Pakistan vs India: GDP tells one story, household assets tell another.

Pakistan today trails India in GDP per capita.

On paper, this should also mean Pakistani households are far behind in living standards.

But when we look at household asset ownership, the picture is far more complicated.

Latest household asset snapshot
• TV: India ~66% | Pakistan ~50%
• Refrigerator: India ~50% | Pakistan ~56%
• Washing Machine: India ~20% | Pakistan ~58%
• Two-wheelers: India ~55% | Pakistan ~53%
• Car: India ~8% | Pakistan ~6%

The contradiction

Despite a much lower GDP per capita, Pakistan:
✔ Has higher refrigerator ownership than India
✔ Has almost three times higher washing machine ownership
✔ Has similar motorcycle penetration
India only clearly leads in TV ownership and higher-end durables. On tv as well 2019 had similar to India numbers .

What this tells us
GDP per capita is a powerful indicator — but it does not translate mechanically into household living standards.

Pakistan’s households invested heavily in labour-saving appliances early.

India’s households invested more in entertainment and later in automation.

The deeper lesson

Living standards are shaped by more than income alone.

Pakistan may trail India in GDP per capita — but it does not trail India by the same margin in how households equip their homes.