Over 60k Indian students went to Canada for studies in the first half of 2022

Canada has become the second most sought-after destination for Indian students pursuing academic degrees abroad, boasting a substantial enrollment of 1.83 lakh students.

This prominence is particularly noteworthy in light of an advisory from New Delhi urging vigilance due to a reported “sharp rise” in hate crimes in the country. The United States remains the top destination, hosting 4.65 lakh Indian students, while the United Arab Emirates secures the third position with 1.64 lakh Indian students in its educational institutions.

The surge in the number of Indian students in Canada closely mirrors trends observed in the United States. Ministry of External Affairs data for the first half of 2022 reveals that 64,667 Indians heading abroad for education selected the USA as their destination, closely followed by Canada with 60,258 students. Before the pandemic in 2019, 1,32,620 Indian students had chosen Canada.

The numbers dipped to 43,624 in 2020 amid the COVID-19 outbreak but experienced a substantial rebound, reaching 1,02,688 in 2021, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.