16 Lakh Indians Gave Up Citizenship Since 2011, 1.8 Lakh in 2022

This comes amid a World Bank report stating that India will receive a record $100 billion in remittances this year.

Most Indians who gave up their Indian citizenship did so to become US citizens. Lok Sabha was informed that around 78,284 Indians gave up their Indian nationality in 2021 after become US citizens, up from 30,828 in 2020.

(Photo: Aroop Mishra/The Quint) 

As many as 16 lakh Indians renounced their citizenship since 2011, the Centre informed Lok Sabha on Friday, 9 December.

Out of this, 1.83 lakh Indians renounced their citizenship in 2022 itself (till 31 October).

Here is the yearly list of Indians who gave up their citizenship since 2011:

2011: 122,819

2012: 120,923

2013: 131,405

2014: 129,328

2015: 131,489

2016: 141,603

2017: 133,049

2018: 134,561

2019: 144,017

2020: 85,256

2021: 163,370

2022: 183,741 (till 31 October)

Further, the United States (US) has overtaken the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the most favoured destination for Indians for employment.

Most Indians who gave up their Indian citizenship did so to become US citizens. Lok Sabha was informed that around 78,284 Indians gave up their Indian nationality in 2021 after become US citizens, up from 30,828 in 2020.

This comes amid a World Bank report stating that India is expected to receive a record $100 billion in remittances this year.

According to WB data, remittances from the US, the United Kingdom (UK), and Singapore jumped from 26 to 36 percent from 2016-2021, while the same figures from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries fell by half, from 54 to 28 percent.

Further, the number of Indians travelling abroad on various type of visas has also risen this year after two years of COVID-induced slump.

2019: 2,52,71,965

2020: 66,25,080

2021: 77,24864

2022: 1,83,12,602

The number of Indians who left the country for employment:

2019: 25,25,328

2020: 715,733

2021: 833,880

2022: 21,43,873

The number of students who left India for educational purposes:

2019: 586,329

2020: 259,644

2021: 444,574

2022: 648,678

The number of people who left India for business:

2019: 14,67,537

2020: 265,433

2021: 126,611

2022: 464,275

The figures in 2022 indicate a jump from the years impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic i.e. 2020 and 2021, according to the data provided by the Ministry of External Affairs in response to a question in Lok Sabha.

Lok Sabha was also informed that the number of foreigners who have taken Indian citizenship, except nationals of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, on a yearly basis are:

2015: 93

2016: 153

2017: 175

2018: 129

2019: 113

2020: 27

2021: 42

2022: 60