Bangladesh GDP Set to Surpass $500 Billion for First Time in FY26
BANGLADESH: The Finance Division estimates that Bangladesh’s gross domestic product (GDP) at current prices will reach $517.7 billion (Tk 6,315,923 crore) in the 2025-26 fiscal year (FY26), according to finance ministry officials. This estimate was presented during a recent budget-related meeting attended by Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed.
For the ongoing fiscal year, the initial GDP projection was $491 billion (Tk 5,597,414 crore). However, finance ministry sources indicate that this figure is likely to be revised downward by $21 billion to $470 billion (Tk 5,645,114 crore). Based on these revised estimates, GDP is expected to grow by 10.21 percent at current prices by FY26 compared to the revised figure for the current fiscal year.
According to the updated projections, GDP may grow by 4.44 percent during the current fiscal year. In the previous fiscal year (2023-24), Bangladesh’s GDP was recorded at $450 billion (Tk 50,026,537 crore), as reported by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
The finance ministry anticipates that the economy will recover in the coming years, with GDP surpassing the $500-billion milestone. Similarly, international financial institutions—including the Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank, and International Monetary Fund (IMF)—also forecast stronger economic growth in the future, despite lowering their growth projections for FY25.
For the next fiscal year, the finance ministry is expected to target real GDP growth of 6 percent and an inflation rate of 6.5 percent.
Mustafizur Rahman, a distinguished fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), emphasized the importance of the national statistical agency re-evaluating GDP estimates. He noted that without accurate GDP figures, the true tax-to-GDP and debt-to-GDP ratios cannot be properly calculated.
Source: Ministry of Finance BD