Bangladesh — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Bangladesh: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Bangladesh is in Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India. It covers 148,460 sq km. Terrain: mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast. Climate: tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October).
| Capital | Dhaka |
|---|---|
| Population | 174,370,536 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $1.473 trillion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $8,500 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 4.2% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 10.5% (2024 est.) |
| Unemployment | 4.7% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 33.3% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $53.848 billion (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $74.96 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 75.2 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 27.8 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 40.5% of total population (2023) |
| Government | parliamentary republic |
| Independence | 16 December 1971 (from Pakistan) |
| Languages | Bangla 98.8% (official, also known as Bengali), other 1.2% (2011 est.) |
Bangladesh’s GDP is $1.473 trillion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $450.119 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 4.2% (2024 est.). See where Bangladesh ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum +4 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
The new government's Family Card scheme — cash and subsidised goods for some 20 million poor families — launched within weeks, setting the quarter's tone.
Execution on promises made: a solidly positive quarter for a country rebuilding trust after 2024.
- What our model rewards: a current-account surplus of $2 billion — the world pays it more than it pays out; unemployment near 4.7% — work for whoever wants it
- What drags it down: only 2% of electricity from low-carbon sources
Natural gas, Timber, Coal.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 99.4% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 98.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 0.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 11.472 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 529.1 TWh (2024) |
| Electricity generation (OWID) | 113.9 TWh (2024) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 3,048 kWh per person (2024) |
| Electricity generation mix (OWID) | Gas 61.5%, Coal 20.2%, Oil 16.3%, Solar 1.2%, Hydro 0.8% (2024) |
| Low-carbon share of electricity (OWID) | 2.0% (2024) |
| Carbon intensity of electricity (OWID) | 694.6 gCO2/kWh (2024) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2024.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $53.848 billion (2024 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $74.96 billion (2024 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Deficit of $21.1 billion (2024), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | cotton, textiles and clothing, jute, tea, paper, cement, fertilizer, sugar, light engineering |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Tarique Rahman — Prime Minister. President Mohammad SHAHABUDDIN Chuppi (since 24 April 2023)
Bangladesh maintains 58 embassies and 20 consulates abroad. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 58 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 20 |
Source: Outbound: Lowy Institute Global Diplomacy Index 2024 (via Wikipedia 'List of countries by number of diplomatic missions').
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 580 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 17 + 36 heliports (registration prefix S2) |
| Major seaports | Chittagong, Mongla |
| Railways | 2460 km |
| Pipelines | 2,950 km gas (2013) |
| Top container ports (TEU) | Chittagong) (3,214,548 TEU, 2021) |
Major airports
Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (DAC) — Dhaka; Osmany International Airport (ZYL) — Sylhet; Shah Amanat International Airport (CGP) — Chattogram (Chittagong); Barisal Airport (BZL) — Barisal; Cox's Bazar Airport (CXB) — Cox's Bazar; Jessore Airport (JSR) — Jashore (Jessore); Saidpur Airport (SPD) — Saidpur; Shah Makhdum Airport (RJH) — Rajshahi.
Terminals
| LNG import terminals | Moheshkhali (2 FSRU) |
|---|---|
| River ports | Mongla Port (Sela River) |
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | parliamentary republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Bangladesh.
Historical timeline of Bangladesh
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Bangladesh — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Bangladesh's power score?
Bangladesh has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.