Top 10 countries with the largest road networks in the world- Check where India ranks

India has the largest road network in the world, extending more than 6.6 million km, which is nearly 2km of road per square km of land. Approximately 4.5million km are paved roads and 1.4 million km of national highways. However, the sheer length of the road doesn't tell the complete picture. Even though the road network has improved significantly over the last decade, it still suffers from quality, connectivity gaps and infrastructure efficiency, specifically with a huge urban-rural gap. A long portion of the road is still single-lane or less maintained, which reduces the potential economic benefits. Nonetheless, the growth over the last decade has been remarkable; India expanded the national highway network from 91,287 km to 1,46,145 km, a reflection of ambitious infrastructure growth.

The United States has 6.5 million km of road, generally well-maintained and great connectivity between urban and rural areas. These roads include federal highways, state highways, county roads, and local streets. 77,000 km of interstate highway form the backbone of the road network. Among the total road network, nearly 4.3 million km are paved roads.

China has the third-largest road network in the world, with almost 5.5 million km of roads, among which more than 97 per cent are paved roads. China's infrastructure development and engineering is unparalleled in the world. It has 180,000 km of expressway network, the longest in the world.

Brazil has 2 million km of road network, the largest in Latin America and the fourth largest in the world. However, only 214,000 km of roads are paved. Federal and National Highways are excellent in quality. Major cities face traffic congestion, while rural connectivity, especially in the remote Amazon, is exceptionally poor.

Russia has approximately 1.6 million km of road network, among which roughly 1.2 km are paved roads. Even though it is ranked amongst the top 5, the length of the road network is relatively less when compared to its vast land mass. However, it has the largest railway network. The number can also be misleading, because the density is very low for sparsely populated Siberia and the far east, close to Mongolia and China. This is partially due to the population density and partially because of harsh weather, which makes constructing and maintaining highways a daunting task.

Japan has approximately 1.2 million km of roads, including national highways, prefectural roads, and local streets. Japan, being in a high seismic zone, has developed well-maintained, earthquake-resistant and excellent-quality infrastructure, with bridges and tunnels.

The European nation has nearly 1.1 million km of road network, and all of it is paved. The nation is known for its high-quality and safety standards. 12,000 km long autoroutes make up the backbone of the country with multiple lanes, rest areas, fuel stations, and emergency phones. The rural roads are also well-maintained, but narrower and have some of the most scenic views.

Canada has more than 1 million km long road network, only around 415,000 km are paved. While the rest is in gravel, sand and dirt. Canada's low population density is also one of the reasons why metropolitan areas like Toronto, Vancouver have high-quality and well-maintained roads, while many remote areas lack poor connectivity, especially in the Northern part.

Australia’s road network spans around 977,874 km. The road density is low due to the continent’s size, and remote areas often rely on unpaved or gravel roads.

Mexico boasts a road network of about 836,603 km, with roughly one-third paved. The Federal Highway system connects major cities and borders. However, rural connectivity and maintenance remain uneven.