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India, China, Pakistan Indicators Compared, Class 12

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EconomicsCBSE Class 12 · Comparative Development Experiences of India and its Neighbours

India, China and Pakistan: Indicators Compared (Class 12 Economics)

Updated 17 October 2026 · Fact-checked

NCERT compares the three countries on demography, GDP growth, sectoral shares and human development. China has the lowest population growth and highest urbanisation, income and HDI; India and Pakistan moved from agriculture directly to services; Pakistan has the highest population growth and fertility. Read each table, compare, and give reasons.

China has the lowest population growth (slightly negative) but the highest urbanisation, while Pakistan's population grows fastest.

Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.

Understand India, China and Pakistan: Demographic, Growth and Human Development Indicators

Demographic indicators, 2021-23 (NCERT Table 8.1).

IndicatorIndiaChinaPakistan
Estimated population (million)1,4281,411240
Annual growth of population (%)0.81-0.101.96
Density (per sq. km)473150300
Sex ratio (females per 1,000 males)930898948
Fertility rate2.01.23.4
Urbanisation (%)366538

Growth is highest in Pakistan, then India; China's is slightly negative, which scholars link to the one-child norm (late 1970s), also tied to a lower sex ratio and a growing share of the elderly. China later allowed two children. The sex ratio is low in all three because of son preference. China has the lowest density despite the largest area. Fertility is low in China and very high in Pakistan. China is the most urbanised.

GDP growth (NCERT Table 8.2, % a year).

Country1980-902015-172024
India5.77.36.5
China10.36.85.0
Pakistan6.35.33.1

NCERT: GDP (PPP) of China is about USD 35 trillion, India about USD 15 trillion, Pakistan about USD 1.5 trillion (about 10% of India's).

Sectoral shares in 2022 (NCERT Table 8.3, %).

SectorGVA: IndiaGVA: ChinaGVA: PakistanWorkforce: IndiaWorkforce: ChinaWorkforce: Pakistan
Agriculture18824432336
Industry283821263226
Services545455314538

China followed the classic path from agriculture to industry and then services. India and Pakistan moved directly from agriculture to services. China's growth came from manufacturing and services, India's from services, and Pakistan decelerated in all three sectors.

Human development, 2017-2023 (NCERT Table 8.5).

IndicatorIndiaChinaPakistan
HDI value (rank)0.685 (130)0.797 (78)0.544 (168)
Life expectancy at birth (years)72.078.067.6
Mean years of schooling (15+)6.98.04.3
GNI per capita (PPP US dollars)9,04722,0295,501
Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births)25.54.851
Basic sanitation (% of population)789671
Maternal deaths per 1 lakh births10323154
Undernourishment (% of population)17319

China is ahead of India and Pakistan on most indicators. Liberty indicators: NCERT says they matter but are not sufficient; the human development index adds one participation measure without extra weight and leaves out rights, judicial independence and the rule of law, so it is incomplete.

Neighbouring topic. The strategies of each country are explained on a separate page.

India, China and Pakistan: Demographic, Growth and Human Development Indicators: key facts

Output per worker proxy
Relative productivity = share of GVA / share of workforce
More than 1 means above-average productivity in that sector.
Times larger
Times = larger value / smaller value
For comparisons between countries.
Percentage difference
Difference (%) = (value A - value B) / value B x 100
Choose the base carefully.
Share of the three-country total
Share = country value / sum of the three values x 100
For population sums.

How to answer India, China and Pakistan: Demographic, Growth and Human Development Indicators questions

Questions ask you to read the tables, compute simple ratios, and explain differences with reasons.

  1. 1Identify the table and the right row and column before calculating.
  2. 2State the comparison in one sentence (who is higher or lower, and by how much).
  3. 3Give a reason from NCERT: one-child norm, son preference, route from agriculture to services, reform history.
  4. 4For output-per-worker proxies, divide the GVA share by the workforce share for the same sector.
  5. 5End with a balanced conclusion; note that indicators miss liberty and rights.

India, China and Pakistan: Demographic, Growth and Human Development Indicators in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Output per worker proxy

Suppose in a small economy agriculture gives 20% of national output but employs 50% of the workforce, while services give 50% of output with 30% of the workforce.

Which sector has higher output per worker and what does it imply?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Agriculture: 20 / 50 = 0.4.
  2. Services: 50 / 30 = 1.67.
  3. Services workers produce about 4.2 times as much as agricultural workers (1.67 / 0.4 = 4.17).

Answer: Services have far higher output per worker; shifting workers from agriculture would raise average income, as in India's and Pakistan's service-led growth.

Memory hook: Share of output over share of workers.

Demographic dividend and ageing

Imagine a country that strictly limits families to one child for decades, then finds that elderly people form a growing share of its population.

Why is this a concern?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Fewer young workers support more elderly people.
  2. Population growth may become negative, as in China.
  3. The sex ratio may also worsen when sons are preferred.

Answer: A shrinking young workforce relative to the elderly strains growth and social support, which is why China later allowed two children.

Memory hook: Fewer births today, fewer workers tomorrow.

Tricks to remember India, China and Pakistan: Demographic, Growth and Human Development Indicators

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

  • Population ranks

    India 1,428 > China 1,411 >> Pakistan 240 (million): India slightly ahead of China.

    Use it when: Table 8.1.

  • China: middle step, India and Pakistan: skip

    China: agriculture to industry to services; India and Pakistan skip industry.

    Use it when: Sectoral shift.

  • HDI order

    China 78, India 130, Pakistan 168: rank numbers rise as HDI falls.

    Use it when: HDI ranks.

India, China and Pakistan: Demographic, Growth and Human Development Indicators: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Reading Table 8.1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

Which country has the highest annual growth of population in the NCERT table?
(a) India
(b) China
(c) Pakistan
(d) All the same

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Pakistan: 1.96%; India 0.81%; China -0.10%.

Answer: (c) Pakistan

Example 2: Sector shares · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

Compare the sectoral shares of workforce in India, China and Pakistan in 2022 and state which country has moved the most from agriculture to industry. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Agriculture workforce: India 43, China 23, Pakistan 36.
  2. Industry: India 26, China 32, Pakistan 26.

Answer: In 2022 agriculture employs 43% of Indian workers, 36% in Pakistan and 23% in China. Industry employs 32% in China against 26% each in India and Pakistan. China has moved most towards industry; India and Pakistan moved mainly towards services.

Example 3: Productivity proxy by sector · 4 marks · Short answerHarder board level

Using Table 8.3 (2022), find the output-per-worker proxy (GVA share / workforce share) for agriculture and services in India, and for agriculture in China and Pakistan. What do the results show? (4 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. India agriculture: 18 / 43 = 0.42; India services: 54 / 31 = 1.74.
  2. China agriculture: 8 / 23 = 0.35; Pakistan agriculture: 24 / 36 = 0.67.
  3. India services workers have about 4.2 times (54 / 31 divided by 18 / 43) the proxy output of agricultural workers.
  4. Agriculture has the lowest output per worker in all three, so shifting workers raises average output.

Answer: India: agriculture 0.42, services 1.74; China agriculture 0.35; Pakistan agriculture 0.67. Agriculture has far lower output per worker than services, which explains the gain from moving workers out of farming.

Example 4: Human development gaps · 4 marks · Short answerHarder board level

Using Table 8.5, find (i) how many times China's GNI per capita (PPP) is India's and Pakistan's, (ii) how many times India's infant mortality is China's, (iii) the difference in life expectancy between China and Pakistan, and (iv) the three-country share of India in total population (Table 8.1). (4 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. (i) 22,029 / 9,047 = 2.43 times; 22,029 / 5,501 = 4.00 times.
  2. (ii) 25.5 / 4.8 = 5.31 times.
  3. (iii) 78.0 - 67.6 = 10.4 years.
  4. (iv) Total = 1,428 + 1,411 + 240 = 3,079 million; India's share = 1,428 / 3,079 x 100 = 46.4%.

Answer: (i) About 2.43 times and 4.00 times. (ii) About 5.31 times. (iii) 10.4 years. (iv) India is about 46.4% of the three-country total.

Example 5: Is HDI enough? · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

Suppose a policy analyst says that because China's HDI is higher than India's, China's development model is clearly superior. Using NCERT's discussion of liberty indicators, evaluate this claim, noting what the HDI includes and leaves out. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. HDI covers income, health and schooling, where China scores higher (0.797 vs 0.685).
  2. NCERT says liberty indicators are important but not sufficient; the HDI has one participation measure without extra weight and leaves out constitutional protection of rights, judicial independence and the rule of law.
  3. So HDI does not capture political freedom, where India's democracy is a strength and China's lack of political freedom is a concern.
  4. Conclusion: China is ahead on measured indicators, but 'superior' depends on which values are weighed; a fuller assessment adds liberty.

Answer: China leads on HDI, but the HDI omits rights, judicial independence and the rule of law, so the claim is incomplete; a balanced view credits China on measured outcomes and India on democratic institutions.

Where students lose marks in India, China and Pakistan: Demographic, Growth and Human Development Indicators

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

  • Mistake: Reading the wrong table or year

    Tables have different years.

    Wrong working

    India's growth in 1980-90 was 6.5%.

    Right working

    6.5% is for 2024; 1980-90 is 5.7%.

    Do this: Check the column heading.

    Usually costs: 1 mark.

  • Mistake: Saying India and Pakistan followed China's path

    Confusing sector shifts.

    Wrong working

    India moved from agriculture to industry to services.

    Right working

    India and Pakistan moved directly from agriculture to services; China moved through industry.

    Do this: Remember 'skip industry'.

    Usually costs: 1 mark.

  • Mistake: Ratio with the wrong base

    Dividing smaller by larger when asked 'times larger'.

    Wrong working

    China's GNI is 9,047 / 22,029 = 0.41 times India's.

    Right working

    China's GNI is 22,029 / 9,047 = 2.43 times India's.

    Do this: Put the compared country on top.

    Usually costs: 1 mark.

Exam tips

  • In data questions, write one comparison sentence with numbers and one reason.
  • Use the table labels exactly (HDI value and rank, mean years of schooling, fertility rate).
  • Mention that the HDI cannot capture liberty, rights and the rule of law.

Practice questions on India, China and Pakistan: Demographic, Growth and Human Development Indicators

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

  1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

    Which country has the lowest density of population among the three in the NCERT table?
    (a) India
    (b) China
    (c) Pakistan
    (d) Both India and Pakistan

    Hint

    Density per sq. km: 473, 150, 300.

    Answer

    (b) China

  2. Q2 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

    State one reason for the low sex ratio in all three countries and two consequences of China's one-child norm. (3 marks)

    Hint

    Reason: son preference. Consequences of the one-child norm: negative population growth and a growing elderly share.

    Answer

    Reason: son preference in all three societies lowers the ratio of females to males. Consequences of China's one-child norm (late 1970s): population growth has become slightly negative (-0.10%), and the elderly form a growing share of the population relative to the young.

  3. Q3 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

    Using Table 8.2, find how many percentage points India's growth exceeded China's in 2024 and by how many percentage points China's growth fell between 1980-90 and 2024. Compare with Pakistan's fall over the same periods. (3 marks)

    Hint

    Subtract carefully.

    Answer

    India exceeded China in 2024 by 6.5 - 5.0 = 1.5 points. China's growth fell by 10.3 - 5.0 = 5.3 points; Pakistan's fell by 6.3 - 3.1 = 3.2 points.

  4. Q4 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

    Using Table 8.3 (2022), find the output-per-worker proxy of industry in India and China and of services in Pakistan. Which of the three is highest? (3 marks)

    Hint

    GVA share / workforce share.

    Answer

    India industry: 28 / 26 = 1.08. China industry: 38 / 32 = 1.19. Pakistan services: 55 / 38 = 1.45. Pakistan's services figure is highest of the three.

  5. Q5 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHOTS / competency

    Assertion (A): India and Pakistan did not follow the classic path of structural change followed by China.
    Reason (R): India and Pakistan moved from agriculture directly to services without a major rise in industry's share of employment.
    (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
    (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
    (c) A is true but R is false.
    (d) A is false but R is true.

    Hint

    Industry's workforce share is 26% in both.

    Answer

    (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

  1. 1.Which country has the highest fertility rate in Table 8.1?Show answer

    Pakistan (3.4).

  2. 2.Which country is most urbanised?Show answer

    China (65%).

  3. 3.What is India's HDI rank in the NCERT table?Show answer

    130.

  4. 4.What share of India's workforce is in agriculture (2022)?Show answer

    43%.

  5. 5.What are liberty indicators for?Show answer

    To capture rights and freedoms that income, health and schooling indicators miss.

India, China and Pakistan: Demographic, Growth and Human Development Indicators: frequently asked questions

Which country has the highest HDI among the three?

China, with 0.797 (rank 78), against India 0.685 (130) and Pakistan 0.544 (168).

Why is China's population growth negative?

Scholars link it to the one-child norm and low fertility; China later allowed two children.

Do I need to memorise all the figures?

Learn the rankings and big contrasts and a few key numbers; the board expects interpretation and reasons.

Are the ratios computed on this page from NCERT data?

Yes, ratios and differences are derived from NCERT's table values; the tables themselves are NCERT figures.