Minorities account for bulk of India's emigrant population

‘Christians, for example, make up 2 per cent of India’s population but an estimated 16 per cent of those who were born in India now reside elsewhere,’ said Pew.

India emerged as the leading country of origin and destination for Hindu migrants globally in 2020, with 7.6 million Hindus born in the country now living elsewhere and about 3 million Hindus born in other nations living in India, according to a new analysis by the Pew Research Center.

According to the report, more than 280 million people, or 3.6 per cent of the world’s population, were living as international migrants in 2020. “Religion plays a significant role in migration patterns, influencing both the departure from the homeland and the reception in the destination country,” the report noted.

The report titled ‘The Religious Composition of the World’s Migrants’ revealed that Christians constitute the largest portion of the global migrant population, accounting for 47 per cent.

The report highlighted Hindus, including those born abroad, are underrepresented among global migrants, constituting only 5 per cent compared to their 15 per cent share of the total population.

The report also highlighted that India is among the countries where emigrants disproportionately belong to religious minorities.

“Christians, for example, make up 2 per cent of India’s population but an estimated 16 per cent of those who were born in India now reside elsewhere,” said Pew.

The report further highlighted that India is the second-largest source of Muslim migrants, with 6 million Muslims living abroad.

“Muslims in India are far more likely to emigrate compared to the Hindu majority. Although Muslims make up just 15 per cent of India’s population, they account for an estimated 33 per cent of all Indian-born migrants,” the report stated.

Most Indian Muslim migrants reside in Muslim-majority countries with job opportunities, including the UAE (1.8 million), Saudi Arabia (1.3 million), and Oman (720,000). 

The majority of migrants from India are located in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, the report said. As many as 9.9 million Indians reside in these nations, as of 2020.

In the GCC regions, where the migrant population has surged by 277 per cent since 1990, most migrants are Muslim (75 per cent), while Hindus and Christians make up 11 per cent and 14 per cent, respectively, the report said.

Pew Research Center said that the analysis is based on data from the United Nations and 270 censuses and surveys, and aims to provide a detailed overview of the religious composition of the world’s migrants. According to the report, migrants often relocate to regions where their religion aligns with that of the native population, possibly due to cultural and religious familiarity.