Standard of living

There is joy in India that it is the 5th largest economy in the world, after USA, China, Japan and Germany, based on International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates. According to Niti Aayog, in May 2025, the Indian economy has overtaken Japan in sheer size. India is expected to become the third largest economy by 2030.

However, the large size of the economy does not necessarily mean a high living standard for citizens. For instance, the Indian per capita GDP is only around $2,700. This ranks at number 142 globally, out of 193 economies. This is meager. It means that the average Indian is not very well-off in economic and life-style terms.

The per capita GDP for USA is $85,800, China is $13,300. So, India has many more miles to cover, before its citizens have a high standard of living, despite the large sized economy.

Rajendra Aneja
Mumbai, India