Capital

Bangladesch

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

Citizenship

Bangladesch

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

Legal system

Bangladesch

mixed legal system of mostly English common law and Islamic law

Suffrage

Bangladesch

18 years of age; universal

Area

Bangladesch

total: 148,460 sq km

land: 130,170 sq km

water: 18,290 sq km

Land use

Bangladesch

agricultural land: 70.1% (2018 est.)

arable land: 59% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 6.5% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 4.6% (2018 est.)

forest: 11.1% (2018 est.)

other: 18.8% (2018 est.)

Location

Bangladesch

Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India

Age structure

Bangladesch

0-14 years: 25.38% (male 21,587,699/female 20,846,378)

15-64 years: 67.09% (male 54,560,958/female 57,599,478)

65 years and over: 7.53% (2023 est.) (male 5,871,022/female 6,718,930)

Birth rate

Bangladesch

17.5 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Bangladesch

5.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Bangladesch

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.

Life expectancy at birth

Bangladesch

total population: 75 years (2023 est.)

male: 72.8 years

female: 77.2 years

Major urban areas - population

Bangladesch

23.210 million DHAKA (capital), 5.380 million Chittagong, 955,000 Khulna, 962,000 Rajshahi, 964,000 Sylhet, 906,000 Bogra (2023)

Median age

Bangladesch

total: 29.2 years (2023 est.)

male: 28.3 years

female: 30 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Bangladesch

18.6 years (2017/18 est.)

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49

Net migration rate

Bangladesch

-2.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population growth rate

Bangladesch

0.91% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Bangladesch

2.08 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Bangladesch

urban population: 40.5% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 2.88% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Bangladesch

2.1% of GDP (2021 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Bangladesch

total: 12 years

male: 12 years

female: 13 years (2020)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Bangladesch

-3.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Bangladesch

10.29% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Bangladesch

70.961 million (2021 est.)

note: extensive migration of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia

Population below poverty line

Bangladesch

24.3% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate

Bangladesch

5.23% (2021 est.)

5.41% (2020 est.)

4.44% (2019 est.)

note: about 40% of the population is underemployed; many persons counted as employed work only a few hours a week and at low wages

Public debt

Bangladesch

33.1% of GDP (2017 est.)

33.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Bangladesch

5.55% (2021 est.)

5.69% (2020 est.)

5.59% (2019 est.)

Exports

Bangladesch

$49.386 billion (2021 est.)

$38.476 billion (2020 est.)

$44.961 billion (2019 est.)

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Exports - partners

Bangladesch

United States 15%, Germany 14%, United Kingdom 8%, Spain 7%, France 7% (2019)

Imports

Bangladesch

$85.303 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$56.776 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$64.234 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

Bangladesch

China 31%, India 15%, Singapore 5% (2019)

Airports

Bangladesch

18 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Bangladesch

total: 10,052,819 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Bangladesch

total: 66.3 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 39% (2021 est.)

Railways

Bangladesch

total: 2,460 km (2014)

narrow gauge: 1,801 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge

broad gauge: 659 km (2014) 1.676-m gauge

Roadways

Bangladesch

total: 369,105 km (2018)

paved: 110,311 km (2018)

unpaved: 258,794 km (2018)

Telephones - fixed lines

Bangladesch

total subscriptions: 587,476 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0 (2021 est.) less than 1

Telephones - mobile cellular

Bangladesch

total subscriptions: 181,021,227 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 107 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Bangladesch

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

Disputes - international

Bangladesch

Bangladesh-Burma: the border area has historically been an area of conflict and instability; militants, particularly ethnic armed groups (EAGs) from Burma, continue to operate in the border region and conduct illegal crossings, and both countries maintain considerable numbers of security personnel along the border; Burmese military forces actively conduct operations against EAGs; in 2022, Burmese artillery struck Bangladesh territory several times during military operations against Arakan Army rebels inside Rakhine; as of 2017, Burmese border authorities had constructed about 130 miles of border fencing and had planned to fence off the remainder of the border

Bangladesh-India: Bangladesh referred its maritime boundary claims with Burma and India to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea; Indian Prime Minister Singh's September 2011 visit to Bangladesh resulted in the signing of a Protocol to the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement between India and Bangladesh, which had called for the settlement of longstanding boundary disputes over un-demarcated areas and the exchange of territorial enclaves, but which had never been implemented