Russian Federation vs India
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
Russia and India maintain a strategic partnership that dates back to the Soviet era, though the economic dimension has grown dramatically since 2022 as Russia pivoted to Asian markets following Western sanctions. India has become Russia's largest buyer of seaborne crude oil, purchasing at discount prices. Russia's economy is roughly one-third the size of India's in PPP terms, and heavily commodity-dependent. India's economy is more diversified, younger, and faster-growing. Russia's GDP per capita is still higher, but India is closing the gap. Both are members of BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Russian Federation has a GDP of $2.66T compared to India's $4.15T, making it 1.6x smaller. Russian Federation's population is 143.5M vs India's 1.46B. Across 12 key indicators, India leads in 7 categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  Russian Federation |  India |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $2.66T | $4.15T✓ |
| GDP per Capita | $18,525✓ | $2,813 |
| GDP Growth (%) | 1.1% | 6.5%✓ |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $52,479✓ | $12,801 |
| Population | 143.5M | 1.46B✓ |
| Life Expectancy | 73.4 years✓ | 72.2 years |
| Inflation (%) | 5.6% | 4.7%✓ |
| Unemployment (%) | 2.4%✓ | 4.9% |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 19.1%✓ | 83.4% |
| Fertility Rate | 1.4 | 2✓ |
| Gini Index | 33 | 25.5✓ |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 14 | 2.2✓ |
Summary
Russian Federation has a GDP of $2.66T compared to India's $4.15T, making the latter economy 1.6x larger. In terms of population, Russian Federation has 143.5M people while India has 1.46B. Across the 12 indicators compared, Russian Federation leads in 5 and India leads in 7.
Why sources report different numbers
The IMF, World Bank and United Nations each publish these series on their own release schedule. Where their figures differ, the reason is usually visible in the reference year rather than in the methodology.
| Source | Russian Federation | India |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $2.66T2026 | $4.15T2026 |
| World Bank | $2.56T2025 | $3.96T2025 |
| United Nations | $2.17T2024 | $3.95T2024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. Russian Federation spans about 22% across 2 years; India spans about 5% across 2 years.
| Source | Russian Federation | India |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $18,5252026 | $2,8132026 |
| World Bank | $17,5472025 | $2,7022025 |
| United Nations | $15,0072024 | $2,7242024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. Russian Federation spans about 23% across 2 years; India spans about 4% across 1 year.
Figures are reproduced as published by each source, converted to a common unit, with each publisher's own reference year shown. Differences are described, not adjudicated — no source is presented as more correct than another.
Russian FederationIndia