GeoRealityMatch

The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to parts of the country, and all but essential travel to other areas. FCDO travel advice, read 29 October 2026.

Beautiful view of the Lotus Temple surrounded by lush greenery, a masterpiece of modern architecture in New Delhi.Beautiful view of Safdarjung's Tomb and garden, showcasing Mughal architecture under a clear blue sky.

India

Asia · Southern Asia

Medium safetyVery affordable cost of livingMedium development

The air is polluted.

BackpackerVery affordable cost of living.
vs Pakistanvs Bangladeshvs Sri Lanka
Safety

126th most peaceful of 161

Global Peace Index
2.409lower is more peacefulMedium safety
#126 of 161
IEP GPI · 2026
Homicides
2.8per 100,000 people a yearModerateUNODC / World Bank · 2022
Safety index
55.8Numbeo's safety index, higher is saferModerateNumbeo · 2026
Money

Incomes below the median country

GNI per person
$2,760national income per person, US dollarsLow
World Bank · 2025
Rent index
4.3New York = 100Very affordableNumbeo · 2026
Property price to income
11.0years of median income to buy a median flatAffordableNumbeo · 2026

Income and inflation over time

Income per person rose 237% in current dollars from 2006 to 2025, and rose 150% after inflation.

GDP per person, current US$At purchasing power parityInflation

$0$6.0K$12K$11,748 PPP$2,702Inflation, % a year12%0200620102015202020252006, $802 a person, $3,128 at PPP, inflation 5.8%2007, $1,022 a person, $3,407 at PPP, inflation 6.4%2008, $993 a person, $3,529 at PPP, inflation 8.3%2009, $1,095 a person, $3,775 at PPP, inflation 10.9%2010, $1,348 a person, $4,086 at PPP, inflation 12%2011, $1,445 a person, $4,327 at PPP, inflation 8.9%2012, $1,429 a person, $4,681 at PPP, inflation 9.5%2013, $1,433 a person, $4,870 at PPP, inflation 10%2014, $1,554 a person, $5,042 at PPP, inflation 6.7%2015, $1,584 a person, $5,269 at PPP, inflation 4.9%2016, $1,708 a person, $5,634 at PPP, inflation 4.9%2017, $1,950 a person, $5,968 at PPP, inflation 3.3%2018, $1,966 a person, $6,522 at PPP, inflation 3.9%2019, $2,041 a person, $6,945 at PPP, inflation 3.7%2020, $1,907 a person, $6,766 at PPP, inflation 6.6%2021, $2,240 a person, $7,819 at PPP, inflation 5.1%2022, $2,280 a person, $8,941 at PPP, inflation 6.7%2023, $2,434 a person, $9,853 at PPP, inflation 5.6%2024, $2,592 a person, $10,719 at PPP, inflation 5%2025, $2,702 a person, $11,748 at PPP, inflation 2.4%$0$6.0K$12KInflation, % a year12%0200620102015202020252006, $802 a person, $3,128 at PPP, inflation 5.8%2007, $1,022 a person, $3,407 at PPP, inflation 6.4%2008, $993 a person, $3,529 at PPP, inflation 8.3%2009, $1,095 a person, $3,775 at PPP, inflation 10.9%2010, $1,348 a person, $4,086 at PPP, inflation 12%2011, $1,445 a person, $4,327 at PPP, inflation 8.9%2012, $1,429 a person, $4,681 at PPP, inflation 9.5%2013, $1,433 a person, $4,870 at PPP, inflation 10%2014, $1,554 a person, $5,042 at PPP, inflation 6.7%2015, $1,584 a person, $5,269 at PPP, inflation 4.9%2016, $1,708 a person, $5,634 at PPP, inflation 4.9%2017, $1,950 a person, $5,968 at PPP, inflation 3.3%2018, $1,966 a person, $6,522 at PPP, inflation 3.9%2019, $2,041 a person, $6,945 at PPP, inflation 3.7%2020, $1,907 a person, $6,766 at PPP, inflation 6.6%2021, $2,240 a person, $7,819 at PPP, inflation 5.1%2022, $2,280 a person, $8,941 at PPP, inflation 6.7%2023, $2,434 a person, $9,853 at PPP, inflation 5.6%2024, $2,592 a person, $10,719 at PPP, inflation 5%2025, $2,702 a person, $11,748 at PPP, inflation 2.4%

World Bank: GDP per person in current US dollars and at PPP, real GDP per person, consumer price inflation. Observed years only.

Health

Around the middle for life expectancy

Life expectancy
72.2years, at birthModerate
#117 of 195
World Bank · 2024
Health coverage
69WHO universal health coverage index, 0 to 100LowWHO · 2023
Air pollution
42.5PM2.5, micrograms per cubic metre, national averageVery highWHO · 2023
Work and internet

Fast home internet

Unemployment rate
4.2%share of the labour force without a jobWorld Bank · 2025
Home internet
62 Mbpsmedian download speedFastOokla Speedtest · 2025
English proficiency
484EF English Proficiency Index scoreLowEF EPI · 2025

Internet speeds

Home internet62 MbpsFast
Mobile129 MbpsFast

Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median download speed, ranked among the countries Ookla lists.

Beautiful view of Safdarjung's Tomb and garden, showcasing Mughal architecture under a clear blue sky.
How it changed

India's Human Development Index

0.685Medium human development

130th of 193 in UNDP's 2023 ranking, 35th of 43 in Asia.

UNDP builds the index from three dimensions: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and a decent standard of living. They are measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita. UNDP Human Development Report 2025.

Nearest countries by HDI

  1. #129Tuvalu0.689
  2. #130Bangladesh0.685
  3. #130India0.685
  4. #132El Salvador0.678
  5. #133Equatorial Guinea0.674
Full HDI ranking, all 193 countries

HDI since 1990

Year by year

Human development rose from 0.446 in 1990 to 0.685 in 2023.

0.400.570.750.68519902000201020231990: 0.4461991: 0.4481992: 0.4531993: 0.4581994: 0.4631995: 0.4691996: 0.4761997: 0.4821998: 0.4881999: 0.4962000: 0.5012001: 0.5112002: 0.5162003: 0.5292004: 0.5382005: 0.5472006: 0.5572007: 0.5662008: 0.5742009: 0.5792010: 0.5902011: 0.6032012: 0.6092013: 0.6152014: 0.6252015: 0.6332016: 0.6442017: 0.6492018: 0.6482019: 0.6512020: 0.6522021: 0.6472022: 0.6762023: 0.6850.400.570.7519902000201020231990: 0.4461991: 0.4481992: 0.4531993: 0.4581994: 0.4631995: 0.4691996: 0.4761997: 0.4821998: 0.4881999: 0.4962000: 0.5012001: 0.5112002: 0.5162003: 0.5292004: 0.5382005: 0.5472006: 0.5572007: 0.5662008: 0.5742009: 0.5792010: 0.5902011: 0.6032012: 0.6092013: 0.6152014: 0.6252015: 0.6332016: 0.6442017: 0.6492018: 0.6482019: 0.6512020: 0.6522021: 0.6472022: 0.6762023: 0.685

UNDP Human Development Report, 2025 edition. 34 annual values, none interpolated.

Twenty years here

Year by yearThe world report
Life expectancy at birth
72.2 years2024at birthUp 7.3 years from 64.9 years in 2005
Internet users
70%2025of people onlineUp 67 points from 3% in 2006
Urban population
36%2025of people in towns and citiesUp 6 points from 29% in 2006
Births per woman
1.962024births per womanDown 1 from 2.96 in 2005
Renewable share of energy
35%2021of energy usedDown 10 points from 45% in 2004
Access to electricity
100%2024of people with electricityUp 31 points from 69% in 2005
Infant mortality
232024deaths before age one, per 1,000 birthsDown 33 from 57 in 2005
CO2 emissions per person
2.2 t2024of CO2 per person a yearUp 1.1 t from 1.1 t in 2005
Forest area
25%2023of land under forestUp 2 points from 23% in 2004

World Bank, from the first to the last observed year of each indicator; each has its own window.

Our take

World's most populous and fastest-growing economy, with extreme diversity in living standards. The case against is polluted air, low incomes and patchy access to essential health services.

About India

India is a subcontinent of overwhelming scale and diversity, where dozens of distinct cultures, cuisines, religions, and landscapes coexist in a density of experience that has no parallel anywhere in the world. From the Himalayan north to the tropical south, from the deserts of Rajasthan to the backwaters of Kerala, every region demands its own exploration. It can be intense and logistically demanding, but those who embrace it fully tend to find it one of the most transformative journeys possible.

Practical facts

  • CapitalNew Delhi
  • LanguagesEnglish, Hindi, Tamil
  • CurrencyIndian rupee (INR)
  • Area2,973,190 km²
  • Plug typeType D/M
  • Drives on theleft
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Borders

BangladeshBhutanMyanmarChinaNepalPakistan

Side by side

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Quick answers

What is India's Human Development Index?

India's Human Development Index is 0.685 for 2023 (UNDP Human Development Report 2025), ranked #130 of 193 by UNDP.

Is India safe?

India scores 2.41 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #126 of 161 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.

How expensive is India?

Numbeo's cost-of-living index puts India at 18.9 (New York = 100); that is #2 cheapest of 143 countries with data.

What is life expectancy in India?

Life expectancy at birth in India is 72.2 yrs (World Bank), ranked #117 of 195 countries.

What is the quality of life in India?

Numbeo's quality-of-life index scores India at 122.3, ranked #61 of 87 countries with data. It composites purchasing power, safety, healthcare, cost of living, commute and pollution from resident surveys, so it reflects what residents report rather than what an economy produces.