Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Bangladesh instead of Marshall Islands, you would:

Health

live 7.9 years longer

In Marshall Islands, the average life expectancy is 67 years (65 years for men, 69 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 86.3% less likely to be obese

In Marshall Islands, 42.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bangladesh, that number is 5.8% of people as of 2024.

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see 77.3% less spent on your healthcare

Marshall Islands spends $874 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bangladesh spends $199 as of 2023.

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have 11.9% less access to essential health services

Marshall Islands scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Bangladesh scores 52 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 2.6 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Marshall Islands, 7.2% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Bangladesh, however, that number is 18.7% as of 2022.

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make 69.4% less money

Marshall Islands has a GDP per capita of $8,489 as of 2025, while in Bangladesh, the GDP per capita is $2,597 as of 2025.

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Life

be 25.8% less likely to die during childbirth

In Marshall Islands, approximately 155.0 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 17.5% less likely to be literate

In Marshall Islands, the literacy rate is 95.8% as of 2021. In Bangladesh, it is 79.0% as of 2022.

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Basic Needs

be 13.0% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Marshall Islands, approximately 87% of people have access to drinking water (86% in urban areas, and 94% 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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be 19.0% less likely to have internet access

In Marshall Islands, approximately 65.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Bangladesh, about 53.4% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 73.6% less on education

Marshall Islands spends 7.7% 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 83.8% less on healthcare

Marshall Islands spends 13.4% 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 56.6% more coastline

Marshall Islands has a total of 370 km of coastline. In Bangladesh, that number is 580 km.

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Safety

be 56.3% more likely to die in a road accident

In Marshall Islands, road accidents kill 11.9 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 3.4 times more home broadband

Marshall Islands has 2.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Bangladesh has 8.1 as of 2024.

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

Compare further: Marshall Islands vs. Bangladesh

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Bangladesh is 79.1% cheaper than Marshall Islands overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Marshall Islands is about 820 times smaller than Bangladesh.
→
Moving from Marshall Islands to Bangladesh · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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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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