External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP was -5.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Bangladesh, 1960–2025
Source: National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in Bangladesh is -5.7%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.3% on the previous year and up 22.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in Bangladesh peaked at 0.7% in 1960 and was at its lowest, -12.9%, in 1976.
That places Bangladesh 115th out of 191 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.7% | — |
| 1961 | -0.9% | -233.1% |
| 1962 | -0.1% | -93.3% |
| 1963 | -1.7% | +2626.8% |
| 1964 | -4.1% | +144.7% |
| 1965 | -3.7% | -9.5% |
| 1966 | -2.4% | -36.1% |
| 1967 | -3.3% | +38.9% |
| 1968 | -3.3% | -0.4% |
| 1969 | -3.5% | +7.4% |
| 1970 | -4.2% | +19.2% |
| 1971 | -4.4% | +5.8% |
| 1972 | -8.1% | +81.6% |
| 1973 | -5.3% | -34.0% |
| 1974 | -6.6% | +25.1% |
| 1975 | -5.2% | -21.7% |
| 1976 | -12.9% | +147.6% |
| 1977 | -5.3% | -58.6% |
| 1978 | -9.9% | +85.8% |
| 1979 | -9.7% | -2.4% |
| 1980 | -12.4% | +27.9% |
| 1981 | -9.0% | -27.5% |
| 1982 | -10.5% | +16.4% |
| 1983 | -9.1% | -12.9% |
| 1984 | -10.0% | +10.0% |
| 1985 | -7.5% | -25.6% |
| 1986 | -6.7% | -10.7% |
| 1987 | -6.7% | +0.8% |
| 1988 | -6.8% | +1.7% |
| 1989 | -7.2% | +6.2% |
| 1990 | -7.1% | -1.3% |
| 1991 | -5.6% | -22.2% |
| 1992 | -4.8% | -14.4% |
| 1993 | -5.1% | +6.9% |
| 1994 | -4.9% | -4.4% |
| 1995 | -6.5% | +33.3% |
| 1996 | -6.7% | +2.8% |
| 1997 | -5.3% | -20.7% |
| 1998 | -4.4% | -17.4% |
| 1999 | -4.9% | +11.6% |
| 2000 | -4.6% | -4.9% |
| 2001 | -5.3% | +14.9% |
| 2002 | -4.1% | -22.1% |
| 2003 | -4.8% | +15.6% |
| 2004 | -4.6% | -4.8% |
| 2005 | -5.6% | +22.9% |
| 2006 | -5.4% | -3.7% |
| 2007 | -6.0% | +10.1% |
| 2008 | -7.3% | +22.7% |
| 2009 | -6.2% | -14.9% |
| 2010 | -5.8% | -7.4% |
| 2011 | -7.6% | +31.7% |
| 2012 | -7.8% | +2.8% |
| 2013 | -7.2% | -7.3% |
| 2014 | -6.5% | -9.5% |
| 2015 | -7.4% | +13.4% |
| 2016 | -3.5% | -52.9% |
| 2017 | -4.4% | +24.9% |
| 2018 | -7.2% | +64.3% |
| 2019 | -5.4% | -24.8% |
| 2020 | -5.4% | -0.0% |
| 2021 | -6.4% | +18.8% |
| 2022 | -8.0% | +25.3% |
| 2023 | -4.7% | -41.8% |
| 2024 | -5.9% | +25.4% |
| 2025 | -5.7% | -2.3% |
Bangladesh compared with similar countries
- Bangladesh's -5.7% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is -9.2%, 62% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Bangladesh's -5.7% is below the median for South Asia, which is -4.8%, 1.2× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Bangladesh changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | -2626.8% | -0.1% | -1.7% |
| 1961 | -233.1% | 0.7% | -0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -2.2% | -4.1% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | -7.2% | -12.9% | -4.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | -8.6% | -12.4% | -6.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | -5.5% | -7.1% | -4.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | -5.4% | -7.3% | -4.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | -6.3% | -7.8% | -3.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | -6.0% | -8.0% | -4.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More economy & growth data for Bangladesh
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 6.09 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 7 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 10.10 million BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 0.0575 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 1.85 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 44.47 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.004 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 10.51 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 33.5 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in Bangladesh?
- External balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in Bangladesh was -5.7% in 2025, according to National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 0.7% in 1960.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was -12.9% in 1976.
- How does Bangladesh rank for external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp?
- Bangladesh ranks 115th out of 191 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
- The figures come from National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Exports of goods and services minus imports of goods and services divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.