The recent year has seen a shift in the preferred flight destinations for Indian students. The US and Canada are still ranked first and second, respectively, but the UK has overtaken Australia to take third place, up from fourth the year before.
According to the Indian Students Mobility Report 2023, which shows the total number of Indian students studying in different nations in 2022, the UK had the greatest annual growth rate at 49.6%, closely followed by Canada at 46.8%. The US saw notable growth as well, up 18.9%. Australia's 0.7% increase was quite small.
Canada has had the highest number of Indian students three out of the last four years, with the US claiming the top position in 2021. Australia was number 3 and the UK 4 in 2019, 2020 and 2021, which changed in 2022.
Canada had the greatest year-over-year increase rate in 2022, which may indicate that the Covid-19 pandemic had previously caused a decline in the market for student mobility.
“The recent unfolding diplomatic tensions between India and Canada risk disrupting our projections from India. It’s still a developing situation, but our current analysis suggests that student interest will likely remain largely unaffected. Should these tensions impair the Canadian high commission’s visa processing capabilities, a portion of the market may start seeking alternative destinations,” said Maria Mathais, director of the agency that released the report.