India vs Iran
India vs Iran: GDP growth
GDP growth in 2025: 7.8% a year in India and -0.9% a year in Iran, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in India, by 8.7 percentage points.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- India has been higher since 2021, when it overtook Iran.
- In 2025, India ranked 12 and Iran ranked 141 of 143 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts India at 6.8% a year and Iran at 2% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | India | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7.8 | -0.9 |
| 2024 | 7.2 | 3.7 |
| 2023 | 7.3 | 5.3 |
| 2022 | 7.6 | 4.4 |
| 2021 | 9.7 | 4.1 |
| 2020 | -5.8 | 4.4 |
| 2019 | 3.9 | -2.4 |
| 2018 | 6.5 | -3.7 |
| 2017 | 6.8 | 3 |
| 2016 | 8.3 | 6.5 |
| 2015 | 8 | -1.4 |
| 2014 | 7.4 | 5 |
| 2013 | 6.4 | -1.5 |
| 2012 | 5.5 | -3.7 |
| 2011 | 5.2 | 5.7 |
| 2010 | 8.5 | 5.8 |
| 2009 | 7.9 | 1 |
| 2008 | 3.1 | 0.3 |
| 2007 | 7.7 | 8.2 |
| 2006 | 8.1 | 5 |
| 2005 | 7.9 | 3.2 |
| 2004 | 7.9 | 4.3 |
| 2003 | 7.9 | 8.6 |
| 2002 | 3.8 | 8.1 |
| 2001 | 4.8 | 2.4 |
| 2000 | 3.8 | 5.8 |
| 1999 | 8.8 | 2 |
| 1998 | 6.2 | 2.1 |
| 1997 | 4.1 | 1.4 |
| 1996 | 7.6 | 6.4 |
| 1995 | 7.6 | 2.4 |
| 1994 | 6.7 | -1.7 |
| 1993 | 4.8 | -1.5 |
| 1992 | 5.5 | 3.3 |
| 1991 | 1.1 | 12.7 |
| 1990 | 5.5 | 13.6 |
| 1989 | 5.9 | 6.1 |
| 1988 | 9.6 | -6.1 |
| 1987 | 4 | -0.2 |
| 1986 | 4.8 | -9.8 |
| 1985 | 5.3 | 1.9 |
| 1984 | 3.8 | -7.1 |
| 1983 | 7.3 | 11.1 |
| 1982 | 3.5 | 23.2 |
| 1981 | 6 | -5.7 |
| 1980 | 6.7 | -21.6 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | India | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 7 | -7.6 |
| 2027 | 7 | 3.6 |
| 2028 | 6.9 | 1.5 |
| 2029 | 6.9 | 1.8 |
| 2030 | 6.8 | 2 |
| 2031 | 6.8 | 2 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 143 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
India vs Iran
Health
- Life expectancyIndia: 72 years in 2023Iran: 77.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIndia: 2.7 per 100 live births in 2024Iran: 1.1 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIndia: 22.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023Iran: 9.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionIndia: 3.53% in 2017Iran: 5.12% in 2017
- Suicide rateIndia: 15.6 per 100,000 people in 2017Iran: 5.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIndia: 1.44 billion people in 2023Iran: 90.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthIndia: 0.89% a year in 2023Iran: 1.12% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIndia: 1.98 births per woman in 2023Iran: 1.7 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIndia: 35.7% in 2025Iran: 77.4% in 2025
- Median ageIndia: 28.1 years in 2023Iran: 32.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIndia: 6.9% in 2023Iran: 7.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateIndia: -0.7 per 1,000 people in 2023Iran: 2.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIndia: 2.3% of GDP in 2025Iran: 2.09% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIndia: $93.3B in 2025Iran: $7.45B in 2025
- Military spending per personIndia: $63 in 2025Iran: $80 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIndia: 8.2% of government spending in 2025Iran: 11.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIndia: 3.07 million people in 2020Iran: 650,000 people in 2020
- National powerIndia: 9.94% of world capability in 2022Iran: 1.64% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIndia: 0.58% of the labour force in 2020Iran: 2.35% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIndia: 2.86 billion TIV in 2025Iran: 42 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exportsIndia: 81 million TIV in 2025Iran: 80 million TIV in 2025