According to the 2017 International Migration Report released by the United Nations, India tops the list of people living abroad at 17 million with approximately 5 million Indians residing in the Gulf region alone.
In 2017, India was the largest country of origin of international migrants at 17 million, followed by Mexico at 13 million, Russia at 11 million, China at 10 million, Bangladesh at 7 million, Syria at 7 million and Pakistan and Ukraine at 6 million each. International migration is a critical concern for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the report said.
The report shows that international migration makes an important contribution to population growth in many parts of the world and even reverses population decline in some countries or areas. Between 2000 and 2015, migration contributed 42 percent of the population growth in Northern America and 31 per cent in Oceania. In Europe, the size of the total population would have declined during the period 2000-2015 in the absence of migration, says Business Line quoting from the report.
