Economy Overview
In real terms Bangladesh's economy has grown 5.8% per year since 1996 despite political instability, poor infrastructure, corruption, insufficient power supplies, and slow implementation of economic reforms. Bangladesh remains a poor, overpopulated, and inefficiently-governed nation. Although more than half of GDP is generated through the service sector, 45% of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector with rice as the single-most-important product. Bangladesh's growth was resilient during the 2008-09 global financial crisis and recession. Garment exports, totaling $12.3 billion in FY09 and remittances from overseas Bangladeshis, totaling $11 billion in FY10, accounted for almost 12% of GDP.
Agriculture Products
rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco, pulses, oilseeds, spices, fruit; beef, milk, poultry
Industrial Production Growth Rate
7.4% (2011 est.)country comparison to the world: 37
Labor Force
77 millioncountry comparison to the world: 7 note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia; workers' remittances were $10.9 billion in FY09/10 (2012 est.)
Unemployment Rate
5% (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 49 5% (2011 est.) note: about 40% of the population is underemployed; many participants in the labor force work only a few hours a week, at low wages
Population Below Poverty Line
31.51% (2010 est.)
Household Income or Consumption by Percentage Share
Lowest 10%: 4%
Highest 10%: 27% (2010 est.)
Distribution of Family Income Gini Index
33.2 (2005)country comparison to the world: 97 33.6 (1996)
Budget
Revenues: $13.98 billion
Expenditures: $19.62 billion (2012 est.)
Public Debt
32% of GDP (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 109 33.9% of GDP (2011 est.)
Central Bank Discount Rate
5% (31 December 2010 est.)country comparison to the world: 70 5% (31 December 2009 est.)
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate
Stock of Narrow Money
$14.1 billion (31 December 2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 69 $13.19 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Stock of Broad Money
$66.84 billion (31 December 2011 est.)country comparison to the world: 64 $66.14 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Stock of Domestic Credit
$80.81 billion (31 December 2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 57 $68.57 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Market Value of Publicly Traded Shares
$23.55 billion (31 December 2011)country comparison to the world: 65 $15.68 billion (31 December 2010) $7.068 billion (31 December 2009)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
$10.19 billion (31 December 2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 72 $9.192 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Debt External
$36.21 billion (31 December 2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 65 $33.84 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Stock of Direct Foreign Investment at Home
$7.849 billion (31 December 2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 85 $6.85 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Stock of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad
$93.9 million (31 December 2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 83 $92.9 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Exchange Rates
taka (BDT) per US dollar -82.17 (2012 est.) 74.152 (2011 est.) 69.649 (2010 est.) 69.04 (2009) 68.554 (2008)
