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

Health

live 1.0 years longer

In Paraguay, the average life expectancy is 74 years (71 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024. In Bangladesh, that number is 75 years (73 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 83.4% less likely to be obese

In Paraguay, 34.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bangladesh, that number is 5.8% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 55.8% less likely to die by suicide

Paraguay has a suicide rate of 6.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bangladesh, it is 2.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

see 86.5% less spent on your healthcare

Paraguay spends $1,469 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bangladesh spends $199 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 81.5% fewer doctors per person

Paraguay has 38.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Bangladesh has 7.2 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 27.8% less access to essential health services

Paraguay scores 72 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Bangladesh scores 52 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 21.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Paraguay, 4.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bangladesh, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

be 16.9% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Paraguay, 16.0% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In Bangladesh, however, that number is 18.7% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

make 63.0% less money

Paraguay has a GDP per capita of $7,027 as of 2025, while in Bangladesh, the GDP per capita is $2,597 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

be 98.3% more likely to die during childbirth

In Paraguay, approximately 58.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Bangladesh, 115.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 16.7% less likely to be literate

In Paraguay, the literacy rate is 94.9% as of 2024. In Bangladesh, it is 79.0% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

be 68.3% more likely to die during infancy

In Paraguay, approximately 14.5 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.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 34.5% less likely to have internet access

In Paraguay, approximately 81.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Bangladesh, about 53.4% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 42.5% less on education

Paraguay spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Bangladesh spends 2.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

View global rankings →

spend 74.0% less on healthcare

Paraguay spends 8.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Bangladesh, that number is 2.2% of GDP as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 11.4% less likely to die in a road accident

In Paraguay, road accidents kill 21.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bangladesh, they kill 18.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 37.2% less home broadband

Paraguay has 12.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Bangladesh has 8.1 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live with 3.1 times more strain on fresh water

Paraguay withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bangladesh withdraws 6% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

use 74.8% less electricity

Paraguay uses 2,389 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Bangladesh uses 603 kWh as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Environment

emit 37.9% less CO2

Paraguay emits 1.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bangladesh emits 0.7 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 2.6 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Paraguay, air pollution causes 25.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Bangladesh, it causes 66.0 as of 2019.

View global rankings →


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.
Read more

How big is Bangladesh compared to Paraguay? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Bangladesh or Paraguay. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.