Over the past year, there has been a shift in the preferred destinations for Indian students. According to The Indian Students Mobility Report 2023, while Canada and the US remain the top choices, Australia has ceded ground to the UK, rising to the third position from its original fourth. The report, providing an overall count of Indian students studying abroad in 2022, indicates that the UK saw the most significant year-over-year growth at 49.6 percent, followed by Canada at 46.8 percent. Australia saw a relatively mild surge of 0.7 percent, while the US witnessed growth at 18.9 percent.
Canada has been the primary choice for Indian students in three out of the last four years, with the US securing the top spot in 2021. Australia held the third position, and the UK was fourth in 2019, 2020, and 2021-a ranking that shifted in 2022. In 2022, Canada exhibited the highest year-on-year growth rate, indicating a surge in demand in the student mobility market following potential drops due to the COVID-19 pandemic in previous years. Concerns about diplomatic tensions between India and Canada potentially affecting projections have been raised, with the suggestion that student interest may remain largely unaffected.
Over the past five years (since 2018), Canada has augmented its intake from India by over 86%, almost doubling its numbers. Projections indicate a potential slight decline in momentum for Canada in the coming years. Meanwhile, Australia’s standing as a top international student destination has gradually diminished over the past five years. Although it held the second position until 2019 for total international students, it slipped to the fourth spot in 2021. Concerning Indian students heading to Australia, it descended to the third spot in 2019 and further to the fourth place in 2022.
