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

Health

live 7.8 years longer

In Burma, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Bangladesh, that number is 75 years (73 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 29.3% less likely to be obese

In Burma, 8.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bangladesh, that number is 5.8% of people as of 2024.

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see 29.9% less spent on your healthcare

Burma spends $283 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bangladesh spends $199 as of 2023.

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Economy

make 74.4% more money

Burma has a GDP per capita of $1,489 as of 2025, while in Bangladesh, the GDP per capita is $2,597 as of 2025.

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be 23.9% more likely to be unemployed

In Burma, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bangladesh, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.

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Life

be 37.8% less likely to die during childbirth

In Burma, approximately 185.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Bangladesh, 115.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 25.6% less likely to die during infancy

In Burma, approximately 32.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Bangladesh, on the other hand, 24.4 children do as of 2024.

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have 21.4% more children

In Burma, there are approximately 16.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bangladesh, there are 20.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 15.5% less likely to be literate

In Burma, the literacy rate is 93.5% as of 2020. In Bangladesh, it is 79.0% as of 2022.

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Basic Needs

be 29.6% more likely to have access to electricity

In Burma, approximately 77% of people have electricity access (95% in urban areas, and 69% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Bangladesh, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 21.4% more likely to have internet access

In Burma, approximately 44.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Bangladesh, about 53.4% do as of 2024.

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be 15.3% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Burma, approximately 86% of people have access to drinking water (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Bangladesh, that number is 99% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 51.3% less on healthcare

Burma spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Bangladesh, that number is 2.2% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 69.9% less coastline

Burma has a total of 1,930 km of coastline. In Bangladesh, that number is 580 km.

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Infrastructure

find 2.8 times more home broadband

Burma has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Bangladesh has 8.1 as of 2024.

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use 63.6% more electricity

Burma uses 368 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Bangladesh uses 603 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 24.1% more CO2

Burma emits 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bangladesh emits 0.7 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Bangladesh: At a glance

Bangladesh is a sovereign country in South Asia, with a total land area of approximately 130,170 sq km. Muslim conversions and settlement in the region now referred to as Bangladesh began in the 10th century, primarily from Arab and Persian traders and preachers. Europeans began to set up trading posts in the area in the 16th century. Eventually the area known as Bengal, primarily Hindu in the western section and mostly Muslim in the eastern half, became part of British India. Partition in 1947 resulted in an eastern wing of Pakistan in the Muslim-majority area, which became East Pakistan. Calls for greater autonomy and animosity between the eastern and western wings of Pakistan led to a Bengali independence movement. That movement, led by the Awami League (AL) and supported by India, won independence for Bangladesh in a brief war in 1971, during which at least 300,000 civilians died. The post-independence, AL government faced daunting challenges and in 1975 was overthrown by the military, triggering a series of military coups that resulted in a military-backed government and subsequent creation of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). That government also ended in a coup in 1981, followed by military-backed rule until democratic elections in 1991. The BNP and AL have alternately held power since then, with the exception of a military-backed, emergency caretaker regime that suspended parliamentary elections planned for January 2007 in an effort to reform the political system and root out corruption. That government returned the country to fully democratic rule in December 2008 with the election of the AL and Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA. In January 2014, the AL won the national election by an overwhelming majority after the BNP boycotted, extending HASINA's term as prime minister. With the help of international development assistance, Bangladesh has made great progress in food security since independence, and the economy has grown at an average of about 6 percent over the last two decades.
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How big is Bangladesh compared to Burma? See an in-depth size comparison.

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