Where does India stand in comparison to the countries that became independent and other developed countries in the same time period?
Where does India stand in comparison to the countries that became independent and other developed countries in the same time period?
India completes 75 years of independence It is August 15th. Every country including India has made progress in the last 75 years, so it becomes imperative to compare India’s relative progress with other countries. A look at India’s performance across multiple indicators, before and now, along with a specific group of countries*
In the following chart (black circle) indicates India, (yellow circle) indicates BRICS, (light purple circle) indicates emerging economies, (lavender circle) indicates Indian subcontinent and (light blue circle) indicates ) indicates G7 countries.
Population: 1960 vs 2021
The population of India increased from 4,505 lakh in 1960 to 13,934 lakh by 2021. While its population has ranked second during this period, it is now catching up with China, the most populous country. Compared to 32 countries, the population of the United Arab Emirates has increased significantly (from 92,000 to 99.9 million in 1960) mostly due to migration. Graph population in lakhs. reflects in
Hover over the chart to find the exact figures
Charts appear incomplete. Click To remove amp mode
HDI: 1950 vs 2019
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a measure of life expectancy, access to education, and standard of living. The graph shows HDI measured on a scale from 0 (worst) to 1 (best). India’s HDI improved from 0.11 in 1950 to 0.64 in 2019. Despite the overall progress, its ranking fell from 26th to 28th in select countries. Two countries – Indonesia and Saudi Arabia overtook India
GDP per capita: 1960s vs. 2020s
India ranks 24th out of the selected 26 countries in GDP per capita. Its ranking remained unchanged in 1960 and 2020. While Indonesia lagged behind India in the 1960s, it moved ahead by 2020. The graph shows GDP ($) per capita which is the sum of the gross value added by all resident producers to the economy. divided by mid-year population
IMR: 1960-75 vs 2020
In 1960, with an infant mortality rate (IMR) of 161.8, India was ranked 26th out of 32 countries. Its IMR was better than Turkey, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Egypt, Nepal and Pakistan. The graph shows the IMR which is the number of babies who die before their first birthday per 1,000 live births. By 2020, India’s IMR increased to 27, but except Pakistan, the above five countries surpassed India
Women in Parliament (%): 1997-98 vs 2021
Despite seeing many women in political leadership positions, India’s relative growth in the share of women in parliament has been slow, with many countries outpacing India. From 7% in 1997, the share doubled to 14% in 2021. Compared to 31 countries, India is ranked 27th, slightly ahead of Hungary. Notably, India had a better rank (20) in 1997
Net Migration: 1960 vs 2017
India has always been a country of net migration. That is, it sends more people out than what goes in. However, over the past five decades, migration has accelerated. In 2017, India had the highest number of out-migrants among the 31 countries considered. In the 1960s, 11 countries had more migrants than India. Graph shows net migration, in-migration minus out-migration (in lakhs)
Access to Electricity: 1993- 2000 vs. 2020
In 1993, only 51% of India’s population had access to electricity. It was ranked 29th out of 32 countries. In 2020, India ranked 3rd at 26th place, beating Indonesia, Philippines, Bangladesh, Nepal, South Africa and Pakistan. The graph shows the share of the population with access to electricity, in %
Internet users: 1990 vs. 2020
Of the 32 countries, only the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Japan and Italy are believed to have Internet access in 1990. But by 2020, internet access was widespread with 43% of Indians. India is ranked 28th in 2020 ahead of Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The graph shows the percentage of the population with Internet access in %.
CO2 Emissions: 1990 Vs 2019
India’s per capita carbon dioxide emissions over the past three decades have been much lower than other countries. But among the 32 countries considered, its status declined by two places between 1990 and 2019. It was the 6th lowest emitter in 1990 and the 8th lowest emitter till 2019. Colombia and the Philippines outperformed India in this period. The graph shows C02 emissions per capita in metric tons
Electricity from Renewable Resources: 1971 Vs 2015
India’s electricity generation has grown slowly from renewable resources such as wind, biomass and biofuels. In 1971, its account was yet to be opened. As of 2015, 5.3% of India’s electricity was produced using renewable sources, ranking it 15th out of 30 countries. The graph shows the share of electricity produced using renewable resources excluding hydroelectricity (in %)
*Select Countries: BRIC (Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa), G7 Countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom and United States), emerging economies (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates) and Indian subcontinent (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka)
Source: Ourworldindata, World Bank
Read also: a try with the past