This article looks at the 18 Countries with Highest Indian Population in the World.
India is the largest country in the world in terms of population, with nearly 1.43 billion people, according to latest estimates. It is also the country with the biggest diaspora, with over 34.3 million overseas Indians as of January 2025, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
The diaspora contributes significantly to the South Asian nation’s economy. India is the largest recipient of global remittances, which account for nearly 3.5% of its GDP, with over one-thirds of the inflow coming from Gulf states.
In March this year, CNBC citing a recent Citi report, quoted India’s remittances inflow at $135.4 billion for 2025, of which 38% came from Gulf countries, which are home to over 9 million Indians.
The diaspora has a profound impact on the American economy as well, with Indians founding new companies that employ thousands of Americans and holding leading executive positions across several large corporations.
Moreover, despite representing under 2% of the U.S. population, the Indian diaspora pays an estimated 5-6% of all income taxes, as per a study by Indiaspora in 2024.
This week, India’s Sun Pharmaceutical Industries announced that it was acquiring New Jersey-based Organon & Co in an $11.75 billion deal. The move is set to lift the drugmaker into the list of the top 25 global pharmaceutical companies.
According to a July 2025 report by Newsweek, 11 companies on the Fortune 500 list were led by Indian-origin executives. This includes Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL), headed by CEO Sundar Pichia. The company’s market capitalization has grown approximately seven times since he assumed charge in 2015.
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Our Methodology
For this article, we have referenced figures available on the website of India’s Ministry of External Affairs for the population of overseas Indians as of January 2025. From there, we selected the top 18 countries with the highest Indian population and ranked them in ascending order. Both Person of Indian Origin (PIO) and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) are part of the count.
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18 Countries with Highest Indian Population in the World
18. Bahrain
Overseas Indians: 346,856
Indians form the largest expatriate community in Bahrain and represent around 30% of the country’s population. A majority of them belong to Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and are mainly employed in the construction and maintenance sectors.
17. Germany
Overseas Indians: 450,390
Germany is next on our list of countries with the highest Indian population in the world. There has been a significant uptick in the number of Indian workers in the European country since the signing of the 2022 Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement between India and Germany.
16. Singapore
Overseas Indians: 457,180
Indians form a large and well-integrated community in Singapore, with a population of nearly half a million of people. The country has a vibrant neighborhood called Little India, that is popular for its Indian cuisine, colorful streets, and temples.
15. Trinidad & Tobago
Overseas Indians: 549,545
As of January 2025, there are an estimated 549,545 overseas Indians in Trinidad and Tobago, representing over one-thirds of the Caribbean nation’s overall population. It is 15th on the list of countries with the highest Indian population in the world.
14. Oman
Overseas Indians: 662,053
Oman serves as a home away from home for 662,053 Indians, forming the largest expatriate community in the Gulf state. The diaspora has played a significant role in the country’s economic and social fabric for the past several decades.
13. Nepal
Overseas Indians: 700,000
Nepal and India share an approximately 1,751 kilometer long border that has remained open for over 75 years, allowing easy travel access to people from both countries. A majority of the immigrant population in Nepal comprises Indians.
12. Qatar
Overseas Indians: 830,491
Next on our list of countries with the highest Indian population is Qatar, with over 830,000 people who form the largest expatriate community in the country. The Indian workforce is considered vital to Qatar’s economy due to their involvement across various sectors, including construction, energy, IT, and finance.
11. Mauritius
Overseas Indians: 897,497
During the 19th century, thousands of Indian laborers were brought to Mauritius to work on sugarcane plantations. As of January 2025, the country has 897,497 overseas Indians, of which an overwhelming 97% are categorized as Person of Indian Origin, with just over 26,000 being Non-Resident Indians.
10. Australia
Overseas Indians: 976,000
Australia is home to a large Indian community of nearly a million people. The figure has more than doubled since 2014 and continues to expand at a rapid pace. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs, Indian-born people represent around 3.4% of the country’s population and are the second largest migrant community.
9. Kuwait
Overseas Indians: 1,010,317
Kuwait is ninth on the list of countries with the highest Indian population in the world with over a million people, representing the largest expatriate group in the country and accounting for over one-fifth of the country’s overall population.
8. United Kingdom
Overseas Indians: 1,339,969
Indians form the largest ethnic minority group in the United Kingdom, with a population of over 1.3 million people, as of January 2025, which roughly represents 2.5% of the overall population. Indians are highly concentrated in cities such as Leicester and London, and are a vital part of the country’s workforce.
7. South Africa
Overseas Indians: 1,392,488
Next on our list of countries with the highest Indian population in the world is South Africa, with nearly 1.4 million people. Around 95% of them are categorized as Person of Indian Origin, a majority of which are descendants of indentured workers who arrived 1860 onwards to work on sugar plantations.
6. Sri Lanka
Overseas Indians: 1,607,500
Sri Lanka boasts a large overseas Indians population of over 1.6 million people, with an overwhelming majority of these being persons of Indian origin. Only 7,500 of the total are categorized as Non-Resident Indians.
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