> > South Asian Diaspora >> Overseas Indians >> Reunion
Indians in Reunion Island
India has the largest diaspora in the world and as per the Ministry of External Affairs, there are 3.5 Crores or 35 million Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) residing outside India.
As per the Ministry of External Affairs report, there are 300,159 (3 Lakh) Indians residing in Réunion.
- Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) – 300,000 (3 Lakh)
- Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) – 159
read about Population of Overseas Indians
Source: MEA report about overseas Indian population.
Indian population in Réunion
Indians make up around 25% of the Réunion Islands’ population and population of Indians in Réunion as of 2026 is 3 Lakh. They form two ethnic groups on the island, Malbars (Tamils) and Zarabes (Muslims). In Réunion, Indians from South India, often Hindu, are known as Malbars and Muslim Indians are known as Zarabes. Originally brought in as indentured laborers, mostly from Madras Presidency. The next largest group was from North Indian Hindus, speaking Hindi, Bhojpuri, and Gujarati. The smallest group was Muslims, mostly from Gujarat.
Regions with significant populations
- St André
- St Denis
- St Louis
Religion of Indian population in Réunion Islands
Hinduism in Réunion constitutes a significant part of the island’s population. The island of Réunion is home to approximately 200,000 Indian descendants among the roughly 800,000-strong population. Estimates of practicing Hindus vary from 6.7% to 10.7%. Other religions followed by Indians are Christianity, Islam, Sikh, and Baháʼí faith.
read about religion in Reunion