‘Indians now live 5 yrs longer than Pakistanis on avg’: Prof Shamika Ravi on the economic, life expectancy divides between the nations

Economist and member of the Economic Advisory Committee to the Prime Minister, Professor Shamika Ravi, highlighted the discrepancy in not only the economies but also the quality of lives of Indian and Pakistani people.

In a graph shared by Ravi, it shows that the average life expectancy of an Indian is around 73 years, while that of a Pakistani is around 67 years. The graph showed that it was around 60 years for both Indians and Pakistanis around 1994-95.

“The gap between India & Pakistan is not merely economic. It’s also in terms of fundamental quality of life. Indians now live 5 years longer than Pakistanis on average,” said Professor Ravi.

Meanwhile on the economic front, Pakistan’s economy is only half as large as India’s, and one that’s riddled with debt.

PAKISTAN ECONOMY

Pakistan’s public debt climbed nearly 13 per cent year-on-year to reach USD 286.832 billion (PKR 80.6 trillion) by June 2025, according to official data from their Ministry of Finance. The figures reveal a continued increase in both domestic and external borrowing, as the country’s financial authorities contend with subdued economic growth and lower inflation. The Ministry’s Annual Debt Review for FY 2025 further highlighted shifts in the distribution of debt across federal and provincial entities.

Of the total external public debt, 84 per cent is attributed to the Federal Government while 16 per cent is held by provinces and sub-national entities. Punjab accounts for the largest share among provinces at USD 6.18 billion (7 per cent), with Sindh following at USD 4.67 billion (5 per cent), recording the sharpest increase in the past year. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s external debt has risen to USD 2.77 billion (3 per cent). Baluchistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir hold USD 371 million and USD 281 million, respectively.

"The total public debt of Pakistan has reached PKR 80.6 trillion as of June 25, out of which domestic debt is PKR 54.5 trillion and external debt is PKR 26.0 trillion. This increase is almost 13 per cent over the FY-24,” the data said. The Ministry of Finance also reported that public debt, as a percentage of GDP, increased to around 70 per cent in June 2025, up from 68 per cent a year earlier.

The rise in the debt-to-GDP ratio is linked to reduced economic expansion. "This was mostly due to lower-than expected growth in the nominal GDP in FY-2025, as significantly lower inflation reduced the pace of economic expansion, thereby pushing up the debt-to-GDP ratio despite fiscal consolidation efforts,” it said.

Domestic debt grew by 15 per cent year-on-year to PKR 54.5 trillion, marking the lowest annual increase in the last three years. "The domestic debt increased by 15 per cent year-on-year, reaching PKR 54.5 trillion, the lowest annual increase in the past three fiscal years,” it said. External debt rose to USD 91.8 billion, with new inflows mainly from the IMF, a USD 1 billion ADB-guarantee-backed commercial loan, and other multilateral institutions.