Pakistan vs Bangladesh
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
Pakistan and Bangladesh were a single country until 1971, and their economic divergence since is striking. Bangladesh's GDP per capita now exceeds Pakistan's — a reversal that would have seemed impossible in 1971 when Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) was considerably poorer. Bangladesh's garment industry (world's second largest) and robust NGO sector have driven consistent growth, while Pakistan has faced political instability, chronic fiscal deficits, and security challenges. Bangladesh outperforms Pakistan on most human development indicators, including life expectancy, female literacy, and child mortality.
Pakistan has a GDP of $410.50B compared to Bangladesh's $519.29B, making it 1.3x smaller. Pakistan's population is 251.3M vs Bangladesh's 173.6M. Across 12 key indicators, Bangladesh leads in 7 categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  Pakistan |  Bangladesh |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $410.50B | $519.29B✓ |
| GDP per Capita | $1,707 | $2,960✓ |
| GDP Growth (%) | 3.6% | 4.9%✓ |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $7,190 | $10,847✓ |
| Population | 251.3M✓ | 173.6M |
| Life Expectancy | 67.6 years | 74.7 years✓ |
| Inflation (%) | 6.0%✓ | 8.7% |
| Unemployment (%) | 7.5% | N/A |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 71.3% | 40.2%✓ |
| Fertility Rate | 3.6✓ | 2.2 |
| Gini Index | N/A | 30.9 |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 0.8 | 0.7✓ |
Summary
Pakistan has a GDP of $410.50B compared to Bangladesh's $519.29B, making the latter economy 1.3x larger. In terms of population, Pakistan has 251.3M people while Bangladesh has 173.6M. Across the 12 indicators compared, Pakistan leads in 3 and Bangladesh leads in 7.
PakistanBangladesh