A recent Pew Research Center report has highlighted a significant disparity between the religious makeup of Indians who emigrate and those who remain in India. While Hindus constitute 80% of India’s population, they represent only 41% of the Indian emigrant population. Conversely, Muslims, who make up 15% of the population in India, account for 33% of Indian emigrants. Christians, who are about 2% of India’s population, form 16% of the emigrant community.
According to the report titled ‘Religious Composition of the World’s Migrants,’ Hindu migrants make up just 5% of all international migrants, with approximately 13 million Hindus living abroad as of 2020. Notably, Hindus traveling abroad cover longer distances compared to other groups, averaging 3,100 miles from their country of origin, compared to the 2,200-mile average for international migrants overall.
The United States hosts the largest number of foreign-born Hindus, with 2.6 million residing there, representing 19% of the global Hindu migrant population. Moving from India to the U.S. is a popular route, with about 1.8 million Hindus, or 61% of Indian immigrants in the U.S. as of 2020, choosing this path. Many Hindu immigrants in the U.S. seek better employment opportunities and family reunification and tend to have higher education levels and incomes compared to those who remain in India.
Other notable destinations for Hindu migrants include the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, where they often work temporarily and frequently renew their work permits. If considered as a single region, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries would be the most common destination for Hindus, with roughly 3 million Hindus living there.
In terms of Hindu migrants in other countries, Nepal and Bhutan have the largest communities relative to their populations, though they are not top destinations for Hindu migration. Pakistan and Bangladesh are noted as significant sources of Hindu migrants. Despite their small populations in these countries—8% in Bangladesh and 2% in Pakistan—Hindus make up 21% and 8% of international migrants from these nations, respectively.
