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
Industries
jute, cotton, garments, paper, leather, fertilizer, iron and steel, cement, petroleum products, tobacco, drugs and pharmaceuticals, ceramics, tea, salt, sugar, edible oils, soap and detergent, fabricated metal products, electricity and natural gas
Industrial Production Growth Rate
8.9% (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 22
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: 45 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
31.5% (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: 98 33.6 (1996)
Budget
Revenues: $14.03 billion
Expenditures: $19.69 billion (2012 est.)
Public Debt
32.2% of GDP (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 111 34.6% of GDP (2011 est.)
Central Bank Discount Rate
5% (31 December 2010 est.)country comparison to the world: 71 5% (31 December 2009 est.)
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate
Stock of Narrow Money
$14.85 billion (31 December 2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 68 $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
$79.32 billion (31 December 2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 58 $68.57 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Market Value of Publicly Traded Shares
$23.55 billion (31 December 2011)country comparison to the world: 66 $15.68 billion (31 December 2010) $7.068 billion (31 December 2009)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
$12.75 billion (31 December 2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 71 $9.192 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Debt External
$29.53 billion (31 December 2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 72 $29.12 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Stock of Direct Foreign Investment at Home
$6.64 billion (31 December 2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 86 $6.166 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Stock of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad
$108.1 million (31 December 2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 89 $107 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Exchange Rates
taka (BDT) per US dollar -81.86 (2012 est.) 74.15 (2011 est.) 69.65 (2010 est.) 69.04 (2009) 68.55 (2008)
