Month: September 2018

Female fertility in 1980 Bangladesh: 6.4, India: 4.8, Pakistan: 6.5, which came down to 2.1, 2.3, 3.5 respectively in 2016. While total births per woman in Bangladesh was extremely high in 1970’s, now it is outperforming countries with similar income, including India and Pakistan.

Source: World Development Indicator (2018), World Bank

Government expenditures on health and education as percentage of GDP have remained lower than the comparable countries: health: in 2014 Bangladesh: 0.79, India: 1.4, Pakistan: 0.92, developing country average: 3.0; education: in 2013 Bangladesh: 1.96, India: 3.84, Pakistan: 2.5, developing country average: 4.0.

Note: Data for health are not available after 2014 and data for education not available after 2013.

Source: World Development Indicator (2018), World Bank

Secondary schooling enrollment of female were 9, 18.7, 9 and 36 in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and lower- & middle-income countries respectively in 1980, which in 2016 have been 72.5, 75.8, 41.1 and 72.1; In secondary school enrollment of female Bangladesh has surpassed the developing country average in 26 years while its per capita income has remained below India, Pakistan and developing country average.

Source: World Development Indicator (2018), World Bank

Use of cell phone has been the most important mode of communication and mobile banking. Cell phone user per 100: Bangladesh and Pakistan had the same 0.21 while low income country average was 0.33 in 2000 but in 2016 Bangladesh with 77.88 came ahead of Pakistan with 71.39 and low-income countries with 60).

Source: World Development Indicator (2018), World Bank

The average of governance score constructed by Transparency International over 2001-11 was: Bangladesh: 1.8, India: 3.1, Pakistan: 2.4, which in 2017 became: Bangladesh: 2.8, India: 4.0, Pakistan: 3.2. In both periods governance quality in Bangladesh was lower, that is, corruption was higher than India and Pakistan.

Source: Transparency International 2018 (https://www.transparency.org/)