Map of Bangladesh | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

top of page


Background:


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
Comparative: slightly larger than Pennsylvania and New Jersey combined; slightly smaller than Iowa
Country comparison total: 4,413 km
Country comparison border countries: (2) Burma 271 km; India 4,142 km

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
Contiguous zone: 18 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: to the outer limits of the continental margin

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
Highest point: Mowdok Taung 1,060 m
Lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Mean elevation: 85 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 70.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 59% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 6.5% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 4.6% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land forest: 11.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land other: 18.8% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 81,270 km² (2020)

Major rivers
By length in km: Brahmaputra river mouth (shared with China [s] and India) - 3,969 km; Ganges river mouth (shared with India [s]) - 2,704 km
By length in km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds area km²: Indian Ocean drainage: Brahmaputra (651,335 km²), Ganges (1,016,124 km²)

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 3.6 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 770 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 31.5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 1.23 trillion m³ (2020 est.)

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
Total: 168,697,184
Male: 82,708,252
Female: 85,988,932 (2024 est.)
Growth rate: 0.89% (2024 est.)
Below poverty line: 18.7% (2022 est.)
Below poverty line note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Nationality
Noun: Bangladeshi(s)
Adjective: Bangladeshi

Ethnic groups: Bengali at least 99%, other indigenous ethnic groups 1% (2022 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

Languages: Bangla 98.8% (official, also known as Bengali), other 1.2% (2011 est.)
Major-language samples: বিশ্ব ফ্যাক্টবুক, মৌলিক তথ্যের অপরিহার্য উৎস (Bangla); Gheos World Guide, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions: Muslim 91%, Hindu 8%, other 1% (2022 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 25.1% (male 21,540,493/female 20,800,712)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 55,071,592/female 58,180,322)
65 years and over: 7.8% (2024 est.) (male 6,096,167/female 7,007,898)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 47.7
Youth dependency ratio: 39.1
Elderly dependency ratio: 8.6
Potential support ratio: 11.6 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 29.6 years (2024 est.)
Male: 28.7 years
Female: 30.4 years

Population growth rate: 0.89% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 17.3 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 5.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 40.5% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 2.88% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 23.210 million DHAKA (capital), 5.380 million Chittagong, 955,000 Khulna, 962,000 Rajshahi, 964,000 Sylhet, 906,000 Bogra (2023)

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, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 45.99 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 84.25 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 59.3 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 18.6 years (2017/18 est.)
Note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49

Maternal mortality ratio: 123 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 28.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 31.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 26.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.2 years (2024 est.)
Male: 73.1 years
Female: 77.5 years

Total fertility rate: 2.07 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 62.7% (2019)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 99% of population
Unimproved rural: 1.3% of population
Unimproved total: 1.1% of population (2020 est.)
Unimproved urban: 1% of population

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density: 0.8 beds/1,000 population (2016)

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: 85.3% of population
Improved rural: 73.5% of population
Improved total: 78% of population
Unimproved urban: 14.7% of population
Unimproved rural: 26.5% of population
Unimproved total: 22% of population (2020 est.)

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 3.6% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 34.7% (2020 est.)
Male: 52.2% (2020 est.)
Female: 17.1% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 22.6% (2019)

Education expenditures: 2.1% of GDP (2021 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 74.9%
Male: 77.8%
Female: 72% (2020)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 12 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 13 years (2020)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 15.7% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 13.5% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 female: 20.4% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment


top of page


Country name
Conventional long form: People's 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: common law; since independence, statutory law enacted by the Parliament of Bangladesh has been the primary form of legislation; Bangladeshi law incorporates elements of English common law; Islamic law applies to Bangladeshi Muslims in family and inheritance laws, with Hindu personal law applying to Bangladeshi Hindus and Buddhists

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 Mohammad Shahabuddin CHUPPI (since 24 April 2023)
Head of government: Interim Prime Minister Muhammad YUNUS (since 8 August 2024)
Cabinet: Cabinet selected by the prime minister, appointed by the president
Elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the National Parliament for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 13 February 2023 (next to be held by 2,028); the president appoints as prime minister the majority party leader in the National Parliament
Election results: President Mohammad Shahabuddin CHUPPI (AL) elected unopposed by the National Parliament; Sheikh HASINA reappointed prime minister for a fifth term following the 7 January 2024 parliamentary election

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 vote; all members serve 5-year terms)
Elections: last held on 7 January 2024 (next to be held in 2,026)
Elections results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party as of December 2023 - AL 306, JP 27, BNP 0, other 14, independent 3; composition - men 280, women 70, percentage women 20%
Note 1: 50 seats are reserved for women only and are indirectly elected by the House of the Nation members using proportional representation
Note 2: on 5 August 2024, Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA Wazed resigned, and the following day, President Mohammad Shahabuddin CHUPPI dissolved House of the Nation

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 Judge's Court; Joint District Judge's Court; Additional District Judge's Court; District Judge's 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, Bangladesh Jamaat-i-Islami or JIB, Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction), Jatiya Party or JP (Manju faction), National Socialist Party (Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal) or JSD, Workers Party or WP

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, MINUSCA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNIFIL, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires DM Salahuddin MAHMUD (since 12 September 2024)
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 email address and website: mission.washington@mofa.gov.bd, Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Washington, DC (mofa.gov.bd)
In the us consulates general: Los Angeles, Miami, New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Megan BOULDIN (since August 2024)
From the us embassy: Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka - 1212
From the us mailing address: 6,120 Dhaka Place, Washington DC 20,521-6,120
From the us telephone: [880] (2) 5,566-2000
From the us fax: [880] (2) 5,566-2,907
From the us email address and website: DhakaACS@state.gov; [link]

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)
Lyrics/music: Rabindranath TAGORE
Note: adopted 1971; Rabindranath TAGORE, a Nobel laureate, also wrote India's national anthem

National heritage
Total world heritage sites: 3 (2 cultural, 1 natural)
Selected world heritage site locales:


top of page


Economy overview: one of the fastest growing emerging market economies; strong economic rebound following COVID-19; significant poverty reduction; exports dominated by textile industry; weakened exports and remittances resulted in declining foreign exchange reserves and 2022 IMF loan request

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $1.413 trillion (2023 est.); $1.336 trillion (2022 est.); $1.248 trillion (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars

Real gdp growth rate: 5.78% (2023 est.); 7.1% (2022 est.); 6.94% (2021 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: $8,200 (2023 est.); $7,800 (2022 est.); $7,400 (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 68.6% (2023 est.)
Government consumption: 5.7% (2023 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 31% (2023 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 13.2% (2023 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -17.8% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 11% (2023 est.)
Industry: 34.6% (2023 est.)
Services: 51.1% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Agriculture products: rice, milk, potatoes, maize, sugarcane, onions, vegetables, jute, mangoes/guavas, tropical fruits (2022)
Note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Industries: cotton, textiles and clothing, jute, tea, paper, cement, fertilizer, sugar, light engineering

Industrial production growth rate: 8.37% (2023 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 74.914 million (2023 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 5.06% (2023 est.); 5.25% (2022 est.); 5.82% (2021 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 15.7% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 13.5% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 female: 20.4% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Population below poverty line: 18.7% (2022 est.)
Note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $39.849 billion (2021 est.)
Expenditures: $34.538 billion (2021 est.)
Note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 7.64% (of GDP) (2021 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Public debt: 33.1% of GDP (2017 est.)

Revenue
From forest resources: 0.08% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 9.88% (2023 est.); 7.7% (2022 est.); 5.55% (2021 est.)
Note: annual % change based on consumer prices

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: $4.388 billion (2023 est.); -$14.438 billion (2022 est.); -$15.775 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Exports: $58.885 billion (2023 est.); $60.066 billion (2022 est.); $49.291 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: US 18%, Germany 16%, UK 8%, Spain 7%, Poland 6% (2022)
Partners note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Commodities: garments, footwear, fabric, textiles, jute yarn (2022)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $73.172 billion (2023 est.); $93.635 billion (2022 est.); $85.299 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: China 32%, India 17%, Singapore 6%, Malaysia 5%, Indonesia 5% (2022)
Partners note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Commodities: refined petroleum, cotton fabric, cotton, fabric, fertilizers (2022)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $21.86 billion (2023 est.); $33.747 billion (2022 est.); $46.166 billion (2021 est.)
Note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Debt external: $53.63 billion (2022 est.)
Note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


top of page


Electricity
Access electrification total population: 99.4% (2022 est.)
Access electrification urban areas: 100%
Access electrification rural areas: 99.3%
Installed generating capacity: 22.449 million kW (2022 est.)
Consumption: 99.553 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Imports: 8.643 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 11.09 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 98.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources solar: 0.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Coal
Production: 754,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
Consumption: 7.514 million metric tons (2022 est.)
Imports: 5.62 million metric tons (2022 est.)
Proven reserves: 3.26 billion metric tons (2022 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 13,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 160,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 28 million barrels (2021 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 24.62 billion m³ (2022 est.)
Consumption: 30.384 billion m³ (2022 est.)
Imports: 5.765 billion m³ (2022 est.)
Proven reserves: 126.293 billion m³ (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 99.57 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 15.102 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 25.09 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 59.378 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 9.678 million Btu/person (2022 est.)


top of page


Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 274,000 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2022 est.) less than 1
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 180.198 million (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 105 (2022 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures: 1% of GDP (2023 est.); 1.1% of GDP (2022 est.); 1.2% of GDP (2021 est.); 1.3% of GDP (2020 est.); 1.4% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military and security forces: Armed Forces of Bangladesh (aka Bangladesh Defense Force): Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Air Force; Ministry of Home Affairs: Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Bangladesh Coast Guard, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Ansars, Village Defense Party (VDP) (2024)
Note 1: the Armed Forces of Bangladesh are jointly administered by the Ministry of Defense (MOD) and the Armed Forces Division (AFD), both under the Prime Minister's Office; the AFD has ministerial status and parallel functions with MOD; the AFD is a joint coordinating headquarters for the three services and also functions as a joint command center during wartime; to coordinate policy, the prime minister and the president are advised by a six-member board, which includes the three service chiefs of staff, the principal staff officer of the AFD, and the military secretaries to the prime minister and president
Note 2: the RAB, Ansars, and VDP are paramilitary organizations for internal security; the RAB is a joint task force founded in 2004 and composed of members of the police, Army, Navy, Air Force, and Border Guards seconded to the RAB from their respective units; its mandate includes internal security, intelligence gathering related to criminal activities, and government-directed investigations

Military service age and obligation: generally 17-21 for voluntary military service; length of service varies by military service (2024)

Space program

Terrorist groups: Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami/Bangladesh; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in Bangladesh (ISB); al-Qa'ida; al-Qa'ida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS)
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 the Terrorism reference guide


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 (2018) mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: S2

Airports: 17 (2024)

Heliports: 35 (2024)

Pipelines: 2,950 km gas (2013)

Railways

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

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

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


top of page


Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 976,507 (Burma) (2024)
Idps: 427,000 (conflict, development, human rights violations, religious persecution, natural disasters) (2022)
Stateless persons: 929,606 (2022)

Illicit drugs: transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries; does not manufacture precursor chemicals with the exception of sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, and toluene