01
Physical geography
Upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north.
Local timeNew Delhi ·
Asia / Southern Asia · Card 013
India
India is a country in Southern Asia. Its capital is New Delhi.
Find India
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- New Delhi
- Languages
- Hindi & English at Union level; state languages
- Currency
- Indian rupee (INR)
- Population
- 1463.9 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 3,287,590 km²1,269,345 square miles
- Independence
- 1947from the UK
India in context
Asia and its surrounding regions. The dot marks New Delhi; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Hindi and English are used for Union government purposes. States have their own official-language arrangements; the constitution recognizes 22 scheduled languages.
03
Location
Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan.
Flag
Three equal horizontal bands of saffron (top), white, and green, with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band
History & independence
India’s independence movement challenged British colonial rule through mass political organizing, civil disobedience and other forms of resistance. Independence in 1947 coincided with partition into India and Pakistan, causing mass displacement and violence. India’s constitution came into force in 1950, establishing a republic.
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Independence and partition
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Constitution establishes the republic
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Major economic reforms begin
Economy
Main activities
Services, manufacturing and agriculture all contribute. Information technology, pharmaceuticals, engineering and business services are important industries; agriculture remains a major source of employment.
Industry and production
textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software, pharmaceuticals
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people1463.92025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 545,864,268 | 545.864 |
| 1980 | 687,354,025 | 687.354 |
| 1990 | 864,972,221 | 864.972 |
| 2000 | 1,057,922,733 | 1,057.923 |
| 2010 | 1,243,481,564 | 1,243.482 |
| 2020 | 1,402,617,695 | 1,402.618 |
| 2025 | 1,463,865,525 | 1,463.866 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars3694.02025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 465,242,841,651 | 465.243 |
| 1991 | 470,159,674,241 | 470.160 |
| 1992 | 495,935,689,517 | 495.936 |
| 1993 | 519,496,484,319 | 519.496 |
| 1994 | 554,089,360,743 | 554.089 |
| 1995 | 596,058,814,160 | 596.059 |
| 1996 | 641,058,406,951 | 641.058 |
| 1997 | 667,020,123,971 | 667.020 |
| 1998 | 708,271,422,045 | 708.271 |
| 1999 | 770,923,380,749 | 770.923 |
| 2000 | 800,534,479,630 | 800.534 |
| 2001 | 839,151,992,858 | 839.152 |
| 2002 | 871,073,127,574 | 871.073 |
| 2003 | 939,542,798,332 | 939.543 |
| 2004 | 1,013,982,178,696 | 1,013.982 |
| 2005 | 1,094,324,353,138 | 1,094.324 |
| 2006 | 1,182,534,912,726 | 1,182.535 |
| 2007 | 1,273,126,725,470 | 1,273.127 |
| 2008 | 1,312,424,303,400 | 1,312.424 |
| 2009 | 1,415,605,643,151 | 1,415.606 |
| 2010 | 1,535,897,931,720 | 1,535.898 |
| 2011 | 1,616,399,198,834 | 1,616.399 |
| 2012 | 1,704,596,203,504 | 1,704.596 |
| 2013 | 1,813,453,530,766 | 1,813.454 |
| 2014 | 1,947,834,564,910 | 1,947.835 |
| 2015 | 2,103,588,360,045 | 2,103.588 |
| 2016 | 2,277,267,041,550 | 2,277.267 |
| 2017 | 2,432,016,068,498 | 2,432.016 |
| 2018 | 2,588,974,770,244 | 2,588.975 |
| 2019 | 2,689,205,295,885 | 2,689.205 |
| 2020 | 2,533,830,417,086 | 2,533.830 |
| 2021 | 2,779,348,258,938 | 2,779.348 |
| 2022 | 2,990,839,011,962 | 2,990.839 |
| 2023 | 3,206,485,223,026 | 3,206.485 |
| 2024 | 3,434,122,552,915 | 3,434.123 |
| 2025 | 3,693,970,992,046 | 3,693.971 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.685Medium human developmentRank 130 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.446
20000.501
20100.590
20200.652
20230.685
72.0 yearsLife expectancy at birth
6.9 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Federal parliamentary republic. Parliament (Sansad) has two chambers (a bicameral legislature).
Knowledge check
Three questions about India.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which plateau lies in southern India?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.