Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in India instead of Afghanistan, you would:

Health

live 13.6 years longer

In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 54 years (52 years for men, 55 years for women) as of 2022. In India, that number is 67 years (65 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2022.

be 29.1% less likely to be obese

In Afghanistan, 5.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In India, that number is 3.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 4.6 times more money

Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $2,000 as of 2022, while in India, the GDP per capita is $9,200 as of 2023.

be 71.0% less likely to be unemployed

In Afghanistan, 14.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In India, that number is 4.2% as of 2023.

be 59.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Afghanistan, 54.5% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In India, however, that number is 21.9% as of 2011.

pay a 77.7% higher top tax rate

Afghanistan has a top tax rate of 20.0% as of 2016. In India, the top tax rate is 35.5% as of 2016.

Life

be 83.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In Afghanistan, approximately 620.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In India, 103.0 women do as of 2020.

be 99.5% more likely to be literate

In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In India, it is 74.4% as of 2018.

be 71.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Afghanistan, approximately 104.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In India, on the other hand, 30.3 children do as of 2022.

have 52.6% fewer children

In Afghanistan, there are approximately 34.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In India, there are 16.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 16.3% more likely to have access to electricity

In Afghanistan, approximately 85% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2022. In India, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 2.6 times more likely to have internet access

In Afghanistan, approximately 18.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In India, about 46.0% do as of 2021.

be 24.8% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Afghanistan, approximately 76% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 68% in rural areas) as of 2020. In India, that number is 96% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 80.6% less on healthcare

Afghanistan spends 15.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In India, that number is 3.0% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 55.2% more on education

Afghanistan spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. India spends 4.5% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Afghanistan Revenue Department, Ministry of Finance, Government of India.

India: At a glance

India is a sovereign country in South Asia, with a total land area of approximately 2,973,193 sq km. The Indus Valley civilization, one of the world's oldest, flourished during the 3rd and 2nd millennia B.C. and extended into northwestern India. Aryan tribes from the northwest infiltrated the Indian subcontinent about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. The Maurya Empire of the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. - which reached its zenith under ASHOKA - united much of South Asia. The Golden Age ushered in by the Gupta dynasty (4th to 6th centuries A.D.) saw a flowering of Indian science, art, and culture. Islam spread across the subcontinent over a period of 700 years. In the 10th and 11th centuries, Turks and Afghans invaded India and established the Delhi Sultanate. In the early 16th century, the Emperor BABUR established the Mughal Dynasty which ruled India for more than three centuries. European explorers began establishing footholds in India during the 16th century. By the 19th century, Great Britain had become the dominant political power on the subcontinent. The British Indian Army played a vital role in both World Wars. Years of nonviolent resistance to British rule, led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU, eventually resulted in Indian independence, which was granted in 1947. Large-scale communal violence took place before and after the subcontinent partition into two separate states - India and Pakistan. The neighboring nations have fought three wars since independence, the last of which was in 1971 and resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. India's nuclear weapons tests in 1998 emboldened Pakistan to conduct its own tests that same year. In November 2008, terrorists originating from Pakistan conducted a series of coordinated attacks in Mumbai, India's financial capital. Despite pressing problems such as significant overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and widespread corruption, economic growth following the launch of economic reforms in 1991 and a massive youthful population are driving India's emergence as a regional and global power.
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How big is India compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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