Over 2 Lakh Indians Giving Up Citizenship Annually, Shows Parliament Data; Sharp Rise Since 2021

In a significant revelation, the government informed Parliament on Thursday that an average of two lakh Indians are renouncing their citizenship every year, with a notable surge since 2021. The data highlights a steady trend of Indians acquiring foreign nationality.

Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh stated that approximately 9 lakh Indians have given up their citizenship in the last five years alone. Taking a longer view, the number stands at a staggering 21 lakh since 2011. While the figure dipped to around 85,000 during the pandemic year of 2020, it swiftly rebounded to nearly 2 lakh annually in the following years.

This update was part of several key announcements made in Parliament during the ongoing Winter Session, which is set to continue until December 19.

Middle East Evacuations and Other Key Updates

In other important disclosures:

Evacuations: The government successfully evacuated 5,945 Indian citizens from Middle East countries over three years due to security threats. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar cited ‘Operation Ajay’ from Israel and ‘Operation Sindhu’ related to the Iran-Israel situation. The mortal remains of 45 Indians from the Kuwait fire tragedy were also repatriated.

Education Push: Nominated Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murty proposed a constitutional amendment (Article 21B) to guarantee free and compulsory education and care for all children aged 3 to 6 years, emphasizing the need to strengthen the Anganwadi system.

Drug Quality: Health Minister JP Nadda shared that out of 1.16 lakh drug samples tested in 2024-25, 3,104 were sub-standard and 245 were fake. Over 960 manufacturing units have been inspected since 2022, leading to more than 860 regulatory actions.

Foreign Service: The strength of the Indian Foreign Service stands at 954 officers as of December 1, 2025, including 263 women officers.

Defence Land: Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth reported that 11,152 acres of defence land are currently under encroachment. A separate 45,906 acres have been declared surplus for potential transfer.

The government’s data provides a comprehensive snapshot of these critical administrative and citizen-related issues, with the rising number of citizenship renunciations standing out as a key demographic trend.