Introduction
The population of Overseas Indians presents a unique lens to study migration, diaspora formation, and global socio-economic linkages. According to the 2025 Ministry of External Affairs dataset, the global spread of NRIs and PIOs illustrates both historical trajectories and emerging patterns in Indian migration. This analysis explores the distribution, key trends, and implications embedded in the latest official figures.
Learn the difference between NRIs, OCIs and PIOs by clicking this link!
| Country | Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) | Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) | Total Overseas Indians |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Albania | 450 | 7 | 457 |
| Algeria | 3,800 | 23 | 3,823 |
| Andorra | 50 | 200 | 250 |
| Angola | 2,514 | 67 | 2,581 |
| Antigua & Barbuda | 300 | 200 | 500 |
| Argentina | 825 | 1,853 | 2,678 |
| Armenia | 4,500 | 20 | 4,520 |
| Aruba | 600 | 400 | 1,000 |
| Australia | 350,000 | 626,000 | 976,000 |
| Austria and Montenegro & Holy See | 14,300 | 18,200 | 32,500 |
| Azerbaijan | 1,007 | 76 | 1,083 |
| Bahamas | 280 | 20 | 300 |
| Bahrain | 323,908 | 3,899 | 327,807 |
| Bangladesh | 7,000 | 0 | 7,000 |
| Barbados | 600 | 2,500 | 3,100 |
| Belarus | 927 | 147 | 1,074 |
| Belgium | 17,438 | 11,396 | 28,834 |
| Belize | 200 | 1,300 | 1,500 |
| Benin | 996 | 4 | 1,000 |
| Bhutan | 60,000 | 0 | 60,000 |
| Bolivia | 48 | 0 | 48 |
| Bonaire & Smaller Islands | 54 | 12 | 66 |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | 20 | 2 | 22 |
| Botswana | 9,000 | 3,000 | 12,000 |
| Brazil | 3,046 | 1,002 | 4,048 |
| British Virgin Islands | 80 | 20 | 100 |
| Brunei Darussalam | 15,000 | 211 | 15,211 |
| Bulgaria | 700 | 103 | 803 |
| Burkina Faso | 150 | 350 | 500 |
| Burundi | 700 | 35 | 735 |
| Cambodia | 1,753 | 52 | 1,805 |
| Cameroon | 1,000 | 0 | 1,000 |
| Canada | 1,016,274 | 1,859,680 | 2,875,954 |
| Cape Verde Islands | 25 | 0 | 25 |
| Cayman Islands | 900 | 100 | 1,000 |
| Central African Republic | 70 | 0 | 70 |
| Chad | 120 | 0 | 120 |
| Chile | 1,800 | 2,150 | 3,950 |
| China | 7,400 | 1,060 | 8,460 |
| China (Hong Kong) | 32,790 | 11,350 | 44,140 |
| China (Taiwan) | 5,303 | 501 | 5,804 |
| Colombia | 483 | 159 | 642 |
| Comoros | 42 | 178 | 220 |
| Congo (Dem. Rep. of) | 15,000 | 5,000 | 20,000 |
| Congo (Rep. Of) | 850 | 0 | 850 |
| Cook Islands | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Costa Rica | 1,011 | 39 | 1,050 |
| Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) | 2,738 | 7 | 2,745 |
| Croatia | 11,982 | 29 | 12,011 |
| Cuba | 868 | 2 | 870 |
| Curacao | 700 | 800 | 1,500 |
| Cyprus | 14,612 | 367 | 14,979 |
| Czech Republic | 9,090 | 408 | 9,498 |
| Denmark | 17,460 | 3,187 | 20,647 |
| Djibouti | 1,000 | 8 | 1,008 |
| Dominica (Commonwealth of) | 40 | 500 | 540 |
| Dominican Republic | 57 | 0 | 57 |
| East Timor | 100 | 0 | 100 |
| Ecuador | 269 | 82 | 351 |
| Egypt | 3,141 | 392 | 3,533 |
| El Salvador | 20 | 1 | 21 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 250 | 0 | 250 |
| Eritrea | 172 | 0 | 172 |
| Estonia | 1,900 | 428 | 2,328 |
| Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) | 1,900 | 40 | 1,940 |
| Ethiopia | 5,900 | 7 | 5,907 |
| Fiji | 2,283 | 313,798 | 316,081 |
| Finland | 8,245 | 13,114 | 21,359 |
| France | 29,000 | 90,000 | 119,000 |
| France (Reunion Island) | 159 | 300,000 | 300,159 |
| France (Guadeloupe) | 180 | 57,000 | 57,180 |
| France (Martinique) | 90 | 8,000 | 8,090 |
| France (St. Martin) | 150 | 1,800 | 1,950 |
| Gabon | 1,200 | 300 | 1,500 |
| Gambia | 2,100 | 20 | 2,120 |
| Georgia | 5,750 | 17 | 5,767 |
| Germany | 208,000 | 52,864 | 260,864 |
| Ghana | 15,000 | 321 | 15,321 |
| Greece | 33,486 | 1,514 | 35,000 |
| Grenada | 200 | 4,500 | 4,700 |
| Guatemala | 65 | 18 | 83 |
| Guinea (Republic of) | 1,390 | 51 | 1,441 |
| Guinea Bissau | 300 | 0 | 300 |
| Guyana | 1,500 | 320,000 | 321,500 |
| Haiti | 36 | 0 | 36 |
| Holy See | 15 | 30 | 45 |
| Honduras | 30 | 2 | 32 |
| Hungary | 8,457 | 277 | 8,734 |
| Iceland | 528 | 104 | 632 |
| Indonesia | 14,817 | 120,000 | 134,817 |
| Iran | 10,320 | 445 | 10,765 |
| Iraq | 17,100 | 4 | 17,104 |
| Ireland | 30,000 | 31,386 | 61,386 |
| Israel | 20,000 | 85,000 | 105,000 |
| Italy | 167,333 | 39,170 | 206,503 |
| Jamaica | 5,000 | 68,000 | 73,000 |
| Japan | 46,262 | 1,548 | 47,810 |
| Jordan | 16,897 | 153 | 17,050 |
| Kazakhstan | 9,815 | 420 | 10,235 |
| Kenya | 20,000 | 60,000 | 80,000 |
| Kiribati | 2 | 50 | 52 |
| Korea (DPR) | 15 | 1 | 16 |
| Korea (Republic of) | 16,714 | 287 | 17,001 |
| Kuwait | 993,284 | 2,244 | 995,528 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 16,550 | 48 | 16,598 |
| Laos | 587 | 113 | 700 |
| Latvia | 2,900 | 100 | 3,000 |
| Lebanon | 3,000 | 40 | 3,040 |
| Lesotho (Kingdom of) | 1,500 | 1,500 | 3,000 |
| Liberia | 3,000 | 2 | 3,002 |
| Libya | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Liechtenstein | 35 | 0 | 35 |
| Lithuania | 4,470 | 100 | 4,570 |
| Luxembourg | 4,508 | 813 | 5,321 |
| Macedonia | 29 | 8 | 37 |
| Madagascar | 2,826 | 7,674 | 10,500 |
| Malawi | 8,143 | 8,500 | 16,643 |
| Malaysia | 163,127 | 2,751,000 | 2,914,127 |
| Maldives | 27,065 | 135 | 27,200 |
| Mali | 558 | 3 | 561 |
| Malta | 18,000 | 250 | 18,250 |
| Marshall Islands (Republic of) | 7 | 2 | 9 |
| Mauritania | 310 | 0 | 310 |
| Mauritius | 23,708 | 871,140 | 894,848 |
| Mexico | 8,000 | 2,650 | 10,650 |
| Micronesia (Federated State of) | 35 | 0 | 35 |
| Moldova | 950 | 9 | 959 |
| Monaco | 10 | 43 | 53 |
| Mongolia | 100 | 9 | 109 |
| Montserrat | 15 | 200 | 215 |
| Morocco | 434 | 116 | 550 |
| Mozambique | 3,000 | 25,262 | 28,262 |
| Myanmar | 2,660 | 2,000,000 | 2,002,660 |
| Namibia | 450 | 70 | 520 |
| Nauru | 20 | 0 | 20 |
| Nepal | 700,000 | 4 | 700,004 |
| Netherlands | 50,787 | 178,000 | 228,787 |
| New Zealand | 150,000 | 120,000 | 270,000 |
| Nicaragua | 39 | 1 | 40 |
| Niger | 150 | 8 | 158 |
| Nigeria | 100 | 51,700 | 51,800 |
| Niue | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Norway | 16,890 | 10,955 | 27,845 |
| Oman | 684,771 | 1,864 | 686,635 |
| Pakistan | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Palau | 29 | 0 | 29 |
| Palestine | 11 | 2 | 13 |
| Panama | 4,000 | 11,000 | 15,000 |
| Papua New Guinea | 4,000 | 62 | 4,062 |
| Paraguay | 200 | 400 | 600 |
| Peru | 192 | 180 | 372 |
| Philippines | 147,518 | 2,492 | 150,010 |
| Poland | 23,000 | 1,200 | 24,200 |
| Portugal | 90,000 | 13,682 | 103,682 |
| Qatar | 835,175 | 1,609 | 836,784 |
| Romania | 5,700 | 327 | 6,027 |
| Russia | 60,172 | 2,653 | 62,825 |
| Rwanda | 2,940 | 60 | 3,000 |
| Saint Kitts & Nevis | 500 | 100 | 600 |
| Saint Lucia | 550 | 18,600 | 19,150 |
| Saint Vincent & The Grenadines | 50 | 6,600 | 6,650 |
| Samoa | 0 | 50 | 50 |
| San Marino | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 20 | 1 | 21 |
| Saudi Arabia | 2,460,603 | 2,906 | 2,463,509 |
| Senegal | 2,100 | 20 | 2,120 |
| Serbia | 2,800 | 21 | 2,821 |
| Seychelles | 8,180 | 5,098 | 13,278 |
| Sierra Leone | 3,000 | 12 | 3,012 |
| Singapore | 350,000 | 300,000 | 650,000 |
| Saint Martin | 2,170 | 3,000 | 5,170 |
| Slovak Republic | 2,949 | 51 | 3,000 |
| Slovenia | 822 | 86 | 908 |
| Solomon Islands | 20 | 0 | 20 |
| Somalia | 100 | 0 | 100 |
| South Africa | 60,000 | 1,640,000 | 1,700,000 |
| South Sudan | 900 | 0 | 900 |
| Spain | 51,606 | 15,986 | 67,592 |
| Sri Lanka | 7,500 | 1,600,000 | 1,607,500 |
| Sudan | 50 | 35 | 85 |
| Suriname | 160 | 160,000 | 160,160 |
| Sweden | 40,000 | 20,000 | 60,000 |
| Switzerland | 17,059 | 8,996 | 26,055 |
| Syria | 97 | 0 | 97 |
| Tajikistan | 1,800 | 0 | 1,800 |
| Tanzania | 15,000 | 40,000 | 55,000 |
| Thailand | 25,000 | 125,000 | 150,000 |
| Togo | 973 | 10 | 983 |
| Tonga | 5 | 50 | 55 |
| Trinidad & Tobago | 1,266 | 548,279 | 549,545 |
| Tunisia | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Türkiye (Turkey) | 3,083 | 223 | 3,306 |
| Turkmenistan | 105 | 4 | 109 |
| Turks & Caicos Islands | 200 | 50 | 250 |
| Tuvalu | 0 | 20 | 20 |
| Uganda | 35,000 | 2,660 | 37,660 |
| Ukraine | 2,610 | 726 | 3,336 |
| UAE | 3,554,274 | 14,574 | 3,568,848 |
| UK | 369,000 | 1,495,318 | 1,864,318 |
| USA | 2,077,158 | 3,331,904 | 5,409,062 |
| Uruguay | 773 | 55 | 828 |
| Uzbekistan | 5,939 | 61 | 6,000 |
| Vanuatu | 0 | 15 | 15 |
| Venezuela | 33 | 19 | 52 |
| Vietnam | 7,550 | 462 | 8,012 |
| Yemen | 700 | 420 | 1,120 |
| Zambia | 5,000 | 25,000 | 30,000 |
| Zimbabwe | 1,000 | 9,000 | 10,000 |
| GRAND TOTAL | 15,850,612 | 19,571,375 | 35,421,987 |
This data is sourced from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India, 2025, detailing the estimated population of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) across the globe.
Distribution and Diversity
Overseas Indians are present in more than 200 countries and territories, reflecting India’s extensive global migration history. Countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates host the largest Indian populations, each exceeding several hundred thousand to millions. These countries have sizeable representation from both NRIs (recent migrants with Indian passports) and PIOs (descendants of earlier migration waves).
Regions such as the Caribbean, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific feature distinct diaspora communities resulting from historical indentured labor migration in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Countries like Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Fiji, and Suriname have more Persons of Indian Origin than NRIs, underscoring their deep-rooted Indian heritage.
Key Trends
- Migration to Developed Economies: The largest numbers of NRIs are found in economic hubs such as the UAE, USA, UK, and Saudi Arabia, reflecting recent labor migration and skilled professionals seeking opportunities abroad.
- Historic Diaspora: Countries in the Caribbean, Africa, and Southeast Asia reveal substantial PIO populations due to over a century of migration under British colonial rule. For instance, Mauritius, Fiji, Guyana, and South Africa exhibit robust PIO communities integral to national culture and politics.
- Shift in Patterns: There is an observed growth in Indian communities in emerging economies like Australia, New Zealand, and Kenya, pointing to diversification in migration destinations and evolving career aspirations.
- Zero or Minimal Presence: Some countries, notably in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and small island states, feature negligible or zero Indian populations, highlighting limited historical or economic migration links.
Socio-Economic and Cultural Dynamics
The Indian diaspora engages actively in their host societies, contributing to economic growth, entrepreneurship, academia, and political spheres. Remittances from NRIs remain a major factor in the Indian economy, supporting families and development within India. Diaspora organizations, business networks, and cultural institutions serve as bridges connecting India and its global communities.
PIOs, especially in older diaspora regions, have maintained cultural practices, languages, and religious traditions across generations, shaping multicultural societies. They also play key roles in India’s global image and international relations, influencing bilateral trade, investment, and policy collaboration.
Conclusion
This comprehensive mapping of Overseas Indians in 2025 reflects the dynamic evolution of India’s global presence. Understanding the distribution and characteristics of NRIs and PIOs offers insights into migration studies, transnational networks, and the multifaceted identity of Indian communities abroad. As diaspora populations continue to grow and diversify, their influence on both India and host nations will remain a crucial subject of academic, economic, and sociopolitical interest.
Also check the first ever Global maps with correct India boundaries:
Global Map of Overseas Indians
Learn the difference between NRIs, OCIs and PIOs by clicking this link!
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