Everyday

A hundred numbers anyone can read

Does the light come on. Is there a toilet. Can you cook without smoke. How long do people live, how many children see five, how many households have a bank account that is actually used. 100 indicators, each one a thing a person can picture, with India set against China, Vietnam, Brazil, Indonesia and the United States.

Every row carries the question it answers, why it moves when a country gets richer, and the thing it cannot tell you. That last one is not a disclaimer. A legible number is the easiest kind to over-read, and the qualification is what stops it.

Two things that ought to be here and are not

Air conditioner sales. A good instinct — an AC is the purchase a household makes the year it stops being poor — and no multilateral source publishes appliance ownership across countries on a common definition. Trade data would be worse than nothing here: India assembles most of the air conditioners it sells, so counting imports of finished units would put the world’s fastest-growing AC market near the bottom of the table. The honest substitute is household electricity use per person, which rises when people buy appliances and run them, and it is in the list below.

Cost of housing per square foot. The World Bank carries no cross-country house price series, and the commercial indices that do are neither open nor consistently defined — they measure different cities, different property types and different years in each country, which is exactly the kind of comparison this site exists not to make. Urban population, urban growth and the share living in slums are the nearest available, and none of them is a price.

The hundred

latest reading per country, 2004–2025

Each row is one indicator, scaled to its own values rather than to zero, because the question is the spread between these countries. Countries do not all report in the same year — every mark names its own year on hover, and where India’s reading is older than a comparator’s, the gap is smaller or larger than it looks by however much changed in between.

ThemeIndia’s position

showing 100 of 100

IndiaChina, Vietnam, Brazil, Indonesia and the United States, where each publishesEach row is scaled to its own values, not to zero.

Does the light come on?
Access to electricity
- China: 100.0 % in 2024
- Vietnam: 100.0 % in 2024
- United States: 100.0 % in 2024
- India: 99.9 % in 2024
- Indonesia: 99.9 % in 2024
- Brazil: 99.8 % in 2024
India 99.9 %(2024)4 of 6all 6 within 0.2 %
Why it matters. Universal power is the first thing every country that got rich did. But not. A connection is not a supply. It counts households wired up, not hours without a cut.
Can you cook without smoke?
Access to clean cooking fuel
- United States: 100 % in 2023
- Vietnam: 99 % in 2023
- Brazil: 97 % in 2023
- Indonesia: 91 % in 2023
- China: 89 % in 2023
- India: 77 % in 2023
India 77 %(2023)6 of 677 % – 100 %
Why it matters. Wood and dung fires are what people stop using when they can afford not to. But not. Having a gas connection is not using it. Refill rates are a separate and weaker story.
Is there clean water nearby?
Access to basic drinking water
- Brazil: 100 % in 2024
- United States: 100 % in 2024
- Vietnam: 99 % in 2024
- China: 96 % in 2024
- India: 96 % in 2024
- Indonesia: 89 % in 2024
India 96 %(2024)5 of 689 % – 100 %
Why it matters. The walk to water is time nobody rich spends. But not. Basic access allows a thirty-minute round trip. It is not water at the tap.
Is there a toilet?
Access to basic sanitation
- United States: 100 % in 2024
- China: 97 % in 2024
- Vietnam: 95 % in 2024
- Brazil: 92 % in 2024
- Indonesia: 88 % in 2024
- India: 83 % in 2024
India 83 %(2024)6 of 683 % – 100 %
Why it matters. Sanitation moves ahead of income almost everywhere, because it is built for people rather than bought by them. But not. A toilet built is not a toilet used, and the survey cannot see which.
How many people have nowhere to go?
People practicing open defecation (% of population)
- China: 0.0 % in 2024
- Vietnam: 0.0 % in 2024
- Brazil: 0.0 % in 2024
- United States: 0.0 % in 2024
- Indonesia: 2.3 % in 2024
- India: 6.7 % in 2024
India 6.7 %(2024)6 of 6· lower is better0.0 % – 6.7 %
Why it matters. The clearest single measure of whether basic public provision reached the poorest. But not. It says nothing about the sewage once collected.
How many city dwellers live in slums?
Population living in slums
- United States: 0 % in 2022
- India: 5 % in 2019
- Brazil: 15 % in 2022
- Indonesia: 19 % in 2022
- China: 26 % in 2022
- Vietnam: 33 % in 2022
India 5 %(2019)2 of 6· lower is better0 % – 33 %
Why it matters. Cities grow faster than housing everywhere; the gap is what this measures. But not. The definition is broad and includes tenure insecurity, not only bad building.
Measured rarely — Two readings, a year apart. Enough for a comparison, not for a trend.
How many people live in towns and cities?
Urban population
- Brazil: 88 % in 2025
- United States: 80 % in 2025
- China: 66 % in 2025
- Indonesia: 59 % in 2025
- Vietnam: 39 % in 2025
- India: 36 % in 2025
India 36 %(2025)no better direction36 % – 88 %
Why it matters. Every country that industrialised urbanised first. But not. Urban is defined nationally, so the line is drawn differently in each country here.
How fast are the cities filling?
Urban population growth
- Indonesia: 1.9 % in 2025
- India: 1.8 % in 2025
- Vietnam: 1.5 % in 2025
- Brazil: 0.7 % in 2025
- United States: 0.6 % in 2025
- China: 0.5 % in 2025
India 1.8 %(2025)no better direction0.5 % – 1.9 %
Why it matters. The rate tells you whether infrastructure is chasing or keeping up. But not. Fast growth is not prosperity; it is often distress moving.
What does a household actually spend?
Household consumption per capita
- United States: $46.0k in 2024
- Brazil: $6.3k in 2025
- China: $5.4k in 2024
- Indonesia: $2.5k in 2025
- Vietnam: $2.4k in 2025
- India: $1.5k in 2025
India $1.5k(2025)6 of 6$1.5k – $46.0k
Why it matters. The closest thing to money passing through an ordinary life. But not. An average across a very unequal country is not a typical household.
How long do people live?
Life expectancy at birth
- United States: 78.9 yrs in 2024
- China: 78.0 yrs in 2024
- Brazil: 76.0 yrs in 2024
- Vietnam: 74.7 yrs in 2024
- India: 72.2 yrs in 2024
- Indonesia: 71.3 yrs in 2024
India 72.2 yrs(2024)5 of 671.3 yrs – 78.9 yrs
Why it matters. The single number that aggregates almost everything else on this page. But not. It is dominated by deaths in childhood; it is not how long a healthy adult expects to live.
How many babies die before their first birthday?
Infant mortality rate
- China: 4 /1k in 2024
- United States: 6 /1k in 2024
- Vietnam: 12 /1k in 2024
- Brazil: 12 /1k in 2024
- Indonesia: 15 /1k in 2024
- India: 23 /1k in 2024
India 23 /1k(2024)6 of 6· lower is better4 /1k – 23 /1k
Why it matters. It falls with clean water, vaccination and a nurse within reach — three things money buys. But not. It is a national average, and the range inside India is wider than the range between countries.
How many children die before they turn five?
Under-five mortality rate
- China: 6 /1k in 2024
- United States: 7 /1k in 2024
- Brazil: 14 /1k in 2024
- Vietnam: 17 /1k in 2024
- Indonesia: 18 /1k in 2024
- India: 27 /1k in 2024
India 27 /1k(2024)6 of 6· lower is better6 /1k – 27 /1k
Why it matters. The measure the world has moved fastest on, and the one poverty shows up in first. But not. Deaths are recorded where systems exist to record them.
How many women die giving birth?
Maternal mortality ratio
- China: 16 /100k in 2023
- United States: 17 /100k in 2023
- Vietnam: 48 /100k in 2023
- Brazil: 67 /100k in 2023
- India: 80 /100k in 2023
- Indonesia: 140 /100k in 2023
India 80 /100k(2023)5 of 6· lower is better16 /100k – 140 /100k
Why it matters. It needs a functioning hospital within reach, which is infrastructure and staffing at once. But not. It is modelled rather than counted in most countries, including this comparison set.
How many children are too short for their age?
Stunting, children under five
- United States: 4 % in 2022
- China: 5 % in 2017
- Brazil: 8 % in 2019
- Vietnam: 18 % in 2023
- Indonesia: 22 % in 2023
- India: 36 % in 2020
India 36 %(2020)6 of 6· lower is better4 % – 36 %
Why it matters. Stunting is the physical record of years of poor nutrition, and it does not reverse. But not. It reflects the decade before the survey, not this year.
How many people do not get enough to eat?
Prevalence of undernourishment
- China: 2.5 % in 2023
- Brazil: 2.5 % in 2023
- United States: 2.5 % in 2023
- Vietnam: 5.3 % in 2023
- Indonesia: 6.3 % in 2023
- India: 12.0 % in 2023
India 12.0 %(2023)6 of 6· lower is better2.5 % – 12.0 %
Why it matters. The floor below which nothing else on this page matters. But not. It measures calories, not nutrition. A country can clear this bar and still be badly fed.
How much does the country spend on health?
Current health expenditure
- United States: 17 % in 2023
- Brazil: 10 % in 2023
- China: 6 % in 2023
- Vietnam: 5 % in 2023
- India: 3 % in 2023
- Indonesia: 3 % in 2023
India 3 %(2023)5 of 63 % – 17 %
Why it matters. Spending is the input; the mortality lines above are the output. But not. Spending is not care. Where it goes matters more than how much.
How much of a hospital bill comes out of pocket?
Out-of-pocket health expenditure
- United States: 11 % in 2023
- Brazil: 26 % in 2023
- Indonesia: 31 % in 2023
- China: 32 % in 2023
- Vietnam: 39 % in 2023
- India: 44 % in 2023
India 44 %(2023)6 of 6· lower is better11 % – 44 %
Why it matters. The share people pay themselves is what turns an illness into poverty. But not. A low share can mean good insurance or simply that nobody sought treatment.
How many children does a woman have?
Fertility rate, total
- Indonesia: 2.1 births in 2024
- India: 2.0 births in 2024
- Vietnam: 1.9 births in 2024
- United States: 1.6 births in 2024
- Brazil: 1.6 births in 2024
- China: 1.0 births in 2024
India 2.0 births(2024)no better direction1.0 births – 2.1 births
Why it matters. It falls with schooling, income and child survival — usually in that order. But not. Below replacement is not automatically good news; it becomes an ageing problem later.
How many people are over sixty-five?
Population aged 65 and above
- United States: 18 % in 2025
- China: 15 % in 2025
- Brazil: 11 % in 2025
- Vietnam: 9 % in 2025
- Indonesia: 8 % in 2025
- India: 7 % in 2025
India 7 %(2025)no better direction7 % – 18 %
Why it matters. Countries get old after they get rich, or, in a few cases, before. But not. It says nothing about whether those people are supported.
How many flights do people take?
Air transport, passengers carried
- United States: 941.6M pax in 2023
- China: 619.2M pax in 2023
- India: 180.4M pax in 2023
- Indonesia: 97.0M pax in 2023
- Brazil: 95.4M pax in 2023
- Vietnam: 55.1M pax in 2023
India 180.4M pax(2023)3 of 655.1M pax – 941.6M pax
Why it matters. Flying is the first luxury a middle class buys and the first thing it stops buying in a downturn. But not. It counts departures by carriers registered in the country, so a hub flatters and a small flag carrier hides.
How much goes by air?
Air transport freight
- United States: 42.8k mt-km in 2023
- China: 26.2k mt-km in 2023
- India: 1.8k mt-km in 2023
- Brazil: 1.4k mt-km in 2023
- Vietnam: 928 mt-km in 2023
- Indonesia: 871 mt-km in 2023
India 1.8k mt-km(2023)3 of 6871 mt-km – 42.8k mt-km
Why it matters. Air freight is what you pay for when the thing is valuable or urgent — electronics, pharmaceuticals, parts. But not. It is a small share of trade by weight and a large one by value; it is not a picture of trade overall.
How many containers move through the ports?
Container port traffic
- China: 299.7M TEU in 2024
- United States: 59.7M TEU in 2024
- Vietnam: 24.4M TEU in 2024
- India: 23.9M TEU in 2024
- Indonesia: 14.7M TEU in 2024
- Brazil: 13.9M TEU in 2024
India 23.9M TEU(2024)4 of 613.9M TEU – 299.7M TEU
Why it matters. Almost everything manufactured that crosses a border does it in a box this counts. But not. Transhipment counts twice. A port that moves other countries' cargo looks busier than its economy.
How many people have a phone?
Mobile cellular subscriptions
- China: 132 /100 in 2024
- Vietnam: 128 /100 in 2024
- Indonesia: 123 /100 in 2024
- United States: 113 /100 in 2024
- Brazil: 102 /100 in 2024
- India: 79 /100 in 2024
India 79 /100(2024)6 of 679 /100 – 132 /100
Why it matters. The fastest technology adoption in human history, and the one that reached the poor first. But not. It counts subscriptions, not people. Two SIMs are two, and India has a great many.
How many people use the internet?
Individuals using the internet
- United States: 95 % in 2024
- China: 92 % in 2025
- Brazil: 84 % in 2024
- Vietnam: 84 % in 2024
- Indonesia: 73 % in 2024
- India: 70 % in 2025
India 70 %(2025)6 of 670 % – 95 %
Why it matters. It is now where work, money and government are, so being off it is a real exclusion. But not. Used in the last three months is the bar. It is not daily use and not good connections.
How many homes have fixed broadband?
Fixed broadband subscriptions
- China: 47 /100 in 2024
- United States: 39 /100 in 2024
- Brazil: 24 /100 in 2024
- Vietnam: 24 /100 in 2024
- Indonesia: 5 /100 in 2024
- India: 3 /100 in 2024
India 3 /100(2024)6 of 63 /100 – 47 /100
Why it matters. Fixed lines are what remote work, streaming and a home business actually need. But not. India largely skipped fixed lines for mobile data, so a low figure here understates connectivity.
Does the country sell electronics abroad?
ICT goods exports
- Vietnam: 36 % in 2023
- China: 21 % in 2024
- United States: 9 % in 2024
- India: 6 % in 2024
- Indonesia: 3 % in 2024
- Brazil: 0 % in 2024
India 6 %(2024)4 of 60 % – 36 %
Why it matters. Electronics assembly is the classic first rung of manufacturing for export. But not. Assembly counts as export at full value, so a phone assembled from imported parts flatters this.
What does the economy produce per person?
GDP per capita (current US$)
- United States: $90.0k in 2025
- China: $13.9k in 2025
- Brazil: $10.7k in 2025
- Vietnam: $5.1k in 2025
- Indonesia: $5.1k in 2025
- India: $2.7k in 2025
India $2.7k(2025)6 of 6$2.7k – $90.0k
Why it matters. The headline. Everything else here is an attempt to say what it feels like. But not. It is an average and India is unequal, so most Indians are below it.
And what does that buy locally?
GDP per capita, PPP
- United States: $90.0k PPP in 2025
- China: $29.3k PPP in 2025
- Brazil: $23.4k PPP in 2025
- Vietnam: $18.1k PPP in 2025
- Indonesia: $17.7k PPP in 2025
- India: $11.7k PPP in 2025
India $11.7k PPP(2025)6 of 6$11.7k PPP – $90.0k PPP
Why it matters. Adjusting for local prices is the fairer comparison, and it moves India up sharply. But not. PPP conversion is an estimate with a wide margin, not a measurement.
What income actually reaches the country?
GNI per capita, Atlas method
- United States: $88.8k in 2025
- China: $14.2k in 2025
- Brazil: $10.6k in 2025
- Indonesia: $5.1k in 2025
- Vietnam: $5.0k in 2025
- India: $2.8k in 2025
India $2.8k(2025)6 of 6$2.8k – $88.8k
Why it matters. It nets out profits that leave, which for some economies is a large correction. But not. It is still an average, and still says nothing about distribution.
How fast is the economy growing?
GDP growth
- Vietnam: 8.0 % in 2025
- India: 7.6 % in 2025
- Indonesia: 5.1 % in 2025
- China: 5.0 % in 2025
- Brazil: 2.3 % in 2025
- United States: 2.2 % in 2025
India 7.6 %(2025)2 of 62.2 % – 8.0 %
Why it matters. The number every headline uses. But not. Growth from a low base is easier. A fast-growing poor country is still poor.
How fast are prices rising?
Inflation, consumer prices
- China: 0.1 % in 2025
- Indonesia: 1.9 % in 2025
- India: 2.4 % in 2025
- United States: 2.9 % in 2024
- Vietnam: 3.3 % in 2025
- Brazil: 5.0 % in 2025
India 2.4 %(2025)3 of 6· lower is better0.1 % – 5.0 %
Why it matters. The rate at which money in a pocket stops being worth what it was. But not. The basket is national and averages across very different household budgets.
How many adults have a bank account?
Account ownership at a financial institution
- United States: 97 % in 2024
- China: 89 % in 2024
- India: 89 % in 2024
- Brazil: 86 % in 2024
- Vietnam: 71 % in 2024
- Indonesia: 56 % in 2024
India 89 %(2024)3 of 656 % – 97 %
Why it matters. An account is the precondition for saving, borrowing and receiving anything from the state. But not. Opened is not used. A dormant account counts the same as an active one.
How many women have one?
Account ownership, women
- United States: 97 % in 2024
- India: 89 % in 2024
- China: 89 % in 2024
- Brazil: 82 % in 2024
- Vietnam: 70 % in 2024
- Indonesia: 58 % in 2024
India 89 %(2024)2 of 658 % – 97 %
Why it matters. The gap between this line and the one above is a good measure of who the economy includes. But not. An account in a woman's name is not money she controls.
How many cash machines are there?
ATMs per 100,000 adults
- United States: 828 /100k in 2009
- Vietnam: 97 /100k in 2021
- Brazil: 97 /100k in 2020
- China: 88 /100k in 2020
- Indonesia: 52 /100k in 2020
- India: 21 /100k in 2020
India 21 /100k(2020)no better direction21 /100k – 828 /100k
Why it matters. Physical access to your own money, which for most of the world is still how it works. But not. Cash machines matter less each year in countries where payments went digital first.
How many bank branches?
Bank branches per 100,000 adults
- United States: 138 /100k in 2021
- Brazil: 18 /100k in 2020
- Indonesia: 15 /100k in 2020
- India: 15 /100k in 2020
- Vietnam: 10 /100k in 2021
- China: 9 /100k in 2020
India 15 /100k(2020)no better direction9 /100k – 138 /100k
Why it matters. A branch is where borrowing happens for anyone a phone app will not lend to. But not. Branch counts fall in rich countries as banking moves online, so high is not always better.
How much does the country save?
Gross domestic savings
- China: 43 % in 2024
- Vietnam: 37 % in 2025
- Indonesia: 37 % in 2025
- India: 33 % in 2025
- United States: 18 % in 2024
- Brazil: 17 % in 2025
India 33 %(2025)4 of 617 % – 43 %
Why it matters. Savings are what pays for the next factory, road or house. But not. High savings can mean confidence or fear of having no safety net.
How many live on almost nothing?
Poverty headcount at $2.15/day
- China: 0.0 % in 2022
- United States: 1.1 % in 2024
- Vietnam: 1.6 % in 2022
- Brazil: 3.0 % in 2024
- Indonesia: 4.0 % in 2025
- India: 5.3 % in 2022
India 5.3 %(2022)6 of 6· lower is better0.0 % – 5.3 %
Why it matters. The floor: below about two dollars a day, adjusted for local prices. But not. The line is very low. Clearing it is not the same as being out of poverty.
Measured rarely — From household consumption surveys, which India runs rarely — four readings since 2004, with an eleven-year gap in the middle.
How unequally is income shared?
Gini index
- India: 26 Gini in 2022
- Indonesia: 34 Gini in 2025
- China: 36 Gini in 2022
- Vietnam: 36 Gini in 2022
- United States: 42 Gini in 2024
- Brazil: 50 Gini in 2024
India 26 Gini(2022)1 of 6· lower is better26 Gini – 50 Gini
Why it matters. It decides whether growth in the average reaches an ordinary person. But not. It is based on surveys that undercount the very rich almost everywhere.
Measured rarely — The same survey as poverty above, so the same four years and the same gap.
How much money is sent home from abroad?
Personal remittances received
- India: $150.7B in 2025
- China: $30.0B in 2025
- Indonesia: $17.6B in 2025
- United States: $9.0B in 2025
- Brazil: $4.8B in 2025
- Vietnam: $2.3B in 2004
India $150.7B(2025)no better direction$2.3B – $150.7B
Why it matters. For millions of households this is the whole household budget, and it bypasses the state entirely. But not. Only recorded transfers count; informal channels move a great deal more.
How many people cannot find work?
Unemployment rate
- Vietnam: 1.5 % in 2025
- Indonesia: 3.2 % in 2025
- United States: 4.2 % in 2025
- India: 4.2 % in 2025
- China: 4.6 % in 2025
- Brazil: 6.0 % in 2025
India 4.2 %(2025)4 of 6· lower is better1.5 % – 6.0 %
Why it matters. The most quoted labour number in the world. But not. In countries with no unemployment benefit, people cannot afford to be unemployed — they take any work, so this reads low.
And how many young people?
Youth unemployment
- Vietnam: 6.2 % in 2025
- United States: 9.3 % in 2025
- Indonesia: 13.0 % in 2025
- Brazil: 14.0 % in 2025
- China: 15.8 % in 2025
- India: 16.0 % in 2025
India 16.0 %(2025)6 of 6· lower is better6.2 % – 16.0 %
Why it matters. Youth unemployment leads the adult figure and scars earnings for decades. But not. Students are excluded, so a country that expands education can look better without more jobs.
How many women are in the workforce?
Female labour force participation
- Vietnam: 69 % in 2025
- China: 59 % in 2025
- United States: 56 % in 2025
- Indonesia: 54 % in 2025
- Brazil: 53 % in 2025
- India: 32 % in 2025
India 32 %(2025)6 of 632 % – 69 %
Why it matters. In India this fell while the economy grew, which is genuinely unusual and worth seeing. But not. Unpaid work at home and on family farms is largely invisible to it.
How many people still farm?
Employment in agriculture
- United States: 2 % in 2025
- Brazil: 8 % in 2025
- China: 22 % in 2025
- Vietnam: 25 % in 2025
- Indonesia: 27 % in 2025
- India: 42 % in 2025
India 42 %(2025)6 of 6· lower is better2 % – 42 %
Why it matters. Moving off the land is the oldest definition of development there is. But not. Leaving farming for insecure city work is not automatically an improvement.
How many work in industry?
Employment in industry
- Vietnam: 35 % in 2025
- China: 32 % in 2025
- India: 26 % in 2025
- Indonesia: 23 % in 2025
- Brazil: 20 % in 2025
- United States: 19 % in 2025
India 26 %(2025)3 of 619 % – 35 %
Why it matters. Factory jobs are the rung most countries climbed from farm to office. But not. India's share has barely moved for thirty years, which is the central puzzle of its development.
How many work in services?
Employment in services
- United States: 80 % in 2025
- Brazil: 72 % in 2025
- Indonesia: 50 % in 2025
- China: 47 % in 2025
- Vietnam: 40 % in 2025
- India: 33 % in 2025
India 33 %(2025)no better direction33 % – 80 %
Why it matters. Where the jobs went in every rich country. But not. Services covers both a software engineer and a street vendor. It is not one thing.
How many adults can read?
Adult literacy rate
- China: 97 % in 2020
- Vietnam: 96 % in 2022
- Indonesia: 96 % in 2020
- Brazil: 95 % in 2024
- India: 78 % in 2024
India 78 %(2024)5 of 578 % – 97 %
Why it matters. The precondition for nearly every other thing on this page. But not. The bar is very low and self-reported in most surveys.
How many children finish primary school?
Primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group)
- China: 103 % in 2010
- Vietnam: 101 % in 2024
- Indonesia: 100 % in 2023
- United States: 96 % in 2022
- India: 90 % in 2025
India 90 %(2025)5 of 590 % – 103 %
Why it matters. Getting children into school was the easy part; keeping them to the end was not. But not. Completion is not learning, and the gap between the two is India's real education problem.
How many reach secondary school?
Secondary school enrolment, gross
- Brazil: 104 % in 2024
- United States: 97 % in 2022
- Indonesia: 97 % in 2025
- Vietnam: 93 % in 2022
- China: 92 % in 2012
- India: 80 % in 2025
India 80 %(2025)6 of 680 % – 104 %
Why it matters. Secondary schooling is where the earnings premium starts to appear. But not. Gross enrolment counts over-age pupils, so it can exceed 100% and often does.
How many go on to college?
Tertiary school enrolment, gross
- United States: 79 % in 2022
- China: 77 % in 2024
- Brazil: 70 % in 2024
- Indonesia: 45 % in 2023
- Vietnam: 38 % in 2024
- India: 34 % in 2025
India 34 %(2025)6 of 634 % – 79 %
Why it matters. It sets the ceiling on what an economy can move into next. But not. It counts enrolment, not graduation, and says nothing about what a degree is worth.
How much is spent on schools?
Government expenditure on education
- Brazil: 5.6 % in 2022
- United States: 5.4 % in 2021
- India: 4.1 % in 2022
- China: 3.9 % in 2023
- Vietnam: 2.9 % in 2022
- Indonesia: 1.3 % in 2023
India 4.1 %(2022)3 of 61.3 % – 5.6 %
Why it matters. The input behind every line above it. But not. Spending per pupil in a country with many children is a very different thing from the same share elsewhere.
Do girls reach secondary school as often as boys?
School enrollment, secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI)
- Brazil: 1.05 GPI in 2020
- Indonesia: 1.03 GPI in 2018
- China: 1.00 GPI in 2010
- United States: 0.98 GPI in 2020
- India: 0.97 GPI in 2021
India 0.97 GPI(2021)5 of 50.97 GPI – 1.05 GPI
Why it matters. A ratio of one means parity, and India crossed it — which surprises people. But not. Parity in enrolment is not parity in what happens after school.
How much of the economy is factories?
Manufacturing value added
- China: 25 % in 2025
- Vietnam: 25 % in 2025
- Indonesia: 19 % in 2025
- India: 13 % in 2025
- Brazil: 12 % in 2025
- United States: 11 % in 2021
India 13 %(2025)4 of 611 % – 25 %
Why it matters. Manufacturing is how the countries in this comparison set got rich, with one exception. But not. The share can fall because services grew, which is not the same as factories shrinking.
And how much is that in money?
Manufacturing value added (US$)
- China: $4.8T in 2025
- United States: $2.5T in 2021
- India: $532.9B in 2025
- Indonesia: $275.6B in 2025
- Brazil: $268.4B in 2025
- Vietnam: $126.2B in 2025
India $532.9B(2025)3 of 6$126.2B – $4.8T
Why it matters. The absolute figure shows scale where the share shows structure. But not. Dollar figures move with the exchange rate as much as with output.
Is manufacturing growing?
Manufacturing value added growth
- India: 12 % in 2025
- Vietnam: 10 % in 2025
- Indonesia: 5 % in 2025
- Brazil: -0 % in 2025
India 12 %(2025)1 of 4-0 % – 12 %
Why it matters. The rate matters more than the level for a country trying to catch up. But not. A single year is noise. The direction over a decade is the story.
How much is industry altogether?
Industry value added
- Indonesia: 39 % in 2025
- Vietnam: 38 % in 2025
- China: 36 % in 2025
- India: 25 % in 2025
- Brazil: 20 % in 2025
- United States: 18 % in 2021
India 25 %(2025)4 of 618 % – 39 %
Why it matters. Factories plus mining, power and construction — the physical economy. But not. Construction booms and commodity prices both move this without any change in capability.
How much comes from farming?
Agriculture value added
- India: 16 % in 2025
- Indonesia: 13 % in 2025
- Vietnam: 12 % in 2025
- China: 7 % in 2025
- Brazil: 6 % in 2025
- United States: 1 % in 2021
India 16 %(2025)no better direction1 % – 16 %
Why it matters. A high share is the signature of a poor country, almost without exception. But not. It falls as a share even when farm output rises, because everything else rises faster.
How much from services?
Services value added
- United States: 76 % in 2021
- Brazil: 60 % in 2025
- China: 58 % in 2025
- India: 49 % in 2025
- Indonesia: 44 % in 2025
- Vietnam: 43 % in 2025
India 49 %(2025)no better direction43 % – 76 %
Why it matters. India went from farms to services and largely skipped the factory stage, which is genuinely unusual. But not. It bundles IT exports with domestic haircuts. The average hides both.
How much of what it sells is advanced?
High-technology exports
- Vietnam: 44 % in 2023
- China: 26 % in 2024
- United States: 24 % in 2024
- India: 19 % in 2024
- Brazil: 11 % in 2024
- Indonesia: 9 % in 2024
India 19 %(2024)4 of 69 % – 44 %
Why it matters. The share of exports that are aerospace, pharmaceuticals, electronics and instruments. But not. Assembling a high-tech product from imported components counts fully, which flatters several countries here.
Does it sell things rather than raw material?
Manufactured exports
- China: 91 % in 2024
- Vietnam: 85 % in 2023
- India: 67 % in 2024
- United States: 56 % in 2024
- Indonesia: 47 % in 2025
- Brazil: 24 % in 2025
India 67 %(2024)3 of 624 % – 91 %
Why it matters. Selling manufactures rather than commodities is what breaks the poverty trap. But not. Low-value manufactures count the same as high-value ones.
How much does it sell abroad in goods?
Merchandise exports
- China: $3.8T in 2025
- United States: $2.2T in 2025
- Vietnam: $472.9B in 2025
- India: $445.3B in 2025
- Brazil: $348.3B in 2025
- Indonesia: $282.9B in 2025
India $445.3B(2025)4 of 6$282.9B – $3.8T
Why it matters. The simplest measure of whether the world wants what a country makes. But not. Re-exports count, so entrepôt economies look larger than they are.
How many patents do residents file?
Patent applications, residents
- China: 1.4M apps in 2021
- United States: 262.2k apps in 2021
- India: 26.3k apps in 2021
- Brazil: 4.7k apps in 2021
- Indonesia: 1.4k apps in 2021
- Vietnam: 1.1k apps in 2021
India 26.3k apps(2021)3 of 61.1k apps – 1.4M apps
Why it matters. The count of ideas somebody thought worth defending. But not. Patent counts measure filing behaviour and legal culture at least as much as invention.
How many research papers?
Scientific and technical journal articles
- China: 932.7k articles in 2023
- United States: 430.8k articles in 2023
- India: 228.2k articles in 2023
- Brazil: 58.3k articles in 2023
- Indonesia: 39.0k articles in 2023
- Vietnam: 10.6k articles in 2023
India 228.2k articles(2023)3 of 610.6k articles – 932.7k articles
Why it matters. Volume of published science, which tracks university capacity closely. But not. It counts papers, not whether anyone read them.
How many researchers are there?
Researchers in R&D
- United States: 4.9k per m in 2022
- China: 2.1k per m in 2023
- Brazil: 903 per m in 2014
- Vietnam: 836 per m in 2023
- Indonesia: 395 per m in 2020
- India: 259 per m in 2020
India 259 per m(2020)6 of 6259 per m – 4.9k per m
Why it matters. Per million people, so it compares across country sizes fairly. But not. Headcount is not output, and definitions of who counts vary by country.
Does it sell software and services abroad?
ICT service exports
- India: 49 % in 2025
- China: 19 % in 2025
- Brazil: 14 % in 2025
- Indonesia: 10 % in 2025
- United States: 8 % in 2025
India 49 %(2025)1 of 58 % – 49 %
Why it matters. India's single most successful export sector, and visible from space in this series. But not. It is concentrated in a few cities and a few firms, which the national figure hides.
How many companies are publicly listed?
Listed domestic companies
- China: 11.1k cos in 2025
- India: 8.5k cos in 2025
- United States: 3.9k cos in 2025
- Indonesia: 956 cos in 2025
- Vietnam: 400 cos in 2025
- Brazil: 357 cos in 2025
India 8.5k cos(2025)no better direction357 cos – 11.1k cos
Why it matters. A rough count of firms large and formal enough to raise money from the public. But not. Listing rules differ so much between these countries that the comparison is loose.
How much electricity does each person use?
Electric power consumption per capita
- United States: 12.8k kWh in 2024
- China: 6.5k kWh in 2023
- Brazil: 3.1k kWh in 2024
- Vietnam: 2.6k kWh in 2023
- Indonesia: 1.4k kWh in 2023
- India: 1.2k kWh in 2023
India 1.2k kWh(2023)6 of 61.2k kWh – 12.8k kWh
Why it matters. The closest available stand-in for appliances owned and run — including the air conditioners nobody publishes comparably. But not. It includes industry, so a factory-heavy country reads high without any household using more.
How much carbon per person?
CO2 emissions per capita
- India: 2 t in 2024
- Brazil: 2 t in 2024
- Indonesia: 3 t in 2024
- Vietnam: 4 t in 2024
- China: 9 t in 2024
- United States: 14 t in 2024
India 2 t(2024)1 of 6· lower is better2 t – 14 t
Why it matters. Historically the price of getting rich, and the thing every country now has to break from. But not. Emissions from making goods count where they are made, not where they are consumed.
How much energy is renewable?
Renewable energy consumption
- Brazil: 47 % in 2021
- India: 35 % in 2021
- Vietnam: 24 % in 2021
- Indonesia: 20 % in 2021
- China: 15 % in 2021
- United States: 11 % in 2021
India 35 %(2021)2 of 611 % – 47 %
Why it matters. The direction every energy system is being pushed. But not. It counts traditional biomass, so burning wood makes a poor country look green.
And how much of the electricity?
Renewable electricity output
- Brazil: 77 % in 2021
- Vietnam: 41 % in 2021
- China: 28 % in 2021
- United States: 20 % in 2021
- India: 19 % in 2021
- Indonesia: 16 % in 2021
India 19 %(2021)5 of 616 % – 77 %
Why it matters. A cleaner measure than the one above, because it excludes cooking fires. But not. Large hydro dominates it in several of these countries.
How much electricity comes from coal?
Electricity from coal
- Brazil: 2 % in 2024
- United States: 16 % in 2024
- Vietnam: 45 % in 2023
- China: 61 % in 2023
- Indonesia: 69 % in 2023
- India: 74 % in 2023
India 74 %(2023)6 of 6· lower is better2 % – 74 %
Why it matters. The single largest lever on emissions in this comparison set. But not. A falling share can coexist with rising absolute coal use, and in India it has.
How much from nuclear?
Electricity from nuclear
- United States: 18 % in 2024
- China: 5 % in 2023
- India: 2 % in 2023
- Brazil: 2 % in 2024
- Vietnam: 0 % in 2021
- Indonesia: 0 % in 2021
India 2 %(2023)no better direction0 % – 18 %
Why it matters. The only large low-carbon source that runs regardless of weather. But not. It takes fifteen years to change, so this line moves too slowly to reflect current policy.
How much energy has to be bought abroad?
Energy imports, net
- Indonesia: -90 % in 2023
- Brazil: -14 % in 2023
- United States: -9 % in 2023
- China: 24 % in 2023
- Vietnam: 34 % in 2022
- India: 36 % in 2023
India 36 %(2023)6 of 6· lower is better-90 % – 36 %
Why it matters. Energy import dependence is the vulnerability that sets a country's foreign policy. But not. A negative figure means a net exporter, which is a different kind of dependence.
How much of the economy is exports?
Exports as share of GDP
- Vietnam: 98 % in 2025
- Indonesia: 23 % in 2025
- India: 22 % in 2025
- China: 21 % in 2025
- Brazil: 18 % in 2025
- United States: 11 % in 2024
India 22 %(2025)3 of 611 % – 98 %
Why it matters. Whether growth is being pulled by the world or pushed from inside. But not. Big countries always look less trade-dependent, because more of the trade is internal.
How open is it to trade overall?
Trade openness
- Vietnam: 190 % in 2025
- India: 46 % in 2025
- Indonesia: 43 % in 2025
- China: 38 % in 2025
- Brazil: 35 % in 2025
- United States: 25 % in 2024
India 46 %(2025)no better direction25 % – 190 %
Why it matters. Exports plus imports against the size of the economy. But not. Openness is not a policy score; geography and size drive most of it.
How much foreign money comes to build things?
FDI net inflows as share of GDP
- Vietnam: 4.2 % in 2024
- Brazil: 3.4 % in 2025
- Indonesia: 1.5 % in 2025
- United States: 1.3 % in 2025
- India: 1.0 % in 2025
- China: 0.4 % in 2025
India 1.0 %(2025)5 of 60.4 % – 4.2 %
Why it matters. Foreign investment brings technology and management, not just capital. But not. A single large acquisition can move a year, and it says nothing about what was built.
How much foreign currency is held in reserve?
Total reserves including gold
- China: $3.7T in 2025
- United States: $1.4T in 2025
- India: $700.1B in 2025
- Brazil: $358.5B in 2025
- Indonesia: $156.5B in 2025
- Vietnam: $85.6B in 2025
India $700.1B(2025)3 of 6$85.6B – $3.7T
Why it matters. The buffer that decides whether a currency crisis becomes a catastrophe. But not. Large reserves are also idle money, which is a cost.
How many people visit?
International tourist arrivals
- United States: 45.0M arrivals in 2020
- China: 30.4M arrivals in 2020
- India: 17.9M arrivals in 2019
- Brazil: 6.4M arrivals in 2019
- Indonesia: 4.1M arrivals in 2020
- Vietnam: 3.8M arrivals in 2020
India 17.9M arrivals(2019)3 of 63.8M arrivals – 45.0M arrivals
Why it matters. Tourism is an export you cannot offshore, and it employs people with few qualifications. But not. Arrivals count crossings, so a business trip and a fortnight's holiday count the same.
And how much do they spend?
International tourism receipts
- United States: $84.2B in 2020
- China: $27.8B in 2004
- India: $13.4B in 2020
- Indonesia: $3.5B in 2020
- Vietnam: $3.2B in 2020
- Brazil: $3.1B in 2020
India $13.4B(2020)3 of 6$3.1B – $84.2B
Why it matters. Receipts show whether visitors are worth having, where arrivals only show that they came. But not. It is measured in dollars, so a weak currency depresses it without fewer visitors.
How much do its own people spend abroad?
International tourism expenditure
- United States: $48.8B in 2020
- China: $21.4B in 2004
- India: $15.8B in 2020
- Brazil: $6.5B in 2020
- Vietnam: $4.4B in 2020
- Indonesia: $2.0B in 2020
India $15.8B(2020)no better direction$2.0B – $48.8B
Why it matters. Outbound tourism is one of the purest signals of a middle class with money spare. But not. It is concentrated in a small slice of the population everywhere.
Does the country earn more abroad than it spends?
Current account balance
- Vietnam: 6.3 % in 2024
- China: 3.8 % in 2025
- Indonesia: -0.1 % in 2025
- India: -0.4 % in 2025
- Brazil: -2.9 % in 2025
- United States: -3.6 % in 2025
India -0.4 %(2025)no better direction-3.6 % – 6.3 %
Why it matters. A persistent deficit has to be financed by somebody, every year. But not. Deficits are normal and healthy for a fast-growing country importing machinery.
How big is the economy altogether?
GDP (current US$)
- United States: $30.8T in 2025
- China: $19.5T in 2025
- India: $4.0T in 2025
- Brazil: $2.3T in 2025
- Indonesia: $1.4T in 2025
- Vietnam: $514.7B in 2025
India $4.0T(2025)3 of 6$514.7B – $30.8T
Why it matters. The number countries are ranked by, and the one India climbs fastest on. But not. Size is not wealth. India is a top-five economy and roughly 140th per person.
How much of the economy is households spending?
Household consumption, share of GDP
- United States: 68 % in 2024
- Brazil: 63 % in 2025
- India: 57 % in 2025
- Indonesia: 55 % in 2025
- Vietnam: 53 % in 2025
- China: 40 % in 2024
India 57 %(2025)no better direction40 % – 68 %
Why it matters. A high share means growth is being driven by ordinary consumption rather than by the state or exports. But not. It can also be high simply because investment is weak.
How much can people and firms borrow?
Domestic credit to the private sector
- United States: 201 % in 2025
- China: 194 % in 2024
- Vietnam: 125 % in 2022
- Brazil: 75 % in 2025
- India: 44 % in 2025
- Indonesia: 36 % in 2025
India 44 %(2025)5 of 636 % – 201 %
Why it matters. Credit is what turns a plan into a business or a house. But not. Rapid credit growth is how most financial crises start.
How large is the stock market?
Market capitalisation of listed companies
- India: 267 % in 2025
- United States: 224 % in 2025
- China: 80 % in 2025
- Indonesia: 66 % in 2025
- Vietnam: 61 % in 2025
- Brazil: 38 % in 2025
India 267 %(2025)no better direction38 % – 267 %
Why it matters. Against the size of the economy, so it compares fairly across countries. But not. A market can be large because a few firms are, not because many are.
How much tax does the state collect?
Tax revenue
- Brazil: 15.4 % in 2024
- Indonesia: 11.1 % in 2009
- United States: 10.8 % in 2024
- China: 7.0 % in 2024
- India: 6.9 % in 2022
India 6.9 %(2022)no better direction6.9 % – 15.4 %
Why it matters. Everything a government does is downstream of this. But not. A low ratio can mean low rates or wide evasion, and this cannot tell them apart.
How much does the government owe?
Central government debt
- Indonesia: 30 % in 2009
- India: 47 % in 2018
- Brazil: 82 % in 2024
- United States: 116 % in 2024
India 47 %(2018)2 of 4· lower is better30 % – 116 %
Why it matters. Debt taken on now is spending given up later. But not. The level matters far less than what the borrowing bought.
How much is being built?
Gross capital formation
- China: 40 % in 2024
- India: 35 % in 2025
- Vietnam: 31 % in 2025
- Indonesia: 31 % in 2025
- United States: 22 % in 2024
- Brazil: 17 % in 2025
India 35 %(2025)2 of 617 % – 40 %
Why it matters. Investment today is the capacity to produce tomorrow — roads, factories, machines. But not. It counts spending, not whether the thing built was worth building.
And how much of that is lasting things?
Gross fixed capital formation
- China: 40 % in 2024
- India: 32 % in 2025
- Vietnam: 29 % in 2025
- Indonesia: 29 % in 2025
- United States: 21 % in 2024
- Brazil: 17 % in 2025
India 32 %(2025)2 of 617 % – 40 %
Why it matters. Strips out inventories, so it is closer to genuine building. But not. Housing dominates it in several of these countries.
What does the country sell abroad in total?
Exports of goods and services
- China: $4.1T in 2025
- United States: $3.2T in 2024
- India: $880.7B in 2025
- Vietnam: $505.7B in 2025
- Brazil: $406.3B in 2025
- Indonesia: $330.3B in 2025
India $880.7B(2025)3 of 6$330.3B – $4.1T
Why it matters. Goods and services together, which is where India differs most from its comparators. But not. Dollar totals move with exchange rates as much as with volume.
And what does it buy?
Imports of goods and services
- United States: $4.1T in 2024
- China: $3.3T in 2025
- India: $949.7B in 2025
- Vietnam: $474.0B in 2025
- Brazil: $398.3B in 2025
- Indonesia: $297.0B in 2025
India $949.7B(2025)no better direction$297.0B – $4.1T
Why it matters. Imports rise when people can afford more, so this tracks demand as well as dependence. But not. Oil dominates India's import bill, so the world price moves this line.
How much foreign investment arrives?
Foreign direct investment, net inflows
- United States: $400.5B in 2025
- China: $80.0B in 2025
- Brazil: $77.7B in 2025
- India: $39.1B in 2025
- Indonesia: $22.3B in 2025
- Vietnam: $20.2B in 2024
India $39.1B(2025)4 of 6$20.2B – $400.5B
Why it matters. In dollars rather than as a share, which shows the scale a country attracts. But not. Money routed through tax havens is counted at the last hop, not the first.
How much advanced manufacturing does it sell?
High-technology exports (US$)
- China: $856.8B in 2024
- United States: $232.9B in 2024
- Vietnam: $132.8B in 2023
- India: $54.1B in 2024
- Indonesia: $10.4B in 2024
- Brazil: $8.7B in 2024
India $54.1B(2024)4 of 6$8.7B – $856.8B
Why it matters. The absolute figure, where the share above shows composition. But not. Same assembly caveat: imported components count at full value on the way out.
How many foreign patents are filed here?
Patent applications, non-residents
- United States: 329.2k apps in 2021
- China: 159.0k apps in 2021
- India: 35.3k apps in 2021
- Brazil: 19.6k apps in 2021
- Vietnam: 7.5k apps in 2021
- Indonesia: 7.4k apps in 2021
India 35.3k apps(2021)no better direction7.4k apps – 329.2k apps
Why it matters. Foreigners patent where they expect a market worth defending. But not. It measures market attractiveness and legal confidence, not domestic invention.
How many people are there?
Population, total
- India: 1.5B people in 2025
- China: 1.4B people in 2025
- United States: 341.8M people in 2025
- Indonesia: 285.7M people in 2025
- Brazil: 212.8M people in 2025
- Vietnam: 101.6M people in 2025
India 1.5B people(2025)no better direction101.6M people – 1.5B people
Why it matters. The denominator under almost every other line on this page. But not. It is not an indicator of anything by itself, and is included because so many others need it.
How many are children?
Population aged 0-14
- Indonesia: 24.2 % in 2025
- India: 24.2 % in 2025
- Vietnam: 22.9 % in 2025
- Brazil: 19.4 % in 2025
- United States: 17.1 % in 2025
- China: 15.4 % in 2025
India 24.2 %(2025)no better direction15.4 % – 24.2 %
Why it matters. A young population is a workforce coming, or a dependency burden, depending on the schools. But not. The dividend is not automatic; it is only realised if the jobs exist.
Is the country growing more food?
Food production index
- India: 128 index in 2022
- Indonesia: 117 index in 2022
- Brazil: 114 index in 2022
- Vietnam: 114 index in 2022
- China: 112 index in 2022
- United States: 101 index in 2022
India 128 index(2022)1 of 6101 index – 128 index
Why it matters. Against a fixed base year, so it shows real change in output. But not. More food produced is not more food eaten, and India exports grain while children are stunted.
How much goes on defence?
Military expenditure
- United States: 3.4 % in 2024
- India: 2.3 % in 2024
- Vietnam: 1.8 % in 2018
- China: 1.7 % in 2024
- Brazil: 1.0 % in 2024
- Indonesia: 0.8 % in 2024
India 2.3 %(2024)no better direction0.8 % – 3.4 %
Why it matters. As a share of the economy, which is how the burden is usually judged. But not. A share falling while the economy grows can still be a large rise in spending.
How many people are in the armed forces?
Armed forces personnel
- India: 3.1M people in 2020
- China: 2.5M people in 2020
- United States: 1.4M people in 2020
- Brazil: 762.0k people in 2020
- Indonesia: 676.0k people in 2020
- Vietnam: 522.0k people in 2020
India 3.1M people(2020)no better direction522.0k people – 3.1M people
Why it matters. Headcount, which for India and China is among the largest in the world. But not. Numbers are not capability, and the trend everywhere is fewer people and more equipment.
How much of the economy is money sent home?
Remittance inflows to GDP (%)
- Vietnam: 5.0 % in 2020
- India: 3.1 % in 2020
- Indonesia: 0.9 % in 2020
- Brazil: 0.2 % in 2020
- China: 0.1 % in 2020
- United States: 0.0 % in 2020
India 3.1 %(2020)no better direction0.0 % – 5.0 %
Why it matters. As a share of GDP, which is where remittances turn from useful to structural. But not. For India the absolute figure is the world's largest while the share is small.
How many loans are going bad?
Bank non-performing loans to gross loans (%)
- United States: 1.1 % in 2020
- Vietnam: 1.5 % in 2019
- China: 1.8 % in 2020
- Brazil: 2.2 % in 2020
- Indonesia: 2.8 % in 2020
- India: 7.9 % in 2020
India 7.9 %(2020)6 of 6· lower is better1.1 % – 7.9 %
Why it matters. Bad debt is where the last boom is buried, and India spent a decade digging it out. But not. Recognition rules differ, so a low figure can mean a healthy system or a slow one.

All 100 come from the World Bank’s development indicators, ingested in full and listed with their sources on the sources page. Where a series is measured too rarely to draw a trend through — poverty and inequality come from household consumption surveys India has run four times since 2004 — the row says so rather than implying a line between the readings.