If you lived in Malawi instead of Bangladesh, you would:

Health

be 62.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Bangladesh, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 6.2% of people as of 2024.

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live 7.4 years less

In Bangladesh, the average life expectancy is 75 years (73 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 39.1% more likely to be obese

In Bangladesh, 5.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 8.0% of people as of 2024.

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see 36.9% less spent on your healthcare

Bangladesh spends $199 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malawi spends $125 as of 2023.

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have 92.5% fewer doctors per person

Bangladesh has 7.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Malawi has 0.5 as of 2022.

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be 2.7 times more likely to die by suicide

Bangladesh has a suicide rate of 2.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malawi, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 34.1% more likely to be unemployed

In Bangladesh, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malawi, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.

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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 Malawi, however, that number is 47.3% as of 2024.

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make 74.1% less money

Bangladesh has a GDP per capita of $2,597 as of 2025, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $672 as of 2025.

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Life

have 55.8% more children

In Bangladesh, there are approximately 20.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malawi, there are 31.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 95.7% 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 Malawi, 225.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 14.8% less likely to be literate

In Bangladesh, the literacy rate is 79.0% as of 2022. In Malawi, it is 67.3% as of 2021.

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be 55.7% 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 Malawi, on the other hand, 38.0 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 84.3% 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 Malawi, that number is 16% of people on average (58% in urban areas, and 6% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 64.5% less likely to have internet access

In Bangladesh, approximately 53.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malawi, about 19.0% do as of 2024.

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be 26.0% 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 Malawi, that number is 73% of people on average (86% in urban areas, and 70% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 35.5% more on education

Bangladesh spends 2.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Malawi spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 3.0 times more on healthcare

Bangladesh spends 2.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malawi, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2023.

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Infrastructure

find 98.9% less home broadband

Bangladesh has 8.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malawi has 0.1 as of 2024.

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live with 3.1 times more strain on fresh water

Bangladesh withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malawi withdraws 18% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 34.8% less likely to die from air pollution

In Bangladesh, air pollution causes 66.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malawi, it causes 43.0 as of 2019.

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emit 69.4% less CO2

Bangladesh emits 0.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malawi emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

Malawi: At a glance

Malawi is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 94,080 sq km. Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of one-party rule under President Hastings Kamuzu BANDA the country held multiparty elections in 1994, under a provisional constitution that came into full effect the following year. President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, elected in May 2004 after a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term, struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor and subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2005. MUTHARIKA was reelected to a second term in May 2009. He oversaw some economic improvement in his first term, but was accused of economic mismanagement and poor governance in his second term. He died abruptly in April 2012 and was succeeded by his vice president, Joyce BANDA, who had earlier started her own party, the People's Party (PP). Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and the scourge of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi.
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