Country explorer: India

EXPERIMENTAL
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Overview

India is a vast, lower-middle-income country in South Asia with a very large population. Its economy has grown rapidly in recent decades, and is based on it, agriculture and manufacturing.

India has the largest democracy in the world, with over 1.3 billion people participating in elections.

Economy

India has experienced notable economic growth and transformation, reflected in steady improvements in GDP per capita, significant shifts in the distribution of the population across different poverty thresholds—indicating a reduction in poverty, stable but gradually decreasing unemployment rates compared to some fluctuations in its peers, and managed inflation rates, aligning it with global trends towards economic stability and growth.

Demographics

India has experienced significant demographic shifts, including a substantial population increase, a gradual decline in fertility rates, improvements in life expectancy, and fluctuations in net migration, showcasing its transitions in socio-economic conditions, health improvements, and migration trends, which mirror the challenges and progress similar to other rapidly developing countries.

Basic needs

India has made significant strides in improving basic needs for its citizens, with notable increases in access to clean fuels for cooking, electricity, and safely managed sanitation facilities, demonstrating a marked advancement towards sustainable living conditions, albeit lagging behind its peers like China and Brazil in certain aspects.

Human development

India has made significant strides in human development as reflected by improvements in the Human Development Index, a substantial reduction in child mortality rates, increased literacy rates, and higher learning-adjusted years of schooling, indicating robust enhancements in health, education, and overall living standards, akin to its emerging market peers.

Environment & energy

Like peer nations, India has greatly expanded use of coal for electricity generation, however its per-capita emissions are much lower than peers. This is because, despite progress on poverty reduction, much of India's population lives at poverty levels characterised by low personal energy use.

Technology & innovation

India has demonstrated a remarkable transformation in technology and innovation, characterized by exponential growth in internet usage, widespread mobile connectivity, stable but modest investments in research and development, and a steady increase in scientific publications, aligning its trajectory with global digitalization trends albeit at a unique pace reflective of its own development context.

Culture & society

India has experienced significant socio-cultural transformations characterized by a stable but low percentage of the population born in another country, notable improvements in gender equality despite persistent inequalities, a decline in life satisfaction, and a decreasing but still high age dependency ratio, illustrating efforts towards development while grappling with challenges common among lower-middle-income countries.

Governance

India has experienced a notable decline in governance standards, as evidenced by decreases in its rule of law, corruption perception, political civil liberties, and press freedom indices, positioning it as a country facing significant challenges in maintaining democratic governance and civil freedoms amidst its peers.

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