If you lived in Bangladesh instead of Central African Republic, you would:

Health

be 95.8% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Central African Republic, 2.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Bangladesh, that number is 0.1% of people as of 2024.

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live 17.3 years longer

In Central African Republic, the average life expectancy is 58 years (56 years for men, 60 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 47.4% less likely to be obese

In Central African Republic, 10.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bangladesh, that number is 5.8% of people as of 2024.

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see 45.2% more spent on your healthcare

Central African Republic spends $137 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bangladesh spends $199 as of 2023.

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have 9.8 times more doctors per person

Central African Republic has 0.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Bangladesh has 7.2 as of 2023.

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have 62.5% more access to essential health services

Central African Republic scores 32 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Bangladesh scores 52 as of 2021.

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be 69.4% less likely to die by suicide

Central African Republic has a suicide rate of 9.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bangladesh, it is 2.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 39.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Central African Republic, 6.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bangladesh, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.

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be 72.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Central African Republic, 68.8% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Bangladesh, however, that number is 18.7% as of 2022.

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make 4.7 times more money

Central African Republic has a GDP per capita of $556 as of 2025, while in Bangladesh, the GDP per capita is $2,597 as of 2025.

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Life

be 83.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In Central African Republic, approximately 692.0 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 2.1 times more likely to be literate

In Central African Republic, the literacy rate is 37.5% as of 2020. In Bangladesh, it is 79.0% as of 2022.

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be 58.5% less likely to die during infancy

In Central African Republic, approximately 58.8 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 56.7% fewer children

In Central African Republic, there are approximately 46.2 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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Basic Needs

be 5.7 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Central African Republic, approximately 18% of people have electricity access (37% in urban areas, and 2% 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 3.9 times more likely to have internet access

In Central African Republic, approximately 13.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Bangladesh, about 53.4% do as of 2024.

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be 2.7 times more likely to have access to drinking water

In Central African Republic, approximately 36% of people have access to drinking water (48% in urban areas, and 27% 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 79.6% less on healthcare

Central African Republic spends 10.7% 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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spend 10.9% more on education

Central African Republic spends 1.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Bangladesh spends 2.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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Safety

be 88.4% less likely to be murdered

Central African Republic has a homicide rate of 20.1 per 100,000 people as of 2016. In Bangladesh, that number is 2.3 per 100,000 as of 2018.

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be 28.2% less likely to die in a road accident

In Central African Republic, road accidents kill 25.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bangladesh, they kill 18.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 404.5 times more home broadband

Central African Republic has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Bangladesh has 8.1 as of 2024.

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live with 16.8 times more strain on fresh water

Central African Republic withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bangladesh withdraws 6% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 32.7% less likely to die from air pollution

In Central African Republic, air pollution causes 98.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Bangladesh, it causes 66.0 as of 2019.

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emit 12.0 times more CO2

Central African Republic emits 0.1 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 (2016–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2020). 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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