Is It Better to Be Poor in Bangladesh or the Mississippi Delta?
The author of the question does not have a straightforward answer but puts this forward as a thought provoker.<p>For example while Appalachians have higher income on average (PPP) than a typical Bangladeshi, Appalachian life expectancy is lower.  So maybe the marginal increase in income is more impactful in a place like Bangladesh -where people are less able to commit self-harm (even unintended like poor diets).  Maybe people in Bangladesh, not having much in the way of comfort do more with marginal incomes. Maybe we can learn from these social forces to take advantage of our higher income and provide better living for people who while not at extreme poverty levels do worse then people living in extreme poverty.