Number of Indians Renouncing Their Citizenship Is Rising

In recent years, a large number of Indians have been giving up their Indian citizenship. Official data shared in Parliament shows that this trend has continued for the past several years. Between 2020 and 2024 alone nearly nine lakh Indians renounced their citizenship. Over the last 14 years, the total number has crossed 20 lakh which clearly shows a steady rise.

The year-wise data highlights this trend clearly. In 2020, about 85,256 Indians gave up their citizenship. The number increased sharply in 2021 to 1,63,370. In 2022, the figure reached its highest point with 2,25,620 people renouncing Indian citizenship. Although the number slightly dropped after that, it still remained very high. In 2023, around 2,16,219 Indians gave up their citizenship, and in 2024, the number stood at 2,06,378.

Most of these people chose to take citizenship of other countries. Many Indians move abroad for better job opportunities, higher education, improved quality of life, or long-term settlement. Countries like the United States, Canada, Australia and some European nations offer easier paths to permanent residency and citizenship which attracts many skilled professionals from India.

The government has clarified that it maintains yearly records of people who renounce Indian citizenship. At the same time, concerns have also been raised about Indian youth being cheated by fake overseas job offers. Many young people are falling into traps set through social media and unregistered agents, especially for Gulf jobs.

To control this, the government has taken steps to warn people and track unregistered agents. Details of such agents are being listed on the e-Migrate portal to protect job seekers from fraud.

Experts say that while people choosing foreign citizenship is a personal decision, the rising numbers show the need to improve job opportunities, work-life balance, and global exposure within India itself. As India continues to grow economically, many hope that more citizens will choose to stay and build their future in the country.