Economic Snapshots: India and Pakistan's post-partition trajectories
August 15, 1947 saw the end of the British Empire's nearly 150-year hold over India. They did, however, divide the subcontinent into two countries, India and Pakistan, before they left. Both the countries inherited similar economies. In 77 years, the difference between the two is glaring. While Pakistan struggles to preserve stability in the face of economic and political unrest, India is rapidly overtaking it as the third-largest economy in the world.
India’s GDP stood at $3.39 trillion as of 2022, more than 800 percent greater than the $376.53 billion GDP of Pakistan. (Source: World Bank)
2/8
Before 2000, Pakistan’s GDP per capita was higher than that of India but today India’s GDP per capita is nearly 50 percent more than that of Pakistan (Source: World Bank)
3/8
India’s liberalisation policy and less dependency on foreign aid led to more investment and accelerated growth after 1993 (Source: World Bank)
4/8
From being nearly the same till 1975, India’s total reserves have crossed $567 billion, while Pakistan’s stands at $9.93 billion. (Source: World Bank)
India’s total reserves have crossed $567 billion, while Pakistan’s stands at $9.93 billion. (Source: World Bank)
6/8
Only 56.2 percent of people in India had access to electricity in 1998, while around 70.5 percent of people in Pakistan had access to the same. But by 2021, as much as 99.6 percent of Indians have access to electricity, while in Pakistan this figure stands at 94.9. (Source: World Bank)
7/8
India and Pakistan’s infant mortality rates in 1960 stood at 161.9 and 184.9, respectively. By 2021, India has managed to bring down its figure to 25.5, while that of Pakistan remains comparatively higher at 52.8. (Source: World Bank)
8/8
The political instability in Pakistan since the 1970s has affected its economy. Pakistan has seen as many as 4 coups and several more coup attempts—spending decades under non-democratic military rule. (Source: World Bank)
