India vs The World

The numbers that reveal the harsh truth. While others progress, we stagnate.

"You people are living off your ancestors' glory. You keep talking about what Ashoka did, what Akbar built. What have YOU done? In 75 years, only one thing has been consistent - corruption."

Chanakya (If He Saw Today's India)

Global Rankings: Where India Stands

Lower rank = Better performance

MetricIndiaChinaUSAJapanGermany
GDP Per Capita1427282518
Corruption Index4045697378
Ease of Doing Business633162922
Human Development Index1327921209

Economic Power: The Great Divide

GDP Per Capita (USD)

India vsComparison Country

India's GDP Per Capita

$2,380
32x lower than USA | 5x lower than China

China's Progress

12,556
5.3x higher than India

Singapore's Achievement

$72,794
32x higher than India

The Reality Check

India's GDP per capita is $2,380. Singapore's is $72,794. That's a 32-fold difference. China, which started from similar conditions, now has a GDP per capita 5 times higher than India. While we celebrate being the "fastest growing economy," we forget that we're growing from an abysmally low base. This is not progress. This is catching up to where we should have been decades ago.

China: The Mirror We Refuse to Look Into

GDP Per Capita

5.3x
China is 5.3x richer per person

Poverty Rate

0.6%
India: 21.9% (36x higher)

Literacy Rate

96.8%
India: 77.7%

Life Expectancy

77.3 years
India: 70.8 years (5.7 years more)

Healthcare Spending

5.4% of GDP
India: 3.2% (2.3x more)

Research Output

23.4%
India: 4.2% (4x more)

The China Story We Ignore

China and India started from similar positions in 1947. Both were poor, agrarian economies with massive populations. Both faced corruption and inefficiency. Both had similar GDP per capita.

But while China transformed itself through decisive action, infrastructure investment, and ruthless efficiency, India remained trapped in the quagmire of democracy without accountability. China lifted 800 million people out of poverty. India still has 270 million people in poverty.

China's leaders, despite being communists, delivered results. They built world-class infrastructure. They created manufacturing powerhouses. They became a global superpower. Meanwhile, India's "democratic" leaders delivered promises, speeches, and excuses. The result? China is a superpower. India is still a developing nation with delusions of grandeur.

Corruption: The Cancer That Eats Us

Corruption Perception Index (Higher = Less Corrupt)

India vsComparison

India scores 40 out of 100 on the Corruption Perception Index. Singapore scores 83. The USA scores 69. Even China, with its authoritarian system, scores better at 45. Corruption in India is not an exception, it's the rule. From the highest offices to the lowest bureaucrats, the system is designed to extract money from the people. And we accept it. We normalize it. We vote for the same corrupt politicians again and again.

Health & Education: The Human Cost

Life Expectancy (Years)

India vsComparison

Literacy Rate (%)

India vsComparison

India's Life Expectancy

70.8 years
Japan: 84.6 years (13.8 years more)

Literacy Rate

77.7%
Singapore: 97%

Healthcare Spending

3.2% of GDP
Germany: 11.2% (3.8x more)

Education Spending

3.1% of GDP
Japan: 3.2% (same)

Singapore: How a Small Nation Became a Superpower

GDP Per Capita

$72,794
32x higher than India

Corruption Index

83
India: 40 (2x less corrupt)

Global Ranking

HDI: 11th
India: 132nd (out of 191)

The Singapore Model

Singapore started with nothing in 1965. No natural resources, tiny land area, diverse population. Yet today it has the highest GDP per capita in Asia and one of the lowest corruption rates globally.

Their success wasn't accidental. It was built on: ruthless anti-corruption measures, merit-based governance, long-term planning, heavy investment in education and infrastructure, and a government that works for the people. No excuses, no corruption, no caste politics. Just results.

More Rankings: India's Shameful Global Position

MetricIndiaChinaUSATotal Countries
Press Freedom161st179th45th180
Gender Equality127th102nd27th146
Hunger Index111th25th16th125
Internet Speed89th15th8th140
Innovation Index46th11th2nd132

Why the China Comparison Hurts: We Started Together, They Left Us Behind

1947: The Starting Point

India

  • GDP per capita: Similar to China
  • Poverty: Similar levels
  • Infrastructure: Similar state
  • Education: Similar levels
  • Democracy: Just achieved

China

  • GDP per capita: Similar to India
  • Poverty: Similar levels
  • Infrastructure: Similar state
  • Education: Similar levels
  • Communism: Just established

2024: The Reality

India

  • GDP per capita: $2,380
  • Poverty: 21.9% (270 million)
  • Infrastructure: Still developing
  • Education: 72nd in quality
  • Democracy: Corrupt and broken

China

  • GDP per capita: $12,556 (5.3x higher)
  • Poverty: 0.6% (8 million)
  • Infrastructure: World-class
  • Education: Top 10 globally
  • Communism: Delivered results

The Hard Truth: China and India started from the same place. Both were poor, agrarian, and backward. But while China transformed itself through decisive action, infrastructure investment, and ruthless efficiency, India remained trapped in the quagmire of democracy without accountability. China lifted 800 million people out of poverty. India still has 270 million in poverty. The difference is not in the system, it's in the will to act. China had the will. India had excuses.

"When you compare India to the world, the gap is not just economic, it's civilizational. We have fallen so far behind that catching up seems impossible. But it's not impossible. It's just that we refuse to try."

Reality Check