Economy - overview Bangladesh's economy has grown roughly 6% per

year since 1996 despite political instability, poor

infrastructure, corruption, insufficient power supplies,
slow implementation of economic reforms, and the
2008-09 global financial crisis and recession.
Although more than half of GDP is generated
through the services sector, almost half of
Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector,
with rice as the single-most-important product.

Garment exports, the backbone of Bangladesh's

industrial sector, accounted for more than 80% of
total exports and surpassed $25 billion in 2015. The
sector continues to grow, despite a series of factory
accidents that have killed more than 1,000 workers,
and crippling strikes, including a nationwide
transportation blockade implemented by the political
opposition during the first several months of 2015.
Steady garment export growth combined with
remittances from overseas Bangladeshis - which
totaled about $15 billion and 8% of GDP in 2015 -
are the largest contributors to Bangladesh's
sustained economic growth and rising foreign
exchange reserves.

GDP (purchasing $577 billion (2015 est.)

power parity) $536.5 billion (2014 est.)
$496.6 billion (2013 est.)
note: data are in 2015 US dollars

GDP (official $202.3 billion (2015 est.)

exchange rate)

GDP - real growth 6.4% (2015 est.)

rate 6.3% (2014 est.)
6% (2013 est.)

GDP - per capita $3,600 (2015 est.)

(PPP) $3,400 (2014 est.)
$3,300 (2013 est.)
note: data are in 2015 US dollars
Gross national 28.4% of GDP (2015 est.)
saving 29.2% of GDP (2014 est.)
29.8% of GDP (2013 est.)

GDP - composition, household consumption: 72.3%

by end use government consumption: 5.4%
investment in fixed capital: 29%
investment in inventories: 1.9%
exports of goods and services: 17.2%
imports of goods and services: -25.8% (2015 est.)

GDP - composition agriculture: 16%

by sector industry: 30.4%
services: 53.6% (2015 est.)

Population below 31.5% (2010 est.)

poverty line

Labor force 81.95 million

note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia; workers'
remittances were $15 billion in 2015, 8% of GDP
(2015 est.)

Labor force - by agriculture: 47%

occupation industry: 13%
services: 40% (2010 est.)

Unemployment rate 4.9% (2015 est.)

5% (2014 est.)
note: about 40% of the population is
underemployed; many persons counted as
employed work only a few hours a week and at low
wages

Unemployment, total: 8.7%

youth ages 15-24 male: 8.3%
female: 9.2% (2010 est.)

Household income lowest 10%: 4%

or consumption by highest 10%: 27% (2010 est.)
percentage share
Distribution of family 32.1 (2010)
income - Gini index 33.6 (1996)

Budget revenues: $21.28 billion

expenditures: $27.45 billion (2015 est.)

Taxes and other 11% of GDP (2015 est.)

revenues

Budget surplus (+) or -3% of GDP (2015 est.)

deficit (-)

Public debt 31.9% of GDP (2015 est.)

28.8% of GDP (2014 est.)

Inflation rate 6.4% (2015 est.)

(consumer prices) 7% (2014 est.)

Central bank 5% (31 December 2010)

discount rate 5% (31 December 2009)

Commercial bank 11.2% (31 December 2015 est.)

prime lending rate 13% (31 December 2014 est.)

Stock of narrow $21.69 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

money $19.01 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Stock of broad $107.5 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

money $95.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Stock of domestic $113.4 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

credit $101.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Market value of $50.98 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

publicly traded $41.73 billion (31 December 2014)
shares $23.55 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Agriculture - rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco,

products pulses, oilseeds, spices, fruit; beef, milk, poultry

Industries jute, cotton, garments, paper, leather, fertilizer, iron

and steel, cement, petroleum products, tobacco,
pharmaceuticals, ceramics, tea, salt, sugar, edible
 oils, soap and detergent, fabricated metal products,
electricity, natural gas

Industrial production 9.4% (2015 est.)

growth rate

Current Account -$2.176 billion (2015 est.)

Balance -$120 million (2014 est.)

Exports $29.93 billion (2015 est.)

$29.93 billion (2014 est.)

Exports - garments, knitwear, agricultural products, frozen

commodities food (fish and seafood), jute and jute goods, leather

Exports - partners US 13.9%, Germany 12.9%, UK 8.9%, France 5%,

Spain 4.7% (2015)

Imports $38.22 billion (2015 est.)

$40.1 billion (2014 est.)

Imports - cotton, machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron

commodities and steel, foodstuffs

Imports - partners China 22.4%, India 14.1%, Singapore 5.2% (2015)

Reserves of foreign $26.41 billion (30 November 2015 est.)

exchange and gold $22.31 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Debt - external $24.47 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$27.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct $9.355 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

foreign investment - $8.593 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
at home

Stock of direct $134.1 million (31 December 2015 est.)

foreign investment - $130 million (31 December 2014 est.)
abroad

Exchange rates taka (BDT) per US dollar -

77.42 (2015 est.)
77.57 (2014 est.)
 77.614 (2013 est.)
81.86 (2012 est.)
74.152 (2011 est.)

Fiscal year 1 July - 30 June