THE WORLD FACTBOOK — Reference Edition 2026

Background: The huge delta region at the confluence of the Ganges and Brahmaputra River systems -- now referred to as Bangladesh -- was a loosely incorporated outpost of various empires 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, which is primarily Hindu in the western section and mostly Muslim in the eastern half, became part of British India. After the partition of India in 1947, the Muslim-majority area became East Pakistan. Calls for greater autonomy and animosity between the eastern and western areas 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. The military overthrew the post-independence AL government in 1975, the first of a series of military coups that resulted in a military-backed government and the subsequent creation of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) that took power in 1979. That government also ended in a coup in 1981, followed by military-backed rule until democratic elections were held in 1991. The BNP and AL alternated in power from 1991 to 2008, with the exception of a military-backed, emergency caretaker regime in 2007. The country returned to fully democratic rule in 2008 with the election of the AL and Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA. With the help of international development assistance, Bangladesh is on track to graduate from the UN’s Least Developed Countries (LDC) list in 2026. The economy has grown at an annual average of about 6.25% for the last two decades. Poverty declined from 11.8 percent in 2010 to 5.0 percent in 2022, based on the international poverty line of $2.15 a day (using 2017 Purchasing Power Parity exchange rate). The country made a rapid recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, but still faces economic challenges.

Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India
Geographic coordinates: 24 00 N, 90 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area: total: 148,460 sq km
land: 130,170 sq km
water: 18,290 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Pennsylvania and New Jersey combined; slightly smaller than Iowa
Land boundaries: total: 4,413 km
border countries: 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: Bay of Bengal 0 m
mean elevation: 85 m
Natural resources: natural gas, arable land, timber, coal
Land use: agricultural land: 72.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 60.6% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 7.1% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 4.6% (2023 est.)
forest: 14.4% (2023 est.)
other: 13.3% (2023 est.)
Irrigated land: 83,690 sq km (2022)
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 kmnote: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km): Indian Ocean drainage: Brahmaputra (651,335 sq km), Ganges (1,016,124 sq km)
Major aquifers: Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra Basin
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

Population: total: 174,370,536 (2025 est.)
male: 83,908,720
female: 90,461,816
Nationality: noun: Bangladeshi(s)
adjective: Bangladeshi
Ethnic groups: Bengali at least 99%, other indigenous ethnic groups 1% (2022 est.)
Languages: Languages: Bangla 98.8% (official, also known as Bengali), other 1.2% (2011 est.)
major-language sample(s): বিশ্ব ফ্যাক্টবুক, মৌলিক তথ্যের অপরিহার্য উৎস (Bangla) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions: Muslim 91%, Hindu 8%, other 1% (2022 est.)
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: 54.6 (2025 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 43.5 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 11.1 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio: 9 (2025 est.)
Median age: total: 27.8 years (2025 est.)
male: 28.7 years
female: 30.4 years
Population growth rate: 0.91% (2025 est.)
Birth rate: 19.45 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 6.05 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Net migration rate: -4.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
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)
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.)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 18.6 years (2017/18 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio: 115 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 22 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 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: 2.25 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 1.1 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source: improved: urban: urban: 98.3% of population (2022 est.)
improved: rural: rural: 98.5% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 98.4% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 1.7% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural: rural: 1.5% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 1.6% of population (2022 est.)
Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 2.4% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 1.2% of national budget (2022 est.)
Physician density: 0.72 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Hospital bed density: 0.9 beds/1,000 population (2019 est.)
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: urban: 90.3% of population (2022 est.)
improved: rural: rural: 81.4% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 84.9% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 9.7% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural: rural: 18.6% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 15.1% of population (2022 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 3.6% (2016)
Alcohol consumption per capita: total: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use: total: 29.7% (2025 est.)
male: 47.6% (2025 est.)
female: 12.5% (2025 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 21.7% (2022 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49): 80.6% (2022 est.)
Child marriage: women married by age 15: 15.5% (2019)
women married by age 18: 51.4% (2019)
Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% GDP): 2% of GDP (2024 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 11.9% national budget (2025 est.)
Literacy: total population: 79% (2022 est.)
male: 81.4% (2022 est.)
female: 76.5% (2022 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 11 years (2023 est.)
male: 11 years (2023 est.)
female: 12 years (2023 est.)

Environmental issues: flooding; water pollution, especially of fishing areas, from the use of commercial pesticides; groundwater pollution from naturally occurring arsenic; 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 environmental 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
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Climate: tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)
Land use: agricultural land: 72.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 60.6% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 7.1% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 4.6% (2023 est.)
forest: 14.4% (2023 est.)
other: 13.3% (2023 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 40.5% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 2.88% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: total emissions: 125.956 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 26.967 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 42.083 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 56.906 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Particulate matter emissions: 42.5 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Methane emissions: energy: 544 kt (2022-2024 est.)
agriculture: 2,391.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)
waste: 693 kt (2019-2021 est.)
other: 38.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 14.778 million tons (2024 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 15.7% (2022 est.)
Total water withdrawal: municipal: 3.6 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
industrial: 770 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
agricultural: 31.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 1.227 trillion cubic meters (2022 est.)

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 is a compound of the Bengali words Bangla (Bengali) and desh (country)
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 it may be derived from either the dhak tree or Dhakeshwari, a goddess with a shrine in the city
Administrative divisions: 8 divisions; Barishal, Chattogram, Dhaka, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Sylhet
Legal system: common law, incorporating elements of English common law; since independence, statutory law has been the primary form of legislation; Islamic law applies to Muslims in family and inheritance laws, with Hindu personal law applying to Hindus and Buddhists
Constitution: history: previous 1935, 1956, 1962 (pre-independence); latest enacted 4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspended March 1982, restored November 1986
amendment process: 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
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
election/appointment process: president indirectly elected by the National Parliament for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); the president appoints as prime minister the majority party leader in the National Parliament
most recent election date: 13 February 2023
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 but fled the country on 5 August 2024 following mass protests against her government in July and August 2024; Mohammad YUNIS was appointed as interim Prime Minister on 8 August 2024
expected date of next election: 2028
Legislative branch: expected date of next election: February 2026
Judicial branch: highest court(s): 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: Awami League or ALBangladesh Jamaat-i-Islami or JIBBangladesh Nationalist Party or BNPIslami Andolan BangladeshJatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction)Jatiya Party or JP (Manju faction)National Socialist Party (Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal) or JSDWorkers Party or WP
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Tareq Md Ariful ISLAM (since 5 September 2025)
chancery: 3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 244-0183
FAX: [1] (202) 244-2771
email address and website: mission.washington@mofa.gov.bdEmbassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Washington, DC (mofa.gov.bd)
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, Miami, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Brent CHRISTENSEN (since 12 January 2026)
embassy: Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka - 1212
mailing address: 6120 Dhaka Place, Washington DC 20521-6120
telephone: [880] (2) 5566-2000
FAX: [880] (2) 5566-2907
email address and website: DhakaACS@state.govhttps://bd.usembassy.gov/
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
Independence: 16 December 1971 (from Pakistan)
National holiday: Independence Day, 26 March (1971); Victory Day, 16 December (1971)
Flag: description: green field with a large red disk shifted slightly to the leftmeaning: the red disk represents the rising sun and the sacrifice to achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the lush vegetation of Bangladesh
National symbol(s): Bengal tiger, water lily
National color(s): green, red
National coat of arms: the water lily is the national flower and symbolizes promise, aesthetics, and elegance; the water under the lily, the rice sheaves on the sides, and the jute leaves at the top represent the Bangladeshi landscape and economy; the four stars represent the aims and ambition of the nation
National anthem(s): title: "Amar Shonar Bangla" (My Golden Bengal)
lyrics/music: Rabindranath TAGORE
history: 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: Bagerhat Historic Mosque (c); Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur (c); Sundarbans (n)

Economic 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): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $1.473 trillion (2024 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $1.413 trillion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $1.336 trillion (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2024: 4.2% (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 5.8% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 7.1% (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2024: $8,500 (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $8,200 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $7,900 (2022 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $450.119 billion (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 10.5% (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 9.9% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 7.7% (2022 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 11.2% (2024 est.)
industry: 34.1% (2024 est.)
services: 51.4% (2024 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 70.1% (2024 est.)
government consumption: 5.9% (2024 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 30.7% (2024 est.)
investment in inventories: 0% (2024 est.)
exports of goods and services: 10.5% (2024 est.)
imports of goods and services: -16.3% (2024 est.)
Agricultural products: rice, milk, potatoes, maize, sugarcane, onions, jute, vegetables, mangoes/guavas, tropical fruits (2023)
Industries: cotton, textiles and clothing, jute, tea, paper, cement, fertilizer, sugar, light engineering
Industrial production growth rate: 3.5% (2024 est.)
Labor force: 77.355 million (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2024: 4.7% (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 4.5% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 4.6% (2022 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): total: 11.5% (2024 est.)
male: 13.7% (2024 est.)
female: 9.2% (2024 est.)
Population below poverty line: 18.7% (2022 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022: 33.4 (2022 est.)
Average household expenditures: on food: 52.8% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 2.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.5% (2022 est.)
highest 10%: 27.4% (2022 est.)
Remittances: Remittances 2024: 6% of GDP (2024 est.)
Remittances 2023: 5.1% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2022: 4.7% of GDP (2022 est.)
Budget: revenues: $39.849 billion (2021 est.)
expenditures: $51.558 billion (2021 est.)
Public debt: Public debt 2016: 33.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 7.6% (of GDP) (2021 est.)
Current account balance: Current account balance 2024: $1.87 billion (2024 est.)
Current account balance 2023: $4.388 billion (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2022: -$14.438 billion (2022 est.)
Exports: Exports 2024: $53.848 billion (2024 est.)
Exports 2023: $58.885 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2022: $60.066 billion (2022 est.)
Exports - partners: USA 16%, Germany 15%, UK 8%, Spain 7%, Poland 6% (2023)
Exports - commodities: garments, footwear, fabric, textiles, trunks and cases (2023)
Imports: Imports 2024: $74.96 billion (2024 est.)
Imports 2023: $73.172 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2022: $93.635 billion (2022 est.)
Imports - partners: China 34%, India 17%, Indonesia 5%, Singapore 5%, Malaysia 4% (2023)
Imports - commodities: refined petroleum, cotton fabric, natural gas, cotton, fabric (2023)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $21.395 billion (2024 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $21.86 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $33.747 billion (2022 est.)
Debt - external: Debt - external 2023: $58.02 billion (2023 est.)
Exchange rates: Currency: taka (BDT) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2024: 115.604 (2024 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 106.309 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 91.745 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 85.084 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2020: 84.871 (2020 est.)

Electricity access: electrification - total population: 99.4% (2022 est.)
electrification - urban areas: 100%
electrification - rural areas: 99.3%
Electricity: installed generating capacity: 22.699 million kW (2023 est.)
consumption: 107.285 billion kWh (2023 est.)
imports: 9.407 billion kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 8.279 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity generation sources: 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.)
Nuclear energy: Number of nuclear reactors under construction: 2 (2025)
Coal: production: 767,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
consumption: 14.05 million metric tons (2023 est.)
imports: 13.305 million metric tons (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 3.26 billion metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum: total petroleum production: 13,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 263,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 28 million barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas: production: 22.334 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
consumption: 29.119 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
imports: 6.785 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 126.293 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Energy consumption per capita: Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 11.472 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions: 285,000 (2024 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2024 est.) less than 1
Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions: 188 million (2024 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 108 (2024 est.)
Broadcast media: state-owned Bangladesh Television (BTV) broadcasts nationally; some channels operate via satellite; the government also owns a medium-wave radio channel and some private FM radio news channels; of the 41 approved TV stations, 26 are currently being used to broadcast, and 23 operate under private management via cable distribution
Internet country code: .bd
Internet users: percent of population: 45% (2023 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total: 12.9 million (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8 (2023 est.)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: S2
Airports: 17 (2025)
Heliports: 36 (2025)
Railways: total: 2,460 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 1,801 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge
broad gauge: 659 km (2014) 1.676-m gauge
Merchant marine: total: 558 (2023)
by type: bulk carrier 68, container ship 10, general cargo 170, oil tanker 162, other 148
Ports: total ports: 2 (2024)
large: 0
medium: 1
small: 1
very small: 0
ports with oil terminals: 0
key ports: Chittagong, Mongla

Military and security forces: Armed Forces of Bangladesh (aka Bangladesh Defense Force): Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Air ForceMinistry of Home Affairs: Bangladesh Police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Bangladesh Coast Guard, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Ansars, Village Defense Party (VDP) (2025)
Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2024: 0.9% of GDP (2024 est.)
Military Expenditures 2023: 1% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 1.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 1.2% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military Expenditures 2020: 1.3% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military and security service personnel strengths: information varies; approximately 170,000 active Armed Forces (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: much of the military's inventory is comprised of Chinese- and Russian-origin equipment, but in recent years suppliers have expanded to include Germany, Turkey, the UK, and the US (2025)
Military service age and obligation: varies by service, but generally 17-23 for voluntary military service; length of service also varies (2025)
Military deployments: approximately 1,400 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 1,700 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO; plus about 200 police); 120 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 1,600 South Sudan (UNMISS); 500 Sudan (UNISFA) (2024)
Military - note: the military’s primary responsibility is external defense but it also has a domestic security role; following widespread domestic protests in September 2024, the Army was given law enforcement powers, including making arrests, conducting searches, and dispersing unlawful assemblies; the military has traditionally been a significant player in the country's politics and has commercial business interests in such areas as banking, food, hotels, manufacturing, real estate, and shipbuilding, and manages government infrastructure and construction projectsthe military has a long history of participating in UN peacekeeping missions, which has provided operational experience and a source of funding; it runs an international institute for the training of peacekeepers; the military also conducts multinational and bilateral exercises with foreign partners, particularly India (2025)

Space agency/agencies: Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO; established as a statutory body in 1991 and designated as the country's national focal point for space-related activities in 1995) (2025)
Space program overview: has a modest space program focused on designing, building, and operating satellites, particularly those with remote sensing (RS) capabilities; SPARSSO's mandate is to use space and RS technology in areas such as agriculture, education, environmental studies, fisheries, forestry, geology, land use, mapping, meteorology, and oceanography; has a government-owned company for acquiring and operating satellites (Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited, established in 2017); works with several foreign space agencies and commercial entities, including those of France, Japan, Russia, and the US; member of several international space organizations, such as the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (2025)
Key space-program milestones: 2017 - first educational/scientific nanosatellite (BRAC-Onnesha) acquired from Japan and launched by US2018 - first communications satellite (Bangabandhu-1) built by a French company and launched by US2025 - signed US-led Artemis Accords for the safe and responsible exploration of space

Terrorist group(s): Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami/Bangladesh (HUJI-B); Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) in Bangladesh (ISB); al-Qa'ida; al-Qa'ida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS)

Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees: 1,005,637 (2024 est.)
IDPs: 756,743 (2024 est.)
stateless persons: 1,005,520 (2024 est.)

Bangladesh