Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 2.4 years longer

In Madagascar, the average life expectancy is 67 years (66 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2020. In India, that number is 70 years (68 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2020.

be 26.4% less likely to be obese

In Madagascar, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In India, that number is 3.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 4.5 times more money

Madagascar has a GDP per capita of $1,600 as of 2017, while in India, the GDP per capita is $7,200 as of 2017.

be 69.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Madagascar, 70.7% live below the poverty line as of 2012. In India, however, that number is 21.9% as of 2011.

be 4.7 times more likely to be unemployed

In Madagascar, 1.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2017. In India, that number is 8.5% as of 2017.

pay a 77.7% higher top tax rate

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

Life

be 56.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In Madagascar, approximately 335.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In India, 145.0 women do as of 2017.

have 39.1% fewer children

In Madagascar, there are approximately 29.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020. In India, there are 18.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 3.7 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Madagascar, approximately 23% of people have electricity access (67% in urban areas, and 17% in rural areas) as of 2017. In India, that number is 84% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 78% in rural areas) as of 2017.

be 3.5 times more likely to have internet access

In Madagascar, approximately 9.8% of the population has internet access as of 2018. In India, about 34.5% do as of 2018.

be 67.0% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Madagascar, approximately 56% of people have improved drinking water access (88% in urban areas, and 36% in rural areas) as of 2017. In India, that number is 93% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 91% in rural areas) as of 2017.

Expenditures

spend 35.7% more on education

Madagascar spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2014. India spends 3.8% of total GDP on education as of 2013.

Geography

see 45.0% more coastline

Madagascar has a total of 4,828 km of coastline. In India, that number is 7,000 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, General Direction of Taxes, Ministry of Finance, Government of India.

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 Madagascar? See an in-depth size comparison.

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