India vs South Korea: Compare Statistics
Side-by-side comparison of 179 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more ā latest data through 2026.
Summary
India has 28.6 times as many people as South Korea (1.48 billion vs 51.62 million). India's economy is 2.4 times the size of South Korea's ($4.52 trillion vs $1.91 trillion GDP).
Comparing India and South Korea: South Korea leads on Number of AI Patents Filed (9,682 patents) against India (6 patents); South Korea leads on Electricity Consumption (507.60) against India (1.14); India leads on Population Change (14.13 million persons) against South Korea (-34,023 persons). Across 179 compared metrics, India wins on 74 and South Korea wins on 95.
- Communications: 9 metrics compared
- Economy: 67 metrics compared
- Environment: 11 metrics compared
- Geography: 7 metrics compared
- Government: 10 metrics compared
- Health: 24 metrics compared
- Military and Security: 3 metrics compared
- People and Society: 41 metrics compared
- Transportation: 5 metrics compared
- Travel and Tourism: 1 metric compared
- Other: 1 metric compared
Communications
9 metrics| Metric | š®š³ India | š°š· South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed Broadband Penetration | 3.15 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants | 47.8 subscriptions per 100 inhabitantsā | |
| Internet Penetration Rate (%) | 64.94 % | 97.9 %ā | |
| Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population) | 55.9 % | 97.17 %ā | |
| Internet Users | percent of population: 56% (2022 est.) | percent of population: 97% (2023 est.) | |
| Mobile Internet Speed | 3.15 Mbps | 47.8 Mbpsā | |
| Press Freedom Index Score | 32.96 points | 64.06 pointsā | |
| Radios | 116ā | 47.5 | |
| Televisions | 63ā | 15.9 | |
| Waterways | 14,500ā | 1,600 |
Economy
67 metricsEnvironment
11 metrics| Metric | š®š³ India | š°š· South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual COā Emissions Growth (abs) | 130.72M | -5.50Mā | |
| Annual Forest Area Change Rate | 86,000 %ā | -3,774.02 % | |
| Average Annual Temperature | 24.23 Ā°Cā | 13.4 Ā°C | |
| Carbon Dioxide Emissions | 2.82ā | 644.23 | |
| Global Precipitation Distribution | 1,404.35 mmā | 1,270.38 mm | |
| Population Distribution | a very high population density exists throughout most of the country, with the notable exception of the deserts in the northwest and the mountain fringe in the north; the core of the population is in the north along the banks of the Ganges, with other riv | the population is primarily concentrated in the lowland areas, where density is high; Gyeonggi Province in the northwest, which surrounds the capital of Seoul and contains the port of Incheon, is the most densely populated province; Gangwon in the northea | |
| Protected Land Area for Adaptation | 7.76 sq km | 17.76 sq kmā | |
| Protected Land Area Percentage | 7.7 % | 17.7 %ā | |
| Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country | 432 Cubic meters per yearā | 13.3 Cubic meters per year | |
| Total Renewable Water Resources | 1.91 | 69.7ā | |
| Total Threatened Mammal Species | 99 species | 12 speciesā |
Geography
7 metrics| Metric | š®š³ India | š°š· South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization | 21.46 %ā | 11.86 % | |
| Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha) | 68.7 | 131.69ā | |
| Agricultural land | 1.78M sq. kmā | 15,174 sq. km | |
| Airports per 1,000 Sq Km | 2.97Mā | 97,600 | |
| Coastline Length (km) | 7,000 kmā | 2,413 km | |
| Dam capacity per capita | 167.04 cubic meters per inhabitant | 362.21 cubic meters per inhabitantā | |
| Irrigated Land | 754,562ā | 7,780 |
Government
10 metrics| Metric | š®š³ India | š°š· South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rule of Law Index by Country | 59.13 % | 85.98 %ā | |
| Administrative Divisions | 28ā | 9 | |
| Corruption Perception Index | 38 indexā | 64 index | |
| Corruption Perceptions Index Score | 38 index | 64 indexā | |
| Independence | 15 | 15 | |
| LGBT Rights Index Score | 2.07 | 2.94ā | |
| Political Stability Index | 21 index | 68 indexā | |
| Prison Population Rate | 35 per 100,000ā | 105 per 100,000 | |
| Public Sector Corruption Perception | 38ā | 64 | |
| Suffrage Participation Rate | 18 | 18 |
Health
24 metricsMilitary and Security
3 metrics| Metric | š®š³ India | š°š· South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Military Personnel | 1.46M personnelā | 555,000 personnel | |
| Military Expenditure (% of GDP) | 2.3 %ā | 2.6 % | |
| Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP) | 3.07Mā | 569,000 |
People and Society
41 metrics| Metric | š®š³ India | š°š· South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Currently married (Percent) | 71.87 %ā | 42.12 % | |
| Human Capital Index | 0.52 | 0.8ā | |
| Life expectancy at birth | 76.09 years | 87.65 yearsā | |
| Median age of population | 29.19 years | 46.18 yearsā | |
| Population Change | 14.13M personsā | -34,023.3 persons | |
| Population density | 496.42 per sq. kmā | 521.76 per sq. km | |
| Total population | 1.48B personsā | 51.62M persons | |
| Academic Freedom Index | 0.14 | 0.85ā | |
| Average Female Breast Size by Country: Worldwide Data & Rankings | A | AA-Aā | |
| Beer Consumption per Capita | 0.21 liters | 1.67 litersā | |
| Birth Rate (%) | 15.91 %ā | 4.29 % | |
| Contraceptive Prevalence Rate | 66.7 % | 82.3 %ā | |
| Crude Birth Rate | 15.98 per 1,000 peopleā | 4.7 per 1,000 people | |
| Death Rate (%) | 8.7 % | 6.94 %ā | |
| Education Expenditure (% of GDP) | 4.1 % of GDP | 5.8 % of GDPā | |
| Female population of reproductive age | 389.10M personsā | 10.86M persons | |
| Female Tertiary Enrollment Rate (%) | 35.41 % | 105.19 %ā | |
| Fixed Broadband Penetration Rate | 3.15 % | 47.8 %ā | |
| Global Average Sex Ratio at Birth | 107.28 male/femaleā | 105.75 male/female | |
| Human Development Index | 0.35 | 0.82ā | |
| Labor Force Participation Rate | 607.69ā | 29.71 | |
| Learning-adjusted years of school | 9.6 years | 11.74 yearsā | |
| Length of paid parental leave for mother | 0 days | 365 daysā | |
| Major Urban Areas Population | 32.94 peopleā | 9.99 people | |
| Mean Male Height (cm) | 164.95 | 174.92ā | |
| Mean Years of Schooling | 7.8 years | 13.68 yearsā | |
| Military Manpower at Military Age | 17 | 18ā | |
| Military Service Age and Obligation | ages vary by branch of service and positions, but generally 17-27 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2025) note 1: in 2022, the Indian Government began recruiting men aged 17.5-21 annually to serve on 4-year co | 18 | |
| Old-Age Dependency Ratio | 10.17 %ā | 25.91 % | |
| Percentage of population by degree of urbanization | 84.2 % | 90.48 %ā | |
| Physician Density | 0.72 people/sq km | 2.61 people/sq kmā | |
| Population Growth Rate | 0.72 %ā | -0.09 % | |
| Population living in slums | 5.41 % | 5.46 %ā | |
| Primary School Pupil-Teacher Ratio | 32.75 | 16.29ā | |
| Total deaths | 8.28M persons | 375,161.5 personsā | |
| Total demand for family planning (Percent) | 57.51 %ā | 54.27 % | |
| Total fertility rate | 1.93 per womanā | 0.72 per woman | |
| Total net-migration | -632,939 persons | 106,057.5 personsā | |
| Under-five mortality rate | 26.01 per live births | 2.38 per live birthsā | |
| Urban Population Annual Growth Rate | 1.76 %ā | -0.12 % | |
| Voting Age Population | 64.25 millions | 66.19 millionsā |
Transportation
5 metrics| Metric | š®š³ India | š°š· South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP) | 0.14 | 1.32ā | |
| Airports | 315ā | 92 | |
| Annual Human Space Visits (Total) | 0 | 0 | |
| Civil Air Travel | 93 | 93 | |
| Heliports | 289 | 1,280ā |
Travel and Tourism
1 metric| Metric | š®š³ India | š°š· South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourism Receipts per Capita | 37.02B USDā | 22.00B USD |
Other
1 metric| Metric | š®š³ India | š°š· South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Bank Rate | 5.25 %ā | 2.5 % |
Frequently Asked Questions About India vs South Korea
Which has a larger population, India or South Korea?ā¾
India. India has 28.6 times as many people as South Korea (1.48 billion vs 51.62 million). Data for 2026.
Which has a bigger economy, India or South Korea?ā¾
India. India's economy is 2.4 times the size of South Korea's ($4.52 trillion vs $1.91 trillion GDP). Data for 2026.
Which is richer per person, India or South Korea?ā¾
South Korea is richer per person: GDP per capita is about $36,950 in South Korea vs $3,063 in India (2026 GDP in current US dollars divided by population).