India profile

Demography and Health

India, with a total population of about 1.451 billion in 2024, stands as the most populous country, a position that amplifies both its developmental opportunities and its challenges. The demographic scale underpins a large and potentially dynamic labor force, shaping demand for jobs, housing, education, and health services. The country exhibits a birth rate of 16.1 per 1,000 people and a crude death rate of 6.61 per 1,000, contributing to a life expectancy at birth of 72 years in 2023. Despite improvements in life expectancy, under-5 mortality remains a concern at 27.7 per 1,000 live births, underscoring ongoing gaps in child health, nutrition, and primary care systems. Health infrastructure faces constraints—hospital beds stand at 1.6 per 1,000 people (2021)—while public health expenditure is relatively modest, at 3.31% of GDP in 2022, with per capita health expenditure in purchasing power parity terms around 107 international dollars (2022). The persistent net outflow of people—net migration of about 0.63 million in 2024—adds nuance to the demographic picture, signaling both the inflow of skilled workers through foreign opportunities and the risk of losing human capital. Yet there are bright spots: India registered a robust patent environment, with 26,267 resident patent applications in 2021 (rank 6 globally), pointing to a strong culture of innovation that can bolster health tech, pharmaceuticals, and digital health solutions. Taken together, the data suggest a country with enormous population-driven potential for growth and innovation but with substantial needs to expand and improve health access, maternal and child health, and health system resilience to keep pace with a young and growing society.

Economy

India’s economy operates at a crossroad of rapid expansion and developmental constraints. GDP per capita stands at 2,697 current US$ in 2024, and GDP per capita in PPP terms is 11,159 international US$, highlighting substantial price-adjusted living standards differences within a large, diverse economy. The external sector reflects a modest trade share: exports of goods and services amount to 21.2% of GDP (2024) and imports 23.5% (2024), yielding a current account deficit of about 0.829% of GDP (2024). Foreign direct investment (net inflows) is 0.706% of GDP (2024), indicating a steady but not aggressive level of inbound capital, consistent with a country that is open to investment while balancing domestic risk and policy cycles. Inflation is contained at 4.95% (2024), and unemployment sits at 4.17% (2023), pointing to a relatively resilient macroeconomic environment, though regional disparities and sectoral mismatches persist. On the production side, high-technology exports reached roughly 40.9 billion USD in 2023, underscoring a growing footprint in advanced manufacturing and technology-enabled sectors. This blend—robust domestic market potential, a rising tech export segment, and a guided but complex external position—suggests that India’s growth trajectory will hinge on continued reforms, skill development, infrastructure investment, and the ability to harness demographic dividends while managing external vulnerabilities and capital flows.

Trade and Investment

Trade and investment dynamics in India reflect a large, open economy integrating with global supply chains while juggling development priorities. Exports of goods and services account for 21.2% of GDP in 2024, with imports representing 23.5% of GDP in the same year, yielding a current account balance near −0.829% of GDP, signaling a modest deficit that reflects energy and commodity imports as well as capital goods needs. Foreign direct investment net inflows amount to 0.706% of GDP in 2024, indicating sustained but measured foreign participation in the economy. Inflation at 4.95% in 2024 sits within a manageable band, supporting consumer and business confidence. The country’s technology orientation is evident in high-technology exports totaling about 40.9 billion USD in 2023, and a strong pipeline of patent activity with 26,267 resident applications in 2021 (rank 6 globally), illustrating a vibrant innovation ecosystem that can attract investment in software, electronics, and advanced manufacturing. Together, these indicators point to an economy that is expanding its technological base and export capabilities, while remaining sensitive to global demand shifts, commodity prices, and the need to continue improving trade logistics, energy efficiency, and regulatory environments to sustain competitiveness.

Governance and Institutions

India’s governance profile shows a mix of strengths and challenges across stability, quality of regulation, and rule-of-law outcomes. Political stability and absence of violence/terrorism score −0.635 (2023), indicating vulnerability to domestic disturbances or policy shocks, while regulatory quality is slightly negative at −0.137 and control of corruption is −0.366, signaling ongoing reform needs in governance, transparency, and anticorruption efforts. In contrast, government effectiveness is moderately positive at 0.475, and the rule of law stands at 0.188, suggesting credible capacity for policy implementation and judicial processes but with room for strengthening consistency and accountability. The internet reach—55.9% of the population using the Internet in 2022—and a logistics performance index of 3.2 (out of 5) with a global rank of 14 (2022) indicate meaningful progress in digital governance, e-services, and trade facilitation, albeit with cost and speed gaps that can deter investment in some sectors. Overall, governance in India reflects a trajectory of improvements in public administration and service delivery, offset by persistent risks related to political stability and corruption that require sustained reform, rule-of-law strengthening, and transparent institutions to unlock higher private investment and inclusive growth.

Infrastructure and Technology

India’s infrastructure and technology landscape reveals a country that is rapidly upgrading its digital and physical backbone, even as gaps remain. The logistics performance index rating of 3.2 (2022) and a rank of 14 for quality of trade and transport-related infrastructure signal a comparatively capable logistics ecosystem that can support large-scale manufacturing, trade, and e-commerce. Internet penetration at 55.9% (2022) reflects broad digital access, enabling business model shifts toward digital services, fintech, and online government services. In innovation, resident patent applications total 26,267 (2021, rank 6), underscoring a robust inventive culture with potential spillovers into healthTech, green tech, and advanced manufacturing. High-technology exports reach about 40.9 billion USD (2023), illustrating a growing capabilities in electronics, software, and engineering-intensive production. The energy transition is advancing—renewable energy accounts for 34.9% of total final energy consumption (2021)—but fossil fuels remain a major piece of the energy mix. Healthcare infrastructure shows strain, with hospital beds at 1.6 per 1,000 people (2021) and current health expenditure at 3.31% of GDP (2022), highlighting the need for ongoing investment in healthcare capacity while leveraging technology to improve access and efficiency. Together, these indicators depict a country investing in connectivity, innovation, and energy diversification, yet needing continued capital expenditure, policy certainty, and efficiency gains to translate infrastructure into broad-based productivity and inclusion.

Environment and Sustainability

Environmental challenges and sustainability priorities are prominent in India’s development path. Level of water stress is high, with freshwater withdrawal at 66.5% of available resources in 2021, signaling significant competition among agriculture, domestic use, and industry for limited water supplies and the need for integrated water resource management and efficiency improvements. Per-capita greenhouse gas emissions are around 2.87 t CO2e in 2023, reflecting a large, energy-intensive economy with ongoing growth in consumption and industry; emissions intensity is likely to rise unless rapid decarbonization progresses more rapidly in power generation and industry. The prevalence of undernourishment stands at 13.7% of the population in 2022, underscoring persistent food security concerns amid a vast, diverse population. On a more positive note, renewable energy consumption reaches 34.9% of total final energy intake (2021), indicating meaningful progress toward cleaner electricity generation, though this needs to be scaled further to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and improve resilience to climate risks. Overall, environmental pressures—water scarcity, emissions growth, and food security—intersect with health, urban planning, and infrastructure, making it essential to advance water management, accelerate clean energy deployment, and strengthen climate adaptation and sustainable agricultural practices to sustain inclusive growth.