Imagine a nation where the youthful energy of a 28.7-year median age converges with the immense scale of a 1.4 billion population, creating a vibrant and complex giant that now stands as the world's most populous country and its fifth-largest economy.
Key Takeaways
- India's total population as of 2023 is 1,428,627,663, surpassing China to become the world's most populous nation
- The median age in India is 28.7 years as of 2023, reflecting a youthful population structure
- India's population density is 473 people per square kilometer in 2023, one of the highest globally
- India's GDP nominal in 2023 is $3.73 trillion USD, making it the 5th largest economy globally
- India's GDP per capita nominal in 2023 is $2,485 USD
- GDP growth rate of India was 6.8% in FY 2023-24
- Total land area of India is 2,973,170 square kilometers
- India's total coastline length is 7,516.6 kilometers
- Highest point in India is Kanchenjunga at 8,586 meters
- India's life expectancy at birth is 70.19 years (2023), up from 69.7 in 2022
- Infant mortality rate stands at 27.5 per 1,000 live births (2022)
- Under-5 mortality rate is 36.6 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022
- India has 28 states with chief ministers heading state governments
- Lok Sabha has 543 elected members as of 2024
- Rajya Sabha has 245 members including 12 nominated
India is now the world's most populous nation with a large, youthful workforce and a growing economy.
Demographics
- India's total population as of 2023 is 1,428,627,663, surpassing China to become the world's most populous nation
- The median age in India is 28.7 years as of 2023, reflecting a youthful population structure
- India's population density is 473 people per square kilometer in 2023, one of the highest globally
- As of 2021 census projections, 36.4% of India's population lives in urban areas
- India's sex ratio at birth is 108.18 males per 100 females in 2023
- The fertility rate in India dropped to 2.0 births per woman in 2021, below replacement level
- Life expectancy at birth in India is 70.15 years for both sexes in 2023
- India's urban population growth rate was 2.37% annually from 2020-2025
- There are 29.8 million international migrants from India living abroad as of 2020
- India's working-age population (15-64 years) constitutes 65.2% of the total population in 2023
- The population of Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, is 241,343,055 as per 2024 estimates
- India's literacy rate for population aged 7+ is 77.7% as per 2011 census with 2023 projections at 82%
- 68% of India's population is Hindu as per 2011 census
- Muslims comprise 14.2% of India's population according to 2011 census data
- Christians make up 2.3% of India's population per 2011 census
- Sikhs account for 1.72% of India's population in 2011 census
- Buddhists represent 0.7% of India's total population as of 2011 census
- Jains constitute 0.37% of India's population according to 2011 census figures
- India's net migration rate is -0.35 migrants per 1,000 population annually in 2023
- The age structure shows 25.31% of population under 14 years in 2023
- 67.78% of India's population is between 15-64 years old in 2023
- 6.9% of population is 65 years and above in India as of 2023
- India's total dependency ratio is 47.5% in 2023
- Child dependency ratio in India is 37.5% as of latest data
- Elderly dependency ratio is 10% in India per 2023 estimates
- India's population growth rate is 0.88% annually in 2023
- The number of births in India in 2022 was approximately 24.5 million
- Deaths in India totaled about 9.6 million in 2022
- Infant mortality rate is 27.23 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022
- Maternal mortality ratio in India is 103 deaths per 100,000 live births as of 2020
Demographics Interpretation
With a youthful, densely-packed populace now the world's largest, India's greatest challenge and opportunity is to harness its demographic potential by educating its young, urbanizing equitably, and ensuring its daughters are born, live long, and thrive.
Economy
- India's GDP nominal in 2023 is $3.73 trillion USD, making it the 5th largest economy globally
- India's GDP per capita nominal in 2023 is $2,485 USD
- GDP growth rate of India was 6.8% in FY 2023-24
- India's GDP PPP in 2023 is $13.10 trillion USD, 3rd largest worldwide
- Inflation rate (CPI) in India averaged 5.5% in 2023
- Unemployment rate in India is 7.6% as of 2023 urban data
- India's public debt to GDP ratio is 81.59% in 2023
- Foreign exchange reserves of India stood at $616.4 billion USD in 2024
- India's exports in FY 2023-24 were $437.1 billion USD
- Imports into India totaled $677.8 billion USD in FY 2023-24
- Current account deficit of India is 1.2% of GDP in FY 2023-24
- FDI inflows to India were $70.9 billion USD in FY 2023-24
- India's stock market capitalization (BSE+NSE) is $4.39 trillion USD as of 2024
- Corporate tax rate in India is 25.17% effective for FY 2024
- GST collections in India averaged ₹1.66 lakh crore monthly in FY 2023-24
- India's share in global GDP PPP is 7.2% in 2023
- Agriculture contributes 15.6% to India's GDP in FY 2023-24
- Industry sector accounts for 26.3% of India's GDP in FY 2023-24
- Services sector makes up 54.7% of India's GDP in FY 2023-24
- Remittances to India reached $125 billion USD in 2023, highest globally
- India's gold reserves are 803.38 tonnes as of 2024
- Ease of doing business rank of India improved to 63rd in 2020 WB report
- India's labor force participation rate is 55.4% for ages 15+ in 2023
- Poverty headcount ratio at $2.15/day PPP fell to 10.2% in 2019
- Gini index for income inequality in India is 35.7 in 2011 latest
Economy Interpretation
India stands as an economic giant in aggregate, yet its per capita story remains one of a developing nation wrestling with immense potential and persistent challenges.
Geography and Environment
- Total land area of India is 2,973,170 square kilometers
- India's total coastline length is 7,516.6 kilometers
- Highest point in India is Kanchenjunga at 8,586 meters
- Lowest point is Indian Ocean at 0 meters
- India has 28 states and 8 union territories as administrative divisions
- Mean elevation of India is 160 meters above sea level
- India's exclusive economic zone is 2,305,143 square kilometers
- Forest area in India covers 23.11% of total land area as of 2021
- Arable land constitutes 52.6% of India's land use in 2021
- Permanent crops occupy 4.2% of land in India per 2021 data
- India receives average annual precipitation of 1,000-3,000 mm varying by region
- Ganges River is 2,525 km long, the longest in India
- Brahmaputra River spans 2,900 km, vital for northeast India
- India has 20 major rivers with basins covering 90% of land
- Thar Desert covers 200,000 square km in northwest India
- Western Ghats mountain range is 1,600 km long, UNESCO site
- India has 12 major biosphere reserves including Nilgiri
- Renewable energy capacity in India is 195.55 GW as of May 2024
- Solar power installed capacity is 87.2 GW in India as of 2024
- Wind power capacity stands at 47.95 GW in India 2024
- Carbon dioxide emissions from India were 2.66 billion metric tons in 2022
- PM2.5 air pollution exposure in India averaged 83.5 ug/m3 in 2019
- Protected areas cover 5.09% of India's land as national parks/wildlife sanctuaries
- India has 106 national parks covering 44,402 sq km
- Wildlife sanctuaries number 573 covering 122,449 sq km in India
- Earthquake-prone zones cover 59% of India's land area
- Annual flood-prone area in India is 40 million hectares affecting 60 million people
Geography and Environment Interpretation
India is a nation of soaring heights and profound depths, where ancient rivers carve through dense forests and sprawling deserts, yet it balances this majestic, flood-prone, and earthquake-vulnerable terrain with a growing embrace of renewable energy while grappling with the immense challenge of cleaning its air for its billion-plus inhabitants.
Government, Politics, and Infrastructure
- India has 28 states with chief ministers heading state governments
- Lok Sabha has 543 elected members as of 2024
- Rajya Sabha has 245 members including 12 nominated
- India's federal structure divides powers into Union, State, Concurrent lists
- Voter turnout in 2024 general elections was 65.79%
- India ranks 93rd in Human Development Index 2022 with score 0.644
- Corruption Perceptions Index rank is 93rd out of 180 (2023)
- Total road length in India is 6,331,791 km as of 2023
- National highways total 146,145 km in 2024
- Indian Railways network spans 68,584 km route length (2024)
- Airports with paved runways number 153 in India (2023)
- Total installed electricity capacity is 446.6 GW as of March 2024
- Electricity access is 99.7% of population (2022)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions are 1,168 per 100 people (2023)
- Internet users are 52% of population or 740 million (2023)
- Press Freedom Index rank is 161st out of 180 (2023)
- Women in Parliament (Lok Sabha) are 14.7% (2024)
- Defense budget of India is $81.4 billion USD (2024)
- Active military personnel number 1,455,550 (2023)
- India's nuclear warheads estimated at 172 (2024)
- Patents granted in India totaled 82,801 in 2022-23
- Aadhaar cards issued number 1.38 billion covering 99% population (2024)
- Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) has transferred ₹34 lakh crore to beneficiaries since 2013
- Swachh Bharat Mission built 11 crore toilets reducing open defecation from 60% to 0% (2023 claim)
- UPI transactions reached 131 billion in FY 2023-24
Government, Politics, and Infrastructure Interpretation
For a nation that so efficiently moves money digitally and can register nearly its entire population, its stubborn struggles with development, representation, and freedom reveal a peculiar, powerful engine still grinding its gears against some very old rust.
Health and Education
- India's life expectancy at birth is 70.19 years (2023), up from 69.7 in 2022
- Infant mortality rate stands at 27.5 per 1,000 live births (2022)
- Under-5 mortality rate is 36.6 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022
- Maternal mortality ratio is 97 per 100,000 live births (2023 est.)
- Immunization coverage for DTP3 in India is 93.1% for children under 1 (2022)
- HIV prevalence among adults 15-49 is 0.2% in 2022
- Tuberculosis incidence is 199 per 100,000 population (2022)
- Diabetes prevalence among adults is 11.4% (2021)
- Obesity rate among adults is 3.9% (2022)
- Current tobacco use among adults is 28.6% (2022)
- Adult literacy rate (15+) is 77.7% as per 2011 census, projected higher now
- Gross enrollment ratio in primary education is 102.6% (2021)
- Secondary gross enrollment ratio is 73.6% (2021)
- Tertiary gross enrollment ratio is 28.4% (2021)
- Government expenditure on education is 4.6% of GDP (2021)
- Government health expenditure is 3.0% of GDP (2021)
- Physicians density is 0.7 per 1,000 people (2020)
- Hospital beds per 1,000 people is 0.5 (2020)
- Out-of-pocket health expenditure is 48.8% of total health spending (2021)
- Suicide rate is 12.9 per 100,000 population (2021)
- Youth literacy rate (15-24) is 90.1% (2021)
- Female literacy rate is 71.5% vs male 84.7% (2011 census)
- Pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools is 23.8 (2021)
- Malaria incidence is 0.5 per 1,000 at risk population (2022)
- Polio cases reported zero since 2011, certified polio-free
Health and Education Interpretation
India's health and education story is a precarious tightrope walk: while it's commendably eradicating polio and improving child survival, it's simultaneously underfunding its public systems so severely that citizens are left personally footing nearly half the bill, battling stubbornly high tuberculosis and maternal mortality rates, and watching non-communicable diseases like diabetes surge ahead of the country's still-inadequate doctor and hospital bed supply.
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