Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Afghanistan instead of Bangladesh, you would:
Health
see 66.1% more spent on your healthcare
Bangladesh spends $199 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Afghanistan spends $330 as of 2023.
live 8.6 years less
In Bangladesh, the average life expectancy is 75 years (73 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
be 3.6 times more likely to be obese
In Bangladesh, 5.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 20.6% of people as of 2024.
have 56.1% fewer doctors per person
Bangladesh has 7.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Afghanistan has 3.2 as of 2023.
have 21.2% less access to essential health services
Bangladesh scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Afghanistan scores 41 as of 2021.
be 28.1% more likely to die by suicide
Bangladesh has a suicide rate of 2.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Afghanistan, it is 3.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 3.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Bangladesh, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Afghanistan, that number is 13.3% as of 2025.
be 2.5 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Bangladesh, 18.7% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Afghanistan, however, that number is 47.1% as of 2019.
make 84.0% less money
Bangladesh has a GDP per capita of $2,597 as of 2025, while in Afghanistan, the GDP per capita is $417 as of 2024.
Life
have 75.1% more children
In Bangladesh, there are approximately 20.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Afghanistan, there are 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 4.5 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Bangladesh, approximately 115.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Afghanistan, 521.0 women do as of 2023.
be 52.8% less likely to be literate
In Bangladesh, the literacy rate is 79.0% as of 2022. In Afghanistan, it is 37.3% as of 2021.
be 98.0% more likely to die during infancy
In Bangladesh, approximately 24.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Afghanistan, on the other hand, 48.3 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 14.3% less likely to have access to electricity
In Bangladesh, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Afghanistan, that number is 85% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 69.9% less likely to have internet access
In Bangladesh, approximately 53.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Afghanistan, about 16.1% do as of 2024.
be 18.2% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Bangladesh, approximately 99% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 81% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 6.9 times more on healthcare
Bangladesh spends 2.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Afghanistan, that number is 15.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 72.2% more likely to be murdered
Bangladesh has a homicide rate of 2.3 per 100,000 people as of 2018. In Afghanistan, that number is 4.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 29.6% more likely to die in a road accident
In Bangladesh, road accidents kill 18.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Afghanistan, they kill 24.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 99.0% less home broadband
Bangladesh has 8.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Afghanistan has 0.1 as of 2023.
live with 9.6 times more strain on fresh water
Bangladesh withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Afghanistan withdraws 55% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 61.1% less CO2
Bangladesh emits 0.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.
be 2.2 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Bangladesh, air pollution causes 66.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Afghanistan, it causes 143.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bangladesh vs. Afghanistan
Afghanistan: At a glance
How big is Afghanistan compared to Bangladesh? See an in-depth size comparison.