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

Health

be 93.3% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Ghana, 1.5% 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 9.2 years longer

In Ghana, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 68 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 60.5% less likely to be obese

In Ghana, 14.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bangladesh, that number is 5.8% of people as of 2024.

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have 2.7 times more doctors per person

Ghana has 2.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Bangladesh has 7.2 as of 2023.

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be 47.2% less likely to die by suicide

Ghana has a suicide rate of 5.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bangladesh, it is 2.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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see 15.3% less spent on your healthcare

Ghana spends $234 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bangladesh spends $199 as of 2023.

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Economy

be 26.8% more likely to be unemployed

In Ghana, 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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make 20.3% less money

Ghana has a GDP per capita of $3,257 as of 2025, while in Bangladesh, the GDP per capita is $2,597 as of 2025.

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Life

be 50.9% less likely to die during childbirth

In Ghana, approximately 234.0 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 11.3% less likely to die during infancy

In Ghana, approximately 27.5 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 22.9% fewer children

In Ghana, there are approximately 25.9 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 11.2% more likely to have access to electricity

In Ghana, approximately 90% of people have electricity access (98% in urban areas, and 78% 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 26.0% less likely to have internet access

In Ghana, approximately 72.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Bangladesh, about 53.4% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 30.2% less on education

Ghana spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Bangladesh spends 2.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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spend 26.4% less on healthcare

Ghana spends 3.0% 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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Safety

be 28.2% less likely to die in a road accident

In Ghana, 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 12.3 times more home broadband

Ghana has 0.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Bangladesh has 8.1 as of 2024.

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Environment

be 25.8% less likely to die from air pollution

In Ghana, air pollution causes 89.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Bangladesh, it causes 66.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), 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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