Analysing where India stands in the G20 | Data Premium

G20 Summit in New Delhi focused on ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’. India’s performance in recent decades across various socioeconomic metrics compared to fellow G20 members. GDP per capita, Human Development Index, labour force participation rate, share of women in Parliament, carbon emissions & renewable energy sources analysed. India ranked 18/19 in GDP per capita, 19/19 in HDI, 19/20 in LFPR, 18/19 in share of women in Parliament, 1/20 in CO2 emissions & 13/20 in renewable energy sources.

On September 9 and 10, India hosted the 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi, focusing on the theme ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future.’ Food security, climate change, energy, development, healthcare, and digitalisation were deliberated upon at the global forum, formed to discuss economic and financial matters. The summit wrapped up successfully as India transferred the G20 Presidency to Brazil. This analysis evaluates India’s performance in recent decades across various socioeconomic metrics in comparison to its fellow G20 members. The G20 is made up of India, Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the European Union (EU), Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, the United States, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia.

Chart 1 | The chart compares the GDP per capita (in $) of 19 regions (18 countries plus the EU) between 1970 and 2022. GDP per capita ($) is the sum of gross value added by all resident producers in the economy divided by mid-year population.

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In 1970, with a GDP per capita of $111.97, India ranked 18 out of the 19 regions analysed. While Indonesia lagged behind India in 1970, it moved ahead by 2022, pushing India to the last spot with a GDP per capita of $2,388.62.

Chart 2 | The chart compares the Human Development Index (HDI) of 19 countries between 1990 and 2021. The HDI is a measure of life expectancy, access to education, and standard of living. HDI in the graph is measured on a scale of 0 (worst) to 1 (best).

India’s HDI improved from 0.43 in 1990 to 0.63 in 2021. However, despite its progress in absolute terms, India ranked at the bottom of the list.

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