14% more foreign students opt for studying in India in 2021

NEW DELHI: As many as 23,439 foreign students arrived in India in the year 2021 resulting in 14% increase from 20,561 students last year that witnessed a drastic yet fathomable 70% decrease in the number of such students owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the data of the ministry of external affairs on arrival of foreigners on student visa in India.

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Most of these students have traveled from nearby countries such as 3,431 from Afghanistan; 3,565 from Bangladesh; and 1,599 from Sri Lanka, etc.

Around 3.33 lakh foreign students arrived in India from over 160 countries around the world in the last five years, 2016 to 2021, with 2019 witnessing the highest number of foreigners, as per the data. Almost 75,000 students chose India for pursuing their studies in 2019 while 72,268 students came in the year 2018. The previous two years also saw over 70,000 such students.

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Foreigners on student visa in India

According to MEA’s data, other countries from which students arrived on visa in the year 2021 are Nigeria (1,424), Sudan (1,088), Tanzania (1,426), Ethiopia (481), Iran (448), Malaysia (683), Maldives (428), Myanmar (401), Yemen (528), Zimbabwe (600).

Bangladesh and Afghanistan have exported a maximum number of students to India for studies in all these years with 45,520 from Bangladesh and 39,111 Afghan students.

Countries with the least number of students coming to India from 2016 to 2021 are Dominican Republic, Haiti, Hong Kong, Korea (DPR), Macau, Malta, Monaco, Palau, Reunion Islands, Saint Helena, Solomon Islands, Saint Christopher and Nevis.

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While only 44 students came from Pakistan, close to 3000 students arrived from China on student visas during these years.

Moreover, 1,751 students from the United Kingdom have arrived in India in the last five years while 7,851 students came from the United States.