Canada, US, UK See 15% Decline in Indian Student Enrollments In 2024, While Russia, France & Germany Report Growth | AI
Indian overseas student admissions fell by 15% in 2024 against last year at the same time, as per the latest data provided by the education ministry. The decline is primarily because of a huge decline in the admissions of students to pursue higher education in countries such as Canada, the US, and the UK.
The education minister responded in Parliament that up to 7,503,65 pupils were studying overseas in 2022. This number increased to 8,92,989 in 2023 but decreased by 1,33,920 pupils to 7,59,064 in 2024. ET Mohammed Basheer, an MP for the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), posed the queries.
The Malappuram, Kerala, MP Basheer has posed five queries to the ministry. He requested information on (a) the total number of Indian students studying abroad over the previous three years, broken down by country; and (b) whether the government is aware that a significant number of Indian students are falling for the deceptive promises of agencies that offer part-time jobs and education overseas.
Country-wise breakdown
Indian student decline is one of the interesting trends, where many countries saw a sharp reduction. Canada alone witnessed a drastic 41% fall in Indian students, from 233,532 in 2023 to 137,608 in 2024. The fall has been partly contributed by Canada’s tightened student visa policy, with more visa refusals and cancellations.
US too saw a downfall, with Indians falling from 234,473 in 2023 to 204,058 in 2024. It can be associated with the political changeover as Donald Trump succeeded Joe Biden as President.
The UK also observed a 28% fall, with students from India totaling 98,890 in 2024, declining from 136,921 in 2023. Australia also observed a decrease from 78,093 Indians in 2023 to 68,572 in 2024.
“Studying overseas is a decision that each person must make for themselves. In response, the ministry stated that the Indian government has established the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) in all Indian Missions and Posts overseas to cover unforeseen expenses for Indian nationals, including Indian students studying overseas.
Rise in Indian students in other countries
While others received fewer Indian students, some had an increase in Indian students. Russia had a 34% growth, where Indian students totaled 31,444 in 2024 from 23,503 in 2023. France also registered a rise, where Indian students were 8,536 in 2024 compared to 6,406 in 2022. Germany also registered a rise, where Indian students were 34,702 in 2024 compared to 20,684 in 2022.
The government of India has set up the Indian Community Welfare Fund to grant financial aid to Indian nationals, including students, in distress abroad.The government urges Indian students to enroll with the Indian Missions/Posts overseas so that they can receive timely help.
The fall in the number of Indian students studying overseas could be due to a number of reasons such as government policy changes, diplomatic strains, and trends in global education.
