INDIA: A SWOT ANALYSIS

India’s independence 60 years ago was closely followed by independence for that growth are yet to be seen for large sections of
PAKISTAN
14th August 1947 CHINA
1st October 1949
SOUTH KOREA
several other countries in the region. While Pakistan became free at the same its population. Only Pakistan has a lower per capita INDIA 17th July 1945
time as India, Sri Lanka won its freedom in 1948. Indonesia’s declaration of income, among the countries in our sample. The 15th August 1947
independence was drawn up in 1945, but it was only four years later that the proportion of population living below $1 or Rs40.7
Dutch recognized its independence. Malaysia celebrates its 50th year of freedom (in terms of purchasing power parity) a day is the PHILIPPINES
this year. South Korea declared independence in 1948, although that highest in India. 12th June 1946
was followed two years later by a bloody conflict with its northern neighbour. At the same time, the world is beating a path SRI LANKA
And China became a People’s Republic in 1949. On the 60th anniversary to India’s door. Indian corporations are not only 4th February 1948
of its independence, how does India compare with these countries? competing with multinationals on the home turf, but MALAYSIA
31st August 1957
Mint compared these countries on scores of economic, social and have taken the fight to foreign shores. The challenge
environmental indicators. before the country is to reconcile these divergent trends. INDONESIA
The results are mixed. While India’s growth rate is to be envied, the fruits of Data collated by ASHWIN RAMARATHINAM Graphics by SANDEEP BHATNAGAR 17th August 1945

SOCIAL SECTOR Infant mortality rate

(per 1,000 live births)
Countries

Pakistan
Countries
2005
Maternal mortality ratio
(per 100,000 live births)
Countries

India
Countries
2000
Daily per capita dietary
protein consumption
(in gm)
Countries

South Korea
2003

79 540 101
India Pakistan China
56 500 91
Indonesia Indonesia Malaysia
28 230 82
Philippines Philippines Indonesia
25 200 67
China Sri Lanka Pakistan
23 92 64
Sri Lanka China India
12 56 63
Malaysia Malaysia Philippines
10 41 60
South Korea South Korea Sri Lanka
5 20 56

India’s performance in Share of women in wage Proportion of seats held Under-five Prevalence Death rates associated HIV People
the social sector has employment in non- by women in national mortality rate of malaria with tuberculosis prevalence undernourished
agricultural sector (in %) Parliament (in %) (per 1,000 live births) (per 100,000 people) (per 100,000 people) (in %, ages 15-49) (% of total population)
been extremely poor, Countries 2004 Countries 2006 Countries 2005 Countries 2003 Countries 2004 Countries 2005 Countries 2001-03
with very high rates of Sri Lanka Pakistan Pakistan India Philippines India Pakistan
infant and maternal 43.2 21 99 166 48 0.9 23
mortality, high HIV South Korea China India Pakistan Indonesia Malaysia Sri Lanka
41.6 20 74 84 46 0.5 22
prevalence, poor China Philippines Indonesia Sri Lanka Pakistan China India
literacy and low life 40.9 16 36 55 41 0.1 20
expectancy. Sri Lanka, Philippines South Korea Philippines Philippines India South Korea Philippines
for example, does far 40.4 13 33 53 30 0.1 19
Malaysia Indonesia China Malaysia China Indonesia China
better than India on 36.9 11 27 25 17 0.1 12
most of the social Indonesia Malaysia Sri Lanka Indonesia Malaysia Philippines Indonesia
parameters. 31.1 9 14 4 16 0.1 6
India India Malaysia China South Korea Sri Lanka Malaysia
17.3 8 12 3 10 0.1 3
Pakistan Sri Lanka South Korea South Korea Sri Lanka Pakistan South Korea
8.6 5 5 2 9 0.1 na

Probability at Population living Public health Health No. of Infants Public expenditure Research & development
birth of not surviving below the national expenditure expenditure per capita physicians with low on education expenditure
to age 40 (in %) poverty line (in %) (as % of GDP) (PPP in $) (per 100,000 people) birth weight (in %) (as % of GDP) (as % of GDP)
Countries 2000-05 Countries 1990-2003 Countries 2003 Countries 2003 Countries 1990-2004 Countries 1996-2004 Countries 2002-04 Countries 2000-03

India Philippines South Korea South Korea South Korea India Malaysia South Korea
16.6 36.8 2.8 1,074 157 30 8.0 2.6
Pakistan Pakistan Malaysia Malaysia China Sri Lanka South Korea China
16.1 32.6 2.2 374 106 22 4.6 1.3
Indonesia India China China Pakistan Philippines India India
11.2 28.6 2.0 278 74 20 3.3 0.8
Philippines Indonesia Sri Lanka Philippines Malaysia Pakistan Philippines Malaysia
7.2 27.1 1.6 174 70 19 3.2 0.7
China Sri Lanka Philippines Sri Lanka India Malaysia Pakistan Pakistan
6.9 25.0 1.4 121 60 10 2.0 0.2
Malaysia Malaysia India Indonesia Philippines Indonesia Indonesia Indonesia
4.3 15.5 1.2 113 58 9 0.9 na
Sri Lanka China Indonesia India Sri Lanka China China Philippines
4.3 4.6 1.1 82 55 6 na na
South Korea South Korea Pakistan Pakistan Indonesia South Korea Sri Lanka Sri Lanka
2.7 na 0.7 48 13 4 na na

Population with Share of income or Literacy rate Life expectancy Total fertility
Ratio of girls to boys in access to improved consumption (15 years and above, at birth rate (births per women)
education levels 2005 sanitation (in %) 2004
(poorest 10%, in %) in %) 2000-04 (in years) 2005 (in %)
Countries Primary Secondary Tertiary Countries Urban Rural Countries 2005 Countries Female Male Countries Female Male Countries 2000-05

Malaysia 1.00 1.14 1.31 South Korea 100 100 Pakistan 4.0 South Korea 97 99 South Korea 81 74 Pakistan 4.3
China 0.99 1.00 0.95 Sri Lanka 98 99 India 3.9 Philippines 94 92 Sri Lanka 77 72 Philippines 3.2
Sri Lanka 0.99 1.05 na Malaysia 95 93 Indonesia 3.6 Sri Lanka 90 95 Malaysia 76 71 India 3.1
South Korea 0.99 1.00 0.63 Pakistan 92 41 Sri Lanka 3.4 Indonesia 87 94 China 74 70 Malaysia 2.9
Philippines 0.99 1.12 1.23 Philippines 80 59 South Korea 2.9 China 87 95 Philippines 73 69 Indonesia 2.4
Indonesia 0.96 0.99 0.79 Indonesia 73 40 Philippines 2.2 Malaysia 85 92 Indonesia 70 66 Sri Lanka 2.0
India 0.94 0.80 0.70 China 69 28 China 1.8 India 48 73 Pakistan 65 64 China 1.7
Pakistan 0.76 0.74 0.88 India 59 22 Malaysia 1.7 Pakistan 35 64 India 64 63 South Korea 1.2