wu Hongbo, the UN under-secretary-general for economic and social affairs, said on Jan. 12. “Well-managed migration brings important benefits to countries of origin and destination, as well as to migrants and their families.”
The US remained home to the largest immigrant population in the world at more than 46 million, followed by Germany at 12 million. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates, which hosted a little over 2.4 million immigrants in 1995, now has over 8.1 million.
“In Europe, Northern America and Oceania, international migrants account for at least 10% of the total population. By contrast, in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean, fewer than 2% the population are international migrants,” the UN report said.