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 $407.79B compared to Bangladesh's $510.70B, making it 1.3x smaller. Pakistan's population is 255.2M vs Bangladesh's 175.7M. Across 12 key indicators, Bangladesh leads in 8 categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  Pakistan |  Bangladesh |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $407.79B | $510.70B✓ |
| GDP per Capita | $1,696 | $2,911✓ |
| GDP Growth (%) | 3.6% | 4.7%✓ |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $7,334 | $10,955✓ |
| Population | 255.2M✓ | 175.7M |
| Life Expectancy | 67.8 years | 74.9 years✓ |
| Inflation (%) | 7.2%✓ | 9.2% |
| Unemployment (%) | 6.9% | N/A |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 70.1% | 41.8%✓ |
| Fertility Rate | 3.5✓ | 2.1 |
| Gini Index | 33.5 | 30.9✓ |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 0.8 | 0.7✓ |
Summary
Pakistan has a GDP of $407.79B compared to Bangladesh's $510.70B, making the latter economy 1.3x larger. In terms of population, Pakistan has 255.2M people while Bangladesh has 175.7M. Across the 12 indicators compared, Pakistan leads in 3 and Bangladesh leads in 8.
Why sources report different numbers
The IMF, World Bank and United Nations each publish these series on their own release schedule. Where their figures differ, the reason is usually visible in the reference year rather than in the methodology.
| Source | Pakistan | Bangladesh |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $407.79B2025 | $510.70B2026 |
| World Bank | $407.31B2025 | $456.32B2025 |
| United Nations | $379.12B2024 | $432.74B2024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. Pakistan spans about 8% across 1 year; Bangladesh spans about 18% across 2 years.
| Source | Pakistan | Bangladesh |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $1,6962025 | $2,9112026 |
| World Bank | $1,5962025 | $2,5972025 |
| United Nations | $1,5092024 | $2,4932024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. Pakistan spans about 12% across 1 year; Bangladesh spans about 17% across 2 years.
Figures are reproduced as published by each source, converted to a common unit, with each publisher's own reference year shown. Differences are described, not adjudicated — no source is presented as more correct than another.
PakistanBangladesh