India
🇮🇳 Southern Asia · Republic of India
How India ranks globally
About India
India (officially Republic of India) is a country in Southern Asia, with New Delhi as its capital. It is home to roughly 1.46 billion people, giving a population density of about 445 people per square kilometre. The country covers 3,287,590 km² of land and shares land borders with 6 neighbouring countries. Its economy is valued at approximately $3.96T in nominal GDP (2025), and it records a Human Development Index of 0.685. The official currency is the Indian rupee (INR), and the main languages are English, Hindi, Tamil.
Key indicators
💹 Economy
👥 People
🌍 Quality of Life
GDP over time
How India measures up
How India is governed
Ceremonial head of state; acts largely on the advice of the government.
Holds real executive power; leads the Council of Ministers.
Bicameral — Lok Sabha — lower house, 543 elected seats; Rajya Sabha — upper house, states' council
Who holds the power?
India is a Westminster-style parliamentary democracy with a federal structure. The President is the constitutional head of state, but the office is largely ceremonial — real executive power rests with the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, who are drawn from and answerable to the elected Lok Sabha. The PM is usually the leader of the party or coalition that commands a majority in the lower house. States hold significant devolved powers, and an independent judiciary headed by the Supreme Court can strike down laws that violate the constitution.
Did you know?
India is the world's largest democracy by number of eligible voters.
It is the birthplace of four major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.
India's constitution recognises 22 official languages — there is no single national language.
India is the most populous country in the world, home to about 1.46 billion people.
By land area it is the 7th-largest country in the world, covering 3,287,590 km².
It has the world's 6th-largest economy by nominal GDP ($3.96T).
India shares land borders with 6 countries.
Quick quiz — do you know India?
What is the capital of India?
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Neighbouring countries
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