Economy - overview:

The economy has grown 5-6% per year since 1996 despite political instability, poor infrastructure, corruption, insufficient power supplies, and slow implementation of economic reforms. Bangladesh remains a poor, overpopulated, and inefficiently-governed nation. Although more than half of GDP is generated through the service sector, 45% of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector, with rice as the single-most-important product. Bangladesh's growth was resilient during the 2008-09 global financial crisis and recession. Garment exports, totaling $12.3 billion in FY09 and remittances from overseas Bangladeshis totaling $9.7 billion in FY09 accounted for almost 25% of GDP.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$259.3 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 47 $244.6 billion (2009 est.)

$231.4 billion (2008 est.)

note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate):

$105.4 billion (2010 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

6% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 36 5.7% (2009 est.)