Bhubaneswar: The overseas Indian population, which consists of Non-Resident Indians and People of Indian origin, at 32 million or 3over 3,2 cr in 2022-23, now the same stood at over 35mn or 3.54 cr.

When it comes to emigration from India, the World Bank Report on Migration 2024 puts India at the number one. 

As per the report, the population of international migrants from India stood at around 18mn with males – 11.9mn and females – 6mn.

The Ministry of External Affairs report has, however, recently put the population of Non Resident Indians at over 15mn or 1,585,0612 and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) at over 19 miliion or 1,957,1375, which together total to 35 mn or 3, 542, 1987.

Here are the top-10 countries with high overseas population.

A glance at the above data shows the following

• USA tops in both NRIs and PIOs
• Gulf countries have higher NRI share than PIOs
• Maldives, Sri Lanka and Myanmar have high PIOs share than NRIs.

WHAT IS NRI: An India who is resident of another country.

WHAT IS PIO: A foreign citizen, except a national of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Iran, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Nepal, who at any time held

• Indian passport or
• who or either of their parents/ grandparents/ great grandparents was born and permanently resident in India as defined in Government of India Act, 1935 and other territories that became part of India thereafter provided neither was at any time a citizen of any of the aforesaid countries ( as referred above); Or
• Who is a spouse of a citizen of India or a PIO  

The above proportion of NRIs and PIOs shows emigration from India were primarily driven by search for better pastures, therefore, it proportion seems higher in US and Gulf countries. But the difference between US an Gulf countries has been that US has a high share of PIO – which shows migration generations ago..

COUTRIES WITH ZERO OVERSEAS INDIANS

• AFGHANISTAN – 0 
• PAKISTAN – 0
• LIBYA – 0  (War torn country in north Africa)
• NIUE – 0 (A coral island, located close to New Zealand) 
• SAN MARINO – 0 (European country, one of smallest, its proximity to Italy)
• TUNISIA – 0 (war torn country in north Africa)
• COOKS ISLAND – only 5 

REMITTANCE TO INDIA

As PM Modi in his addressed patted the overseas community for generating highest remittance to India, Here is look at 2024 remittance report released by World Bank recently.

INDIA: The report says, growing at 7.5 percent, remittance flows to India touched US$120 billion in 2023, reflecting the benefits of a deceleration in inflation and strong labor markets in the United States, the largest destination for India’s skilled migrants, and other OECD destinations,as well as positive demand for skilled and less-skilled workers in the GCC countries (which, together, are the second largest destination for Indian migrants).

View the table below as revealed by RBI

ODISHA IN INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION MAP

As per latest report, the share of Odisha in international migration stood at around 1% of total Overseas Indians. View the Graphs below