Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Afghanistan instead of India, you would:
Health
be 71.3% less likely to die by suicide
India has a suicide rate of 12.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Afghanistan, it is 3.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 5.9 years less
In India, the average life expectancy is 72 years (71 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.6 times more likely to be obese
In India, 8.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 20.6% of people as of 2024.
have 56.2% fewer doctors per person
India has 7.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Afghanistan has 3.2 as of 2023.
have 34.9% less access to essential health services
India scores 63 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Afghanistan scores 41 as of 2021.
Economy
be 3.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In India, 4.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Afghanistan, that number is 13.3% as of 2025.
make 84.6% less money
India has a GDP per capita of $2,702 as of 2025, while in Afghanistan, the GDP per capita is $417 as of 2024.
Life
have 2.2 times more children
In India, there are approximately 16.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Afghanistan, there are 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 6.5 times more likely to die during childbirth
In India, approximately 80.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Afghanistan, 521.0 women do as of 2023.
be 52.3% less likely to be literate
In India, the literacy rate is 78.2% as of 2024. In Afghanistan, it is 37.3% as of 2021.
be 2.1 times more likely to die during infancy
In India, approximately 23.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Afghanistan, on the other hand, 48.3 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 14.3% less likely to have access to electricity
In India, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Afghanistan, that number is 85% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 77.0% less likely to have internet access
In India, approximately 70.0% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Afghanistan, about 16.1% do as of 2024.
be 15.6% less likely to have access to drinking water
In India, approximately 96% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 81% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 29.3% less on education
India spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Afghanistan spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 4.5 times more on healthcare
India spends 3.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Afghanistan, that number is 15.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 42.9% more likely to be murdered
India has a homicide rate of 2.8 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Afghanistan, that number is 4.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 56.5% more likely to die in a road accident
In India, road accidents kill 15.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Afghanistan, they kill 24.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 17.6% less strain on fresh water
India withdraws 66% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Afghanistan withdraws 55% as of 2022.
find 97.5% less home broadband
India has 3.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Afghanistan has 0.1 as of 2023.
Environment
emit 87.1% less CO2
India emits 2.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.
be 72.3% more likely to die from air pollution
In India, air pollution causes 83.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Afghanistan, it causes 143.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
Compare further: India vs. Afghanistan
Afghanistan: At a glance
How big is Afghanistan compared to India? See an in-depth size comparison.