Country comparison

Bangladesh vs India

Bangladesh leads on 1 of 6 metrics, India on 4. Here's the full side-by-side breakdown.

Population
175,686,899
1,463,865,525
▲ India — a larger population
Area
147,570 km²
3,287,590 km²
▲ India — more land area
GDP (nominal)
$456.32B
$3.96T
▲ India — a bigger economy
GDP per capita
$2,597
$2,702
▲ India — higher GDP per capita
Human Development Index
0.685
0.685
Population density
1,191 /km²
445 /km²
▲ Bangladesh — greater population density
Development profile (each axis 0–100%, higher is stronger)
WealthHealthHuman dev.InternetUrbanSurvival
Bangladesh India

Bangladesh vs India: the verdict

India is the more populous of the two, home to 1.46 billion people — about 8.3× the population of Bangladesh (175.69 million).

On the economy, India has the larger nominal GDP at $3.96T. But measured per person, India comes out ahead on GDP per capita ($2,702), a better proxy for average living standards.

Geographically, India is the larger country, spanning 3,287,590 km².

India records the higher Human Development Index (0.685), reflecting stronger combined outcomes in health, education and income (source: UNDP).

Overall, India leads on more headline metrics in this comparison, though "which country is better" depends entirely on which measures matter to you.

Full breakdown

Bangladesh
Economy
India
GDP (PPP)
$1.67T
$16.19T
GDP per capita (PPP)
$9,647
$11,160
GDP growth
3.5%
7.6%
Inflation
8.8%
2.4%
Unemployment
3.8%
4.2%
Bangladesh
People
India
Life expectancy
74.9 yrs
72.2 yrs
Fertility rate
2.14
1.96
Population growth
1.2%
0.9%
Urban population
33.2%
35.7%
Infant mortality (per 1,000)
24.4
23.3
Bangladesh
Quality of Life
India
Internet users
53.4%
70.0%
Literacy rate
79.0%
78.2%
Physicians (per 1,000)
0.72
0.72
Renewable energy
25.0%
34.9%
GDP over time (nominal, US$)
$0$1.04T$2.08T$3.12T$4.15T197019982025 Bangladesh India

Government & politics

Bangladesh
Who holds power
India
Government type
Parliamentary republic
Federal parliamentary republic
Head of state
President
President
Head of government
Prime Minister
Prime Minister
Executive power
Prime Minister & Cabinet
Prime Minister & Cabinet
Ceremonial head
President
President
Commands military
President (nominal), PM (effective)
President (nominal), PM & Cabinet (effective)
Legislature
Jatiya Sangsad
Bicameral Parliament
Judiciary
Supreme Court
Independent Supreme Court

Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a parliamentary republic in which the President is a ceremonial head of state and the Prime Minister — leader of the majority in the single-chamber Jatiya Sangsad — holds executive power. The system concentrates authority in the Prime Minister's office, and its politics have long been shaped by an intense rivalry between two dominant parties.

India

India is a Westminster-style parliamentary democracy with a federal structure. The President is the constitutional head of state, but the office is largely ceremonial — real executive power rests with the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, who are drawn from and answerable to the elected Lok Sabha. The PM is usually the leader of the party or coalition that commands a majority in the lower house. States hold significant devolved powers, and an independent judiciary headed by the Supreme Court can strike down laws that violate the constitution.

Travel & practical

Bangladesh
At a glance
India
Capital
Dhaka
New Delhi
Currency
BDT
INR
Languages
Bengali
English, Hindi, Tamil
Dialing code
+880
+91
Internet TLD
.bd
.in

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Frequently asked questions

Which country has a higher GDP, Bangladesh or India?

India has the higher nominal GDP at $3.96T, compared with $456.32B for Bangladesh (World Bank).

Is Bangladesh bigger than India by population?

India has the larger population with 1,463,865,525 people, versus 175,686,899 for Bangladesh.

Which is larger in area, Bangladesh or India?

India is larger, covering 3,287,590 km² compared with 147,570 km² for Bangladesh.

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