Shocker: 9 Lakh Indians Gave Up Citizenship: Here’s Why?

The volume of the Indian population, travelling abroad for better employment opportunities and higher studies has been going up almost on a yearly basis. Now it is shocking to note that Indians have been giving up their passport as well at an aggravated pace.

Nearly nine lakh Indians have renounced their Indian citizenship over the last five years, according to data shared by the Ministry of External Affairs. The figures reveal a steady and significant outflow, especially after the pandemic period.

In 2019, around 1.4 lakh Indians gave up their citizenship. The numbers dipped in 2020 to 85,300, largely due to global travel restrictions and disruptions caused by Covid. However, the trend sharply reversed in 2021, with 1.63 lakh people surrendering their Indian passports.

The highest spike was recorded in 2022, when 2.25 lakh Indians renounced their citizenship. The numbers remained high in the following years as well. In 2023, about 2.16 lakh people gave up Indian nationality, and in 2024 the figure stood at 2.06 lakh.

Overall, the data shows that nearly nine lakh Indians have chosen foreign citizenship between 2019 and 2024. While the pandemic temporarily slowed the numbers, the post Covid period witnessed a sharp surge.

The consistent rise over the last three years suggests a continuing trend of Indians settling abroad and formally adopting citizenship in other countries for work, business, education, or long term residency opportunities.