If you lived in Pakistan instead of Sri Lanka, you would:

Health

be 61.7% less likely to die by suicide

Sri Lanka has a suicide rate of 14.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Pakistan, it is 5.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 9.9 years less

In Sri Lanka, the average life expectancy is 78 years (74 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Pakistan, that number is 68 years (65 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 2.2 times more likely to be obese

In Sri Lanka, 11.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Pakistan, that number is 24.5% of people as of 2024.

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see 70.0% less spent on your healthcare

Sri Lanka spends $507 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Pakistan spends $152 as of 2023.

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have 32.8% less access to essential health services

Sri Lanka scores 67 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Pakistan scores 45 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 35.5% more likely to be unemployed

In Sri Lanka, 4.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Pakistan, that number is 5.4% as of 2025.

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make 68.1% less money

Sri Lanka has a GDP per capita of $5,002 as of 2025, while in Pakistan, the GDP per capita is $1,596 as of 2025.

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Life

have 2.7 times more children

In Sri Lanka, there are approximately 10.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Pakistan, there are 27.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 8.6 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Sri Lanka, approximately 18.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Pakistan, 155.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 36.5% less likely to be literate

In Sri Lanka, the literacy rate is 92.7% as of 2024. In Pakistan, it is 58.9% as of 2021.

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be 9.3 times more likely to die during infancy

In Sri Lanka, approximately 5.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Pakistan, on the other hand, 48.2 children do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 31.5% less on healthcare

Sri Lanka spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Pakistan, that number is 2.5% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 21.9% less coastline

Sri Lanka has a total of 1,340 km of coastline. In Pakistan, that number is 1,046 km.

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Infrastructure

find 82.6% less home broadband

Sri Lanka has 8.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Pakistan has 1.5 as of 2024.

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live with 21.1% more strain on fresh water

Sri Lanka withdraws 91% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Pakistan withdraws 110% as of 2022.

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use 19.6% less electricity

Sri Lanka uses 644 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Pakistan uses 518 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 23.6% less CO2

Sri Lanka emits 1.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Pakistan emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 2.8 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Sri Lanka, air pollution causes 37.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Pakistan, it causes 105.0 as of 2019.

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

Pakistan: At a glance

Pakistan is a sovereign country in South Asia, with a total land area of approximately 770,875 sq km. The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world and dating back at least 5,000 years, spread over much of what is presently Pakistan. During the second millennium B.C., remnants of this culture fused with the migrating Indo-Aryan peoples. The area underwent successive invasions in subsequent centuries from the Persians, Greeks, Scythians, Arabs (who brought Islam), Afghans, and Turks. The Mughal Empire flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries; the British came to dominate the region in the 18th century. The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with West and East sections) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved, and India and Pakistan fought two wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India capitalized on Islamabad's marginalization of Bengalis in Pakistani politics - resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. India-Pakistan relations have been rocky since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, but both countries are taking small steps to put relations back on track. In February 2008, Pakistan held parliamentary elections and in September 2008, after the resignation of former President MUSHARRAF, elected Asif Ali ZARDARI to the presidency. Pakistani government and military leaders are struggling to control domestic insurgents, many of whom are located in the tribal areas adjacent to the border with Afghanistan.
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