Official statistics from London reveal a significant decrease in Indian students pursuing higher education in the UK, with over 21,000 fewer applicants for Master s degrees compared to the previous year. This decline, highlighted by UK Home Office data based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures, marks a 16% drop in Indian student applicants over the year ending December 2023, contributing to a 10% overall decline in net migration compared to 2022. The decrease is attributed to stricter visa regulations affecting students ability to sponsor family dependents, spouses, or children, prompting concerns from universities reliant on overseas student fees.
There was a 16 per cent drop in Indian student applicants over the year ending December 2023 in an overall 10 per cent fall in net migration compared to 2022..