India and China
Every measure where both countries carry a figure — 36 of them. India is ahead on 10 and behind on 26.
“Ahead” means better on that measure’s own terms: higher where higher is better, lower where lower is better. The years can differ between the two countries, because coverage is ragged — each figure carries its own.
Other comparisons
United States · Japan · Germany · Brazil · Indonesia · South Africa · Vietnam · Bangladesh · Pakistan · Sri Lanka · Nepal · all twelve at once
Economy
| Measure | India | China | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GDP, current US$ US$ | $4.0T 2025 | $19.5T 2025 | ▼ 4.9× |
| GDP growth % per year | 7.6% 2025 | 5.0% 2025 | ▲ 1.5× |
| GNI per capita, Atlas method US$ | $2,760 2025 | $14,230 2025 | ▼ 5.2× |
| GDP per capita, PPP international $ | $11,748 2025 | $29,333 2025 | ▼ 2.5× |
| Consumer price inflation % per year | 2.4% 2025 | 0.1% 2025 | ▼ 40.3× |
| Foreign direct investment, net inflows US$ | $39B 2025 | $80B 2025 | ▼ 2.0× |
| Unemployment rate % of labour force | 4.2% 2025 | 4.6% 2025 | ▲ 1.1× |
| External debt stock US$ | $716B 2024 | $2.4T 2024 | ▲ 3.4× |
Governance
| Measure | India | China | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corruption Perceptions Index | 39 2025 | 43 2024 | ▼ 1.1× |
| World Press Freedom Index | 32 2026 | 78.7 2021 | ▼ 2.5× |
| Voice and accountability estimate (−2.5 to +2.5) | -0.079 2024 | -1.65 2024 | ▲ 20.9× |
| Rule of law estimate (−2.5 to +2.5) | -0.039 2024 | -0.579 2024 | ▲ 14.8× |
| Control of corruption estimate (−2.5 to +2.5) | -0.295 2024 | 0.089 2024 | ▼ |
| Government effectiveness estimate (−2.5 to +2.5) | 0.405 2024 | 0.896 2024 | ▼ 2.2× |
| Regulatory quality estimate (−2.5 to +2.5) | -0.096 2024 | -0.071 2024 | ▼ 1.3× |
| Political stability and absence of violence estimate (−2.5 to +2.5) | -0.786 2024 | -0.153 2024 | ▼ 5.1× |
| Electoral democracy 0–1 | 0.377 2025 | 0.072 2025 | ▲ 5.2× |
| Liberal democracy 0–1 | 0.26 2025 | 0.039 2025 | ▲ 6.7× |
| Political corruption 0–1 (higher is worse) | 0.684 2025 | 0.554 2025 | ▼ 1.2× |
| Public sector corruption 0–1 (higher is worse) | 0.692 2025 | 0.498 2025 | ▼ 1.4× |
| Executive corruption 0–1 (higher is worse) | 0.688 2025 | 0.534 2025 | ▼ 1.3× |
| Freedom of expression 0–1 | 0.458 2025 | 0.045 2025 | ▲ 10.2× |
| Judicial checks on government 0–1 | 0.667 2025 | 0.03 2025 | ▲ 22.2× |
Society
| Measure | India | China | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women's political participation 0–1 | 0.708 2025 | 0.81 2025 | ▼ 1.1× |
| Women in the Lok Sabha % of lower-chamber seats | 13.8% 2025 | 26.5% 2025 | ▼ 1.9× |
| Homicide rate per 100,000 people | 2.82 2022 | 0.502 2020 | ▼ 5.6× |
| Under-five mortality % of children dying before age 5 | 3.6% 2019 | 0.8% 2019 | ▼ 4.2× |
| Human Development Index | 0.685 2023 | 0.797 2023 | ▼ 1.2× |
| Global Hunger Index | 25.8 2025 | 2.5 2021 | ▲ 10.3× |
| World Happiness Report | 4.54 2026 | 6.07 2025 | ▼ 1.3× |
| Life expectancy at birth years | 72.2 2024 | 78 2024 | ▼ 1.1× |
Environment
| Measure | India | China | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renewable share of electricity % of generation | 24.1% 2025 | 37.0% 2025 | ▼ 1.5× |
| Solar generation TWh | 196 2025 | 1,175 2025 | ▼ 6.0× |
Digital
| Measure | India | China | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adults with a bank account % of adults 15+ | 89.0% 2024 | 89.4% 2024 | ▼ 1.0× |
| Mobile subscriptions per 100 people | 79.4 2024 | 131.8 2024 | ▼ 1.7× |
| Individuals using the internet % of population | 70.0% 2025 | 91.6% 2025 | ▼ 1.3× |