Bangladesh |
|
| ECONOMY |
| Overview |
Despite sustained
domestic and international efforts to improve economic and demographic
prospects, Bangladesh remains a poor, overpopulated, and ill-governed
nation. Although half of GDP is generated through the service
sector, nearly two-thirds of Bangladeshis are employed in the
agriculture sector, with rice as the single-most-important product.
Major impediments to growth include frequent cyclones and floods,
inefficient state-owned enterprises, inadequate port facilities,
a rapidly growing labor force that cannot be absorbed by agriculture,
delays in exploiting energy resources (natural gas), insufficient
power supplies, and slow implementation of economic reforms.
Economic reform is stalled in many instances by political infighting
and corruption at all levels of government. Progress also has
been blocked by opposition from the bureaucracy, public sector
unions, and other vested interest groups. The BNP government,
led by Prime Minister Khaleda ZIA, has the parliamentary strength
to push through needed reforms, but the party's political will
to do so has been lacking in key areas. |
| GDP |
purchasing power parity - $238.2
billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate |
4.8% (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita |
purchasing power parity - $1,800
(2002 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector |
agriculture: 35%
industry: 19%
services: 46% (2001 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line |
35.6% (FY 95/96 est.) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices) |
3.1% (2002 est.) |
| Labor
force |
64.1 million
note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE,
Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia; workers' remittances estimated at
$1.71 billion in 1998-99 (1998) |
| Labor
force - by occupation |
agriculture 63%, services 26%,
industry 11% (FY 95/96) |
| Unemployment
rate |
40% (includes underemployment)
(2002 est.) |
| Industries |
cotton textiles, jute, garments,
tea processing, paper newsprint, cement, chemical fertilizer,
light engineering, sugar |
| Industrial
production growth rate |
1.8% (2002 est.) |
|
|
