Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in India instead of Hong Kong, you would:

Health

live 13.2 years less

In Hong Kong, the average life expectancy is 85 years (83 years for men, 88 years for women) as of 2024. In India, that number is 72 years (71 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 50.7% more likely to be unemployed

In Hong Kong, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In India, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.

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make 95.3% less money

Hong Kong has a GDP per capita of $56,983 as of 2025, while in India, the GDP per capita is $2,702 as of 2025.

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Life

have 3.3 times more children

In Hong Kong, there are approximately 4.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In India, there are 16.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 9.1 times more likely to die during infancy

In Hong Kong, approximately 2.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In India, on the other hand, 23.3 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 26.9% less likely to have internet access

In Hong Kong, approximately 95.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In India, about 70.0% do as of 2025.

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Geography

see 9.5 times more coastline

Hong Kong has a total of 733 km of coastline. In India, that number is 7,000 km.

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Safety

be 7.4 times more likely to be murdered

Hong Kong has a homicide rate of 0.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In India, that number is 2.8 per 100,000 as of 2022.

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Infrastructure

find 92.2% less home broadband

Hong Kong has 40.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. India has 3.1 as of 2024.

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use 81.4% less electricity

Hong Kong uses 6,359 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. India uses 1,182 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 52.8% less CO2

Hong Kong emits 4.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. India emits 2.2 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this

Compare further: Hong Kong vs. India

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
India is 85.9% cheaper than Hong Kong overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Hong Kong is about 2,967 times smaller than India.
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Moving from Hong Kong to India · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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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 Hong Kong? See an in-depth size comparison.

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