Overview: Bangladesh is one of the poorest nations in the world. The economy is based on the output of a narrow range of agricultural products, such as jute, which is the main cash crop and major source of export earnings. Bangladesh is hampered by a relative lack of natural resources, population growth of more than 2% a year, large-scale unemployment, and a limited infrastructure; furthermore, it is highly vulnerable to natural disasters. Despite these constraints, real GDP growth averaged about 3.5% annually during 1985-89. A strong agricultural performance in FY90 pushed the growth rate up to 5.5%. Alleviation of poverty remains the cornerstone of the government's development strategy.

GDP: $20.4 billion, per capita $180; real growth rate 4.0% (1990 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (FY90 est.)

Unemployment rate: 30% (FY90 est.)

Budget: revenues $2.2 billion; expenditures $3.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (FY90)

Exports: $1.5 billion (FY90 est.); commodities--jute, tea, leather, shrimp, textiles; partners--US 25%, Western Europe 22%, Middle East 9%, Japan 8%, Eastern Europe 7%

Imports: $3.6 billion (FY90 est.); commodities--food, petroleum and other energy, nonfood consumer goods, semiprocessed goods, and capital equipment; partners--Western Europe 18%, Japan 14%, Middle East 9%, US 8%

External debt: $10.9 billion (FY90 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate 4.1% (FY90 est.); accounts for 15% of GDP

Electricity: 1,990,000 kW capacity; 5,700 million kWh produced, 50 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries: jute manufacturing, base metals, food processing, cotton textiles, tobacco processing, chemicals

Agriculture: accounts for about 40% of GDP, 60% of employment, and one third of exports; imports 10% of food grain requirements; world's largest exporter of jute; commercial products--jute, rice, wheat, tea, sugarcane, potatoes, beef, milk, poultry; shortages include wheat, vegetable oils and cotton; fish catch 778,000 metric tons in 1986

Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.4 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-88), $10.6 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $652 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $1.5 billion

Currency: taka (plural--taka); 1 taka (Tk) = 100 paise

Exchange rates: taka (Tk) per US$1--35.790 (January 1991), 34.567 (1990), 32.270 (1989), 31.733 (1988), 30.950 (1987), 30.407 (1986), 27.995 (1985)

Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June

NOTE: The information regarding Bangladesh on this page is re-published from the 1991 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Bangladesh Economy 1991 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Bangladesh Economy 1991 should be addressed to the CIA.