More than 66%, or 8.88 million, of the 13.4 million non-resident Indians (NRIs) live in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, according to India’s External Affairs Ministry.

The number of NRIs in the UAE stands at 3.41 million, followed by 2.59 million in Saudi Arabia, 1.02 million in Kuwait, 740,000 in Qatar, 770,000 in Oman and 320,000 in Bahrain.

These NRIs are based in 210 countries, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, citing the ministry statement.

The US has 1.28 million NRIs, while the UK has 350,000. The number of NRIs in Australia is 240,000, with 220,000 in Malaysia and 170,0000 in Canada.

The data is as of March 2022, the ministry clarified.

An NRI is an Indian citizen who lives outside India but holds an Indian passport.   

(Editing by Brinda Darasha; brinda.darasha@lseg.com)