Map of Bangladesh | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


Background: The huge delta region formed at the confluence of the Ganges and Brahmaputra River systems - now referred to as Bangladesh - was a loosely incorporated outpost of various empires centered on the Gangetic plain for much of the first millennium A.D. Muslim conversions and settlement in the region began in the 10th century, primarily from Arab and Persian traders and preachers. Europeans established trading posts in the area in the 16th century. Eventually the area known as Bengal, primarily Hindu in the western section and mostly Muslim in the eastern half, became part of British India. Partition in 1947 resulted in an eastern wing of Pakistan in the Muslim-majority area, which became East Pakistan. Calls for greater autonomy and animosity between the eastern and western wings of Pakistan led to a Bengali independence movement. That movement, led by the Awami League (AL) and supported by India, won the independence war for Bangladesh in 1971.


top of page


Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India

Geographic coordinates: 24 00 N, 90 00 E

Map reference: Asia

Area
Total: 148,460 km²
Land: 130,170 km²
Water: 18,290 km²
Rank: 94
Comparative: slightly larger than Pennsylvania and New Jersey combined; slightly smaller than Iowa

Land boundaries
Total: 4,413 km
Border countries: (2) Burma 271 km; , India 4,142 km

Coastline: 580 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Contiguous zone: 18 nm

Climate: tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)

Terrain: mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast

Elevation
Mean elevation: 85 m
Lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Keokradong 1,230 m

Natural resources: natural gas, arable land, timber, coal

Land use
Agricultural land: 70.1% (2016 est.)
Forest: 11.1% (2016 est.)
Other: 18.8% (2016 est.)

Irrigated land: 53,000 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: droughts; cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during the summer monsoon season

Geography
Note: most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers flowing from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty into the Bay of Bengal


top of page


Population: 162,650,853 (July 2020 est.)
Rank: 8
Growth rate: 0.98% (2020 est.)
Growth rate rank: 105
Below poverty line: 24.3% (2016 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Bangladeshi(s)
Adjective: Bangladeshi

Ethnic groups: Bengali at least 98%, other indigenous ethnic groups 1.1% (2011 est.)
Note: Bangladesh's government recognizes 27 indigenous ethnic groups under the 2010 Cultural Institution for Small Anthropological Groups Act; other sources estimate there are about 75 ethnic groups; critics of the 2011 census claim that it underestimates the size of Bangladesh's ethnic population

Languages: Bangla 98.8% (official, also known as Bengali), other 1.2% (2011 est.)

Religions: Muslim 89.1%, Hindu 10%, other 0.9% (includes Buddhist, Christian) (2013 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 26.48% (male 21,918,651/female 21,158,574)
15-24 years: 18.56% (male 15,186,470/female 15,001,950)
25-54 years: 40.72% (male 31,694,267/female 34,535,643)
55-64 years: 7.41% (male 5,941,825/female 6,115,856)
65 years and over: 6.82% (male 5,218,206/female 5,879,411) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 47
Youth dependency ratio: 39.3
Elderly dependency ratio: 7.7
Potential support ratio: 13 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 27.9 years
Male: 27.1 years
Female: 28.6 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 143

Population growth rate: 0.98% (2020 est.)
Rank: 105

Birth rate: 18.1 births/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 87

Death rate: 5.5 deaths/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 181

Net migration rate: -3 migrant(s)/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 174

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 38.2% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 3.17% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 21.006 million DHAKA (capital), 5.020 million Chittagong, 954,000 Khulna, 908,000 Rajshahi, 852,000 Sylhet (2020)

Environment
Current issues: many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land; waterborne diseases prevalent in surface water; water pollution, especially of fishing areas, results from the use of commercial pesticides; ground water contaminated by naturally occurring arsenic; intermittent water shortages because of falling water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil degradation and erosion; deforestation; destruction of wetlands; severe overpopulation with noise pollution
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 18.5 years (2014 est.)
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 28.3 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 30.6 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 26 deaths/1000 live births (2020 est.)
Rank: 59

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.2 years
Male: 72 years
Female: 76.5 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 133

Total fertility rate: 2.11 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Rank: 97

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 62.3% (2014)

Drinking water source
Urban: 1.1% of population
Rural: 1.6% of population
Total: 1.4% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 2.3% (2017)

Physicians density: 0.54 physicians/1000 population (2017)

Hospital bed density: 0.8 beds/1000 population (2016)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 17.5% of population
Rural: 35.6% of population
Total: 29.1% of population (2017 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate note: <.1% (2018 est.)
People living with hivaids: 14,000 (2018 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 90
Deaths note: <1000 (2018 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high (2020)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria are high risks in some locations
Water contact diseases: leptospirosis
Animal contact diseases: rabies
Note: widespread ongoing transmission of a respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is occurring throughout Bangladesh; as of 8 December 2020, Bangladesh has reported a total of 475,879 cases of COVID-19 or 2,890 cumulative cases of COVID-19 per 1 million population with 41 cumulative deaths per 1 million population

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 3.6% (2016)
Rank: 191

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 21.9% (2017/18)
Rank: 17

Education expenditures: 1.3% of GDP (2019)
Rank: 169

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 73.9%
Male: 76.7%
Female: 71.2% (2018)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 12 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 12 years (2018)

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name
Conventional long form: Peoples Republic of Bangladesh
Conventional short form: Bangladesh
Local long form: Gana Prajatantri Bangladesh
Local short form: Bangladesh
Former: East Bengal, East Pakistan
Etymology: the name - a compound of the Bengali words Bangla (Bengal) and desh (country) - means Country of Bengal

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital
Name: Dhaka
Geographic coordinates: 23 43 N, 90 24 E
Time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time): etymology: the origins of the name are unclear, but some sources state that the city's site was originally called 'dhakka,' meaning 'watchtower,' and that the area served as a watch-station for Bengal rulers

Administrative divisions: 8 divisions; Barishal, Chattogram, Dhaka, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Sylhet

Dependent areas

Independence: 16 December 1971 (from Pakistan)

National holiday: Independence Day, 26 March (1971); Victory Day, 16 December (1971); note - 26 March 1971 is the date of the Awami League's declaration of an independent Bangladesh, and 16 December (Victory Day) memorializes the military victory over Pakistan and the official creation of the state of Bangladesh

Constitution
History: previous 1935, 1956, 1962 (preindependence); latest enacted 4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspended March 1982, restored November 1986
Amendments: proposed by the House of the Nation; approval requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the House membership and assent of the president of the republic; amended many times, last in 2018

Legal system: mixed legal system of mostly English common law and Islamic law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Bangladesh
Dual citizenship recognized: yes, but limited to select countries
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Abdul HAMID (since 24 April 2013); note - Abdul HAMID served as acting president following the death of Zillur RAHMAN in March 2013; HAMID was subsequently indirectly elected by the National Parliament and sworn in 24 April 2013
Head of government: Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA (since 6 January 2009)
Cabinet: Cabinet selected by the prime minister, appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: president indirectly elected by the National Parliament for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 7 February 2018 (next to be held by 2023); the president appoints as prime minister the majority party leader in the National Parliament
Election results: President Abdul HAMID (AL) reelected by the National Parliament unopposed for a second term; Sheikh HASINA reappointed prime minister as leader of the majority AL party following parliamentary elections in 2018

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral House of the Nation or Jatiya Sangsad (350 seats; 300 members in single-seat territorial constituencies directly elected by simple majority popular vote; 50 members - reserved for women only - indirectly elected by the elected members by proportional representation vote using single transferable vote; all members serve 5-year terms)
Elections: last held on 30 December 2018 (next to be held in 2023)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party as of January 2020 - AL 299, JP 27, BNP 7, other 10, independent 4, vacant 3; composition - men 274, women 73, percent of women 21%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court of Bangladesh (organized into the Appellate Division with 7 justices and the High Court Division with 99 justices)
Judge selection and term of office: chief justice and justices appointed by the president; justices serve until retirement at age 67
Subordinate courts: civil courts include: Assistant Judges Court; Joint District Judges Court; Additional District Judges Court; District Judges Court; criminal courts include: Court of Sessions; Court of Metropolitan Sessions; Metropolitan Magistrate Courts; Magistrate Court; special courts/tribunals

Political parties and leaders: Awami League or AL [Sheikh HASINA]Bangladesh Nationalist Front or BNF [Abdul Kalam AZADI]Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP [Khaleda ZIA]Bangladesh Tariqat Federation or BTF [Syed Nozibul Bashar MAIZBHANDARI]Jamaat-i-Islami Bangladesh or JIB (Makbul AHMAD)Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction) [Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD]Jatiya Party or JP (Manju faction) [Anwar Hossain MANJU]Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Oli AHMED]National Socialist Party or JSD [KHALEQUZZAMAN]Workers Party or WP [Rashed Khan MENON]

International organization participation: ADB, ARF, BIMSTEC, C, CD, CICA (observer), CP, D-8, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mohammad ZIAUDDIN (since 18 September 2014)
In the us chancery: 3,510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 244-0183
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 244-2,771
In the us consulate: Los Angeles, New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Earl Robert MILLER (since 29 November 2018)
From the us telephone: [880] (2) 5,566-2000
From the us embassy: Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212
From the us mailing address: G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1000
From the us FAX: [880] (2) 5,566-2,915

Flag description: green field with a large red disk shifted slightly to the hoist side of center; the red disk represents the rising sun and the sacrifice to achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the lush vegetation of Bangladesh

National symbols: Bengal tiger, water lily; national colors: green, red

National anthem
Name: Amar Shonar Bangla (My Golden Bengal)
Lyricsmusic: Rabindranath TAGORE
Note: adopted 1971; Rabindranath TAGORE, a Nobel laureate, also wrote India's national anthem

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real:
Real note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 12

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2010 dollars
Rank: 207

Gross national saving:
Rank: 30

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 68.7% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 6% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 30.5% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 15% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -20.3% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 14.2% (2017 est.)
Industry: 29.3% (2017 est.)
Services: 56.5% (2017 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate: 10.2% (2017 est.)
Rank: 15

Labor force: 66.64 million (2017 est.)
Note: extensive migration of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia
Rank: 6
By occupation agriculture: 42.7%
By occupation industry: 20.5%
By occupation services: 36.9% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Note: about 40% of the population is underemployed; many persons counted as employed work only a few hours a week and at low wages
Rank: 65

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 24.3% (2016 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 4%
Highest 10: 27% (2010 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: 25.1 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 33.5 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -3.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 137

Taxes and other revenues: 9.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 214

Public debt:
Rank: 159

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 188

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance:
Rank: 185

Exports:
Rank: 68
Partners: Germany 12.9%, US 12.2%, UK 8.7%, Spain 5.3%, France 5.1%, Italy 4.1% (2017)
Commodities: garments, knitwear, agricultural products, frozen food (fish and seafood), jute and jute goods, leather

Imports:
Rank: 64
Commodities: cotton, machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron and steel, foodstuffs
Partners: China 21.9%, India 15.3%, Singapore 5.7% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 49

Debt external:
Rank: 66

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


top of page


Electricity
Access population without electricity: 28 million (2019)
Access electrification total population: 83% (2019)
Access electrification urban areas: 93% (2019)
Access electrification rural areas: 77% (2019)
Production: 60.51 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 49
Consumption: 53.65 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 48
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 103
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 124
Installed generating capacity: 11.9 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 56
Generation sources fossil fuels: 97% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 31
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 45
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 136
Generation sources other renewable sources: 2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 134

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 3,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 83
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 91
Crude oil imports: 21,860 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 63
Crude oil proven reserves: 28 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 81

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 26,280 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 86
Products consumption: 106,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 77
Products exports: 901 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 108
Products imports: 81,570 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 63

Natural gas
Production: 29.53 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 27
Consumption: 29.53 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 32
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 65
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 89
Proven reserves: 185.8 billion m³ (1 January 2018 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 44

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 79.97 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 48

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 1,433,460 (2019 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 67
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 163,559,380
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 101.55 (2019 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 11

Telephone system

Broadcast media: state-owned Bangladesh Television (BTV) broadcasts throughout the country. Some channels, such as BTV World, operate via satellite. The government also owns a medium wave radio channel and some private FM radio broadcast news channels. Of the 41 Bangladesh approved TV stations, 26 are currently being used to broadcast. Of those, 23 operate under private management via cable distribution. Collectively, TV channels can reach more than 50 million people across the country.

Internet
Country code: .bd
Users total: 23,917,950
Users percent of population: 15% (July 2018 est.)
Users rank: 32

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 10,237,003
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6 (2018 est.)
Rank: 17


top of page


Military expenditures:
Rank: 92

Military and security forces:

Military service age and obligation: 16-21 years of age for voluntary military service; Bangladeshi nationality and 10th grade education required; officers: 17-21 years of age, Bangladeshi nationality, and 12th grade education required (2018)

Space program

Terrorist groups: Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami/Bangladesh; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in Bangladesh; al-Qa'ida; al-Qa'ida in the Indian Subcontinent (2020)
Note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in a title='Appendix-T' href='../appendix/appendix-t.html'>Appendix-T/a>


top of page


National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 6 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 30
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 5,984,155 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 63.82 million
Note: mt-km (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: S2 (2016)

Airports: 18 (2013)
Rank: 137
With paved runways total: 16 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 6 (2017)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2017)
With paved runways under 914 m: 5 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 2 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Heliports: 3 (2013)

Pipelines: 2,950 km gas (2013)

Railways
Total: 2,460 km (2014)
Narrow gauge: 1801 km
Note: 1.676-m gauge (2014)
Broad gauge: 659 km
Rank: 68

Roadways
Total: 369,105 km (2018)
Paved: 110,311 km (2018)
Unpaved: 258,794 km (2018)
Rank: 20

Waterways: 8,370 km
Note: (includes up to 3,060 km of main cargo routes; network reduced to 5,200 km in the dry season) (2011)
Rank: 16

Merchant marine
Total: 376
By type: bulk carrier 36, container ship 5, general cargo 97, oil tanker 136, other 102 (2019)
Rank: 47

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Chittagong
Container port: Chittagong (2,566,597) (2017)
River port: Mongla Port (Sela River)


top of page


Disputes international: Bangladesh referred its maritime boundary claims with Burma and India to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea; Indian Prime Minister Singh's September 2011 visit to Bangladesh resulted in the signing of a Protocol to the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement between India and Bangladesh, which had called for the settlement of longstanding boundary disputes over undemarcated areas and the exchange of territorial enclaves, but which had never been implemented; Bangladesh struggles to accommodate 912,000 Rohingya, Burmese Muslim minority from Rakhine State, living as refugees in Cox's Bazar; Burmese border authorities are constructing a 200 km (124 mi) wire fence designed to deter illegal cross-border transit and tensions from the military build-up along border

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 861,545 (Burma) (2020) (includes an estimated 712,152 Rohingya refugees who have fled conflict since 25 August 2017)
IDPs: 427,000 (conflict, development, human rights violations, religious persecution, natural disasters) (2019)

Illicit drugs: transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries