Factbook dossier
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 …
Location
Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India
Area
total : 148,460 sq km land: 130,170 sq km water: 18,290 sq km
Natural resources
natural gas, arable land, timber, coal
Natural hazards
droughts; cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during the summer monsoon season
Population
total: 174,370,536 (2025 est.) male: 83,908,720 female: 90,461,816
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 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.)
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
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
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 note: On August 5, 2024, former prime minister Sheikh HASINA fled the country as protesters stormed her official residence, and army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced that an interim government would be formed to run Bangladesh; the President dissolved Parliament on 6 August and swore in Nobel laureate Muhammad YUNUS as interim prime minister on 8 August
Legislative branch
expected date of next election: February 2026 note: the Parliament (House of the Nation) was dissolved on 6 August 2024 by President Mohammad SHAHABUDDIN Chuppi following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA Wazed on 5 August 2024; new national elections will be held in February 2026
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$1.473 trillion (2024 est.) $1.413 trillion (2023 est.) $1.336 trillion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$8,500 (2024 est.) $8,200 (2023 est.) $7,900 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
10.5% (2024 est.) 9.9% (2023 est.) 7.7% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
USA 16%, Germany 15%, UK 8%, Spain 7%, Poland 6% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
China 34%, India 17%, Indonesia 5%, Singapore 5%, Malaysia 4% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
Armed Forces of Bangladesh (aka Bangladesh Defense Force): Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Air Force Ministry of Home Affairs: Bangladesh Police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Bangladesh Coast Guard, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Ansars, Village Defense Party (VDP) (2025) 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 note 2: the RAB, Ansars, and VDP are paramilitary organizations for internal security; the RAB is a joint task force comprised of Police, Army, Navy, Air Force, and Border Guards personnel seconded to the RAB; its mandate includes internal security, intelligence gathering related to criminal activities, and government-directed investigations
Military expenditures
0.9% of GDP (2024 est.) 1% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.1% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.2% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.3% of GDP (2020 est.)