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How Has Bangladesh Left Pakistan Behind in Per Capita Income?

RiazHaq

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http://www.riazhaq.com/2017/09/how-has-bangladesh-left-pakistan-behind.html

A headline in the Economist magazine's recent issue screams: "Bangladesh's GDP per person is now higher than Pakistan's". Let's examine this development to understand its causes.

Per Capita GDP:

The Economist article explains its headline as follows: "Last month revealed a remarkable turnaround. Bangladesh’s GDP per person is now higher than Pakistan’s. Converted into dollars at market exchange rates, it was $1,538 in the past fiscal year (which ended on June 30th). Pakistan’s was about $1,470....Strange as it may sound, Bangladesh jumped ahead because of an advance in Pakistan. On August 25th Pakistan released the results of its census, updating earlier population estimates. They showed that the country has 207.8m people, more than 9m more than previously thought. It may now have the fifth biggest population in the world, surpassing Brazil’s. But the new count also lopped 4-5% off Pakistan’s GDP per person, the arithmetic consequence of revealing so many more people."

Economic Growth Trends:

One can quibble with the Economist on details of its report but the fact remains that Bangladesh's economy has been growing significantly faster than Pakistan's for about a decade. To understand why, it's important to look into savings and investments, population growth trends and security situation in the two countries. Let's examine each in a little more detail.


Source: State Bank of Pakistan

Savings and Investment:


There's a strong relationship between investment levels and gross domestic product. The more a country saves and invests, the higher its economic growth. A State Bank of Pakistan report explains it as below:

"National savings (in Pakistan) as percent of GDP were around 10 percent during 1960s, which increased to above 15percent in 2000s, but declined afterward. Pakistan’s saving rate also compares unfavorably with that in neighboring countries: last five years average saving rate in India was 31.9 percent, Bangladesh 29.7 percent, and Sri Lanka 24.5 percent..... Similarly, domestic savings (measured as national savings less net factor income from abroad) also declined from about 15 percent of GDP in 2000s, to less than 9 percent in recent years. Domestic savings are imperative for sustainable growth, because inflow of income from abroad (remittances and other factor income) is uncertain due to cyclical movements in world economies, exchange rates, and external shocks".


Source: State Bank of Pakistan

Population Trends:

The total fertility rate (TFR) in Bangladesh has declined faster in Bangladesh than in Pakistan in the last few decades. Currently, Bangladesh is at 2.17 children per woman while Pakistan is at 2.62 children per woman.

As a result of reduced birth rates and more female labor participation rates, a larger percentage of Bangladeshi population is in the work force than Pakistan's. There are now more wage earners and fewer dependents in each Bangladeshi household. This demographic trend has helped boost Bangladesh's per capita income faster than Pakistan's.

Rising working age population and growing workforce participation of both men and women in Pakistan will significantly boost domestic savings and investment. Increased foreign direct investment such as Chinese investment in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor over the next several decades will help fill the gap between the national savings rate and investments required to reach 7% annual GDP growth to create over 2 million jobs a year.

Security Issues:

Pakistan has paid a heavy price for its proximity to and involvement in "war on terror" in Afghanistan. It has cost Pakistan dearly in terms of loss of thousands of precious lives and lower investments due to investors' security concerns. Recent operations by Pakistan Army have helped turn the tide against terrorists, bringing more hope and greater confidence in Pakistan's future. Rising FDI in CPEC-related projects in the last coupe of years are an indication of this confidence.

Future:

Pakistan is now experiencing the demographic dividend that Bangladesh has seen in the last few decades in terms of more of its population earning and fewer dependents. Pakistan's labor force is growing at 3.6% a year, much faster than its population growth rate of 2.34%. This should help boost Pakistan's per capita and its domestic savings rate.

At the same time, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) related projects are bringing more foreign direct investment, thereby speeding up the economic growth in the country. Pakistan's GDP growth is accelerating from less than 5% two years ago to 6% forecast for fiscal 2017-18. In its latest economic growth projections, Kennedy School's Center for International Development (CID) at Harvard University expects Pakistan's annual GDP growth to average 5.97% over the next 8 years, ranking it as the world's 6th fastest growing economy. It is within the realm of possibility that economic growth in Pakistan could exceed 7% in the next couple of years.

Summary:

Pakistan has fallen behind Bangladesh and India in per capita income as its growth rates have slipped in recent years mainly due to declining savings and investment rates and security issues. Demographic trends and improved security situation now favor Pakistan's future growth as its workforce grows and household sizes shrink.




Related Links:

Haq's Musings

Pakistan's Labor Force Expansion on Saving, Investments and GDP Growth

Pakistan's Population Growth: Blessing or Curse?

Pakistan's Expected Demographic Dividend

World Bank Report on Job Growth in Pakistan

Underinvestment Hurting Pakistan's GDP Growth

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

Musharraf Accelerated Growth of Pakistan's Financial and Human Capital

Working Women Seeding a Silent Revolution in Pakistan


Median Income and Wealth in India and Pakistan

http://www.riazhaq.com/2017/09/how-has-bangladesh-left-pakistan-behind.html
 
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i disagree with the security issues

Its because of "security issues" that US gave pakistan about 30 billion$ in the last 15 years, not to mention even greater sums from IMF which has actually helped the pakistan economy to grow

secondly, your predictions on pakistan appear to be so wildly optimistic that it puts a modi bakht gau mata rakshak in this country to shame
 
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i disagree with the security issues

Its because of "security issues" that US gave pakistan about 30 billion$ in the last 15 years, not to mention even greater sums from IMF which has actually helped the pakistan economy to grow

secondly, your predictions on pakistan appear to be so wildly optimistic that it puts a modi bakht gau mata rakshak in this country to shame

So if the main income earner dies in a family and his brothers/sisters promise to match half of his Salary, would you call family poorer than before or would you say now family has 1.5 times the income it had before his death,

Secondly you have no idea about Pakistan because you are seeing from eyes on an Idian who historically been very poor. When a Rich man looses his job dont expect him to go hungry the next day
 
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So if the main income earner does in a family and his brothers/sisters promise to match half of his Salary, would you call family poorer than before or would you say now family has 1.5 times the income it had before his death
what does this analogy have to do with it?

let me ask you something. why did pakistan hide OBL? because america was paying them to find him and help them fight the war on terror. its obvious the whole "war on terror" thing WAS financially very viable for pakistan even though it cost a few lives
 
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what does this analogy have to do with it?

let me ask you something. why did pakistan hide OBL? because america was paying them to find him and help them fight the war on terror. its obvious the whole "war on terror" thing WAS financially very viable for pakistan even though it cost a few lives

Let me ask you onething, why do historically hungry and wearing torn dresses all their life Indians have courage to ask Pakistan why do they do things the way do they do things.

what does this analogy have to do with it?

let me ask you something. why did pakistan hide OBL? because america was paying them to find him and help them fight the war on terror. its obvious the whole "war on terror" thing WAS financially very viable for pakistan even though it cost a few lives

dont ask question if you are not smart enought to understand analogies
 
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i disagree with the security issues

Its because of "security issues" that US gave pakistan about 30 billion$ in the last 15 years, not to mention even greater sums from IMF which has actually helped the pakistan economy to grow

secondly, your predictions on pakistan appear to be so wildly optimistic that it puts a modi bakht gau mata rakshak in this country to shame
Security issues have cost Pakistan 120 billion, that's a 90 billion deficit, if you take the 30 billion away, and the imf hasn't given all that much either.

This won't last, Pakistan's economy is going to surge ahead, as it industrializes, and BD remain on the LDC.
 
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its obvious the whole "war on terror" thing WAS financially very viable for pakistan even though it cost a few lives

Yeah 30k-60k is just a few lives, plus with the security situation and capital flight and risk averse investors not investing in Pakistan. Yeah, it was very viable for us.
 
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Let me ask you onething, why do historically hungry and wearing torn dresses all their life Indians have courage to ask Pakistan why do they do things the way do they do things.
dont ask question if you are not smart enought to understand analogies
resorting to lies and name calling? looks like i have won the argument

Security issues have cost Pakistan 120 billion, that's a 90 billion deficit, if you take the 30 billion away, and the imf hasn't given all that much either.
120B$? :lol: please tell me from where you got that? the destruction of property was mostly in the tribal region and would not be more than 2B$.
Yeah 30k-60k is just a few lives, plus with the security situation and capital flight and risk averse investors not investing in Pakistan. Yeah, it was very viable for us.
i agree about loss of life, but what i am saying is from pak establishments pov, 30B$ for 50k loss of life was a fair trade. like i said why else was OBL hidden? to prolong the war on terror. why? financially lucrative
 
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Let me ask you onething, why do historically hungry and wearing torn dresses all their life Indians have courage to ask Pakistan why do they do things the way do they do things.



dont ask question if you are not smart enought to understand analogies
Our per capita income is higher than yours.
You cant even comprehend the scale of upliftment going on at the ground level here in india.
You will keep thumping ur chest while the whole of subcontinent wizzes past you.
You had the highest per capita incomes for more than 50 years or so. Look at you now.
 
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Our per capita income is higher than yours.
You cant even comprehend the scale of upliftment going on at the ground level here in india.
You will keep thumping ur chest while the whole of subcontinent wizzes past you.
You had the highest per capita incomes for more than 50 years or so. Look at you now.
You may have a higher per capita, but your poverty rate is worse than Pakistan's.
 
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Our per capita income is higher than yours.
You cant even comprehend the scale of upliftment going on at the ground level here in india.
You will keep thumping ur chest while the whole of subcontinent wizzes past you.
You had the highest per capita incomes for more than 50 years or so. Look at you now.

Even in this bad state and your uncomprehendable achievements your per capita is not that great as comapred to Pakistan...IT takes rich man decaded to go hungry. There is more overall poverty in India than in Pakistan.
 
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You may have a higher per capita, but your poverty rate is worse than Pakistan's.
Simple arithematics. We have more people to feed. But did u ever think of what the rate of poverty alleviation in india is?
It used to be 60% 20 years ago, now it is less than 30%.
But u have an opposite trend
 
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120B$? :lol: please tell me from where you got that? the destruction of property was mostly in the tribal region and would not be more than 2B$.

let me say this once again, if you are not smart enought to understand when someone gives you an answer then dont ask the questions.
 
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