Bangladesh sees FY25 GDP growth hit 5-year low at 3.49%

Final data shows per capita income drops to $2,769, missing earlier estimates by $51

Bangladesh's economic growth hit a five-year low of 3.49 percent in the 2024-25 fiscal year, as political upheaval and civil unrest stifled national productivity.

The final figure, released by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) on Thursday, is lower than the initial provisional estimate of 3.97 percent.

Growth was also lower than the 4.22 percent recorded in the previous 2023–24 fiscal year, which had been the weakest in four years.

Economists attribute this significant slump to the massive disruptions caused by the July-August student-led uprising in 2024, which included prolonged blockades, internet shutdowns, and widespread clashes.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Bangladesh achieved a record growth of 8.15 percent in FY19.

The growth rate dipped to 3.45 percent during the pandemic in FY20, making the current 3.49 percent the lowest performance since that global crisis.

BBS data shows the investment-to-GDP ratio fell to 28.54 percent in FY25 from 30.70 percent a year earlier.

Per capita income rose to $2,769 from $2,738 in FY24, an increase of $31 year-on-year.

However, it is $51 lower than the provisional estimate of $2,820 released in May.

As a result, the highest per capita income remains the $2,793 recorded in FY22.

Per capita income reflects a country’s total national income, including remittances, divided by its population and does not represent individual earnings.