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

Health

be 38.1% less likely to be obese

In China, 9.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bangladesh, that number is 5.8% of people as of 2024.

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be 68.6% less likely to die by suicide

China has a suicide rate of 8.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bangladesh, it is 2.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 3.1 years less

In China, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 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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see 86.6% less spent on your healthcare

China spends $1,487 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bangladesh spends $199 as of 2023.

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have 76.8% fewer doctors per person

China has 31.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Bangladesh has 7.2 as of 2023.

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have 35.8% less access to essential health services

China scores 81 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Bangladesh scores 52 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 18.2% less likely to be unemployed

In China, 4.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bangladesh, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.

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make 81.3% less money

China has a GDP per capita of $13,862 as of 2025, while in Bangladesh, the GDP per capita is $2,597 as of 2025.

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Life

have 3.0 times more children

In China, there are approximately 6.8 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 7.2 times more likely to die during childbirth

In China, approximately 16.0 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 18.3% less likely to be literate

In China, the literacy rate is 96.7% as of 2020. In Bangladesh, it is 79.0% as of 2022.

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be 6.0 times more likely to die during infancy

In China, approximately 4.1 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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Basic Needs

be 41.7% less likely to have internet access

In China, approximately 91.6% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Bangladesh, about 53.4% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 47.9% less on education

China spends 3.9% 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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spend 63.5% less on healthcare

China spends 5.9% 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 96.0% less coastline

China has a total of 14,500 km of coastline. In Bangladesh, that number is 580 km.

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Safety

be 4.7 times more likely to be murdered

China has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Bangladesh, that number is 2.3 per 100,000 as of 2018.

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Infrastructure

live with 86.2% less strain on fresh water

China withdraws 42% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bangladesh withdraws 6% as of 2022.

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find 82.9% less home broadband

China has 47.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Bangladesh has 8.1 as of 2024.

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use 90.8% less electricity

China uses 6,524 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Bangladesh uses 603 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 92.3% less CO2

China emits 9.3 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 (2018–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook. 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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