Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Pakistan instead of India, you would:

Health

live 2.5 years longer

In India, the average life expectancy is 67 years (65 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2022. In Pakistan, that number is 70 years (68 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2022.

be 2.2 times more likely to be obese

In India, 3.9% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Pakistan, that number is 8.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 29.4% less likely to be unemployed

In India, 8.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2017. In Pakistan, that number is 6.0% as of 2017.

pay a 43.7% lower top tax rate

India has a top tax rate of 35.5% as of 2016. In Pakistan, the top tax rate is 20.0% as of 2016.

make 24.6% less money

India has a GDP per capita of $6,100 as of 2020, while in Pakistan, the GDP per capita is $4,600 as of 2020.

be 11.0% more likely to live below the poverty line

In India, 21.9% live below the poverty line as of 2011. In Pakistan, however, that number is 24.3% as of 2015.

Life

have 57.4% more children

In India, there are approximately 16.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Pakistan, there are 26.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

be 22.0% less likely to be literate

In India, the literacy rate is 74.4% as of 2018. In Pakistan, it is 58.0% as of 2019.

be 78.1% more likely to die during infancy

In India, approximately 30.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Pakistan, on the other hand, 54.0 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 20.2% less likely to have access to electricity

In India, approximately 99% of people have electricity access (99% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2019. In Pakistan, that number is 79% of people on average (91% in urban areas, and 72% in rural areas) as of 2019.

be 41.9% less likely to have internet access

In India, approximately 43.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Pakistan, about 25.0% do as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 28.6% less on education

India spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2016. Pakistan spends 2.5% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

spend 13.3% more on healthcare

India spends 3.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Pakistan, that number is 3.4% of GDP as of 2019.

Geography

see 85.1% less coastline

India has a total of 7,000 km of coastline. In Pakistan, that number is 1,046 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Federal Board of Revenue, Government of Pakistan, Ministry of Finance, Government of India.

Pakistan: At a glance

Pakistan is a sovereign country in South Asia, with a total land area of approximately 770,875 sq km. The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world and dating back at least 5,000 years, spread over much of what is presently Pakistan. During the second millennium B.C., remnants of this culture fused with the migrating Indo-Aryan peoples. The area underwent successive invasions in subsequent centuries from the Persians, Greeks, Scythians, Arabs (who brought Islam), Afghans, and Turks. The Mughal Empire flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries; the British came to dominate the region in the 18th century. The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with West and East sections) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved, and India and Pakistan fought two wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India capitalized on Islamabad's marginalization of Bengalis in Pakistani politics - resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. India-Pakistan relations have been rocky since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, but both countries are taking small steps to put relations back on track. In February 2008, Pakistan held parliamentary elections and in September 2008, after the resignation of former President MUSHARRAF, elected Asif Ali ZARDARI to the presidency. Pakistani government and military leaders are struggling to control domestic insurgents, many of whom are located in the tribal areas adjacent to the border with Afghanistan.
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How big is Pakistan compared to India? See an in-depth size comparison.

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