This 2025 Poverty and Equity Assessment examines Bangladesh’s progress in poverty reduction and inclusive development from 2010 to 2022. Poverty in Bangladesh declined between 2010 and 2022, but the pace of progress slowed after 2016, and over one-third of the population remained vulnerable to...

The revised Country Private Sector Diagnostic (CPSD) reports seek to unlock private sector–led growth and investment. Prepared jointly by the institutions of the World Bank Group, each report discusses the overall business environment within a country and provides an analysis of specific...

Using primary data collected from 3,493 households in the Faridpur district of Bangladesh, this study investigates the factors influencing farmers' preference for high-yielding rice varieties over other beneficial traits such as nutritional value, stress tolerance, and input efficiency....

Zinc deficiency poses a significant health challenge in Bangladesh, particularly among preschool-aged children and nonpregnant, nonlactating women, To address this issue, the government of Bangladesh has made efforts since 2013 to promote the cultivation and consumption of zinc-biofortified rice...

This paper provides the first evidence that children's economic preferences vary systematically with parental mental health. Using experimentally elicited measures of economic preferences from more than 4,500 children in Bangladesh, we document that children of parents with indications of mental...

The parliamentary elections held in Bangladesh on 12 February 2026 marked a turn­ing point in the country’s recent history. In August 2024, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who had served for a total of 20 years, with one interruption, was removed from office. An interim government led by Nobel...

This paper provides the first evidence that children’s economic preferences vary systematically with parental mental health. Using experimentally elicited measures of economic preferences from more than 4,500 children in Bangladesh, we document that children of parents with indications of...

This paper provides the first evidence that children's economic preferences vary systematically with parental mental health. Using experimentally elicited measures of economic preferences from more than 4,500 children in Bangladesh, we document that children of parents with indications of mental...

The parliamentary elections held in Bangladesh on 12 February 2026 marked a turning point in the country's recent history. In August 2024, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who had served for a total of 20 years, with one interruption, was removed from office. An interim government led by Nobel...

Internet access in rural areas of low- and middle-income countries is expanding at a rapid rate and affects how people produce and consume food and other goods and services. This may have implications for the incomes and diets of smallholder farm households, where poverty and undernutrition are...

In 2010, Bangladesh enacted rules mandating rooftop systems for consumers seeking to join the grid system for new domestic, industrial, and commercial electricity connections. After a decade, the first net metering policy was launched with further revisions of policies aimed at widening the...

The haor (Ox-bow Lake) region in Bangladesh, comprising seven districts, is rich in fishing, biodiversity, and boro-rice cultivation. However, its people are poorer due to wet monsoon seasonality. This study evaluates the joint impact of microcredit facilities and social safety net programs...

Bangladesh is currently navigating a complex economic transition marked by high inflation, declining foreign exchange reserves, vulnerabilities in the financial sector and the impending graduation from Least Developed Country status in 2026. The labour market also faces persistent and...

Achieving middle-income status will require Bangladesh to restore lasting macroeconomic and financial stability and implement bold reforms to strengthen institutions and foster job creation, especially for youth. Persistently low fiscal revenues, weaknesses in the banking sector, stubbornly high...

This paper provides the first evidence that children's economic preferences vary systematically with parental mental health. Using experimentally elicited measures of economic preferences from more than 4,500 children in Bangladesh, we document that children of parents with indications of mental...

This paper provides the first evidence that children’s economic preferences vary systematically with parental mental health. Using experimentally elicited measures of economic preferences from more than 4,500 children in Bangladesh, we document that children of parents with indications of...

Evolving from post-independence emergency relief to a diverse range of programmes addressing poverty, food insecurity, and lifecycle vulnerabilities, Bangladesh has made significant progress in social protection provision over the years. This paper critically examines the evolution, coverage,...

This paper provides the first evidence that children's economic preferences vary systematically with parental mental health. Using experimentally elicited measures of economic preferences from more than 4,500 children in Bangladesh, we document that children of parents with indications of mental...

This paper provides the first evidence that children's economic preferences vary systematically with parental mental health. Using experimentally elicited measures of economic preferences from more than 4,500 children in Bangladesh, we document that children of parents with indications of mental...

Bangladesh has made notable developmental progress over the past two decades. Economic growth has been among the top 10 percent globally, and poverty has been reduced by 80 percent over the same period. Exports also saw a dramatic jump from US 6.5 billion dollars in 2000 to US 57.5 billion...

The European Union has implemented various trade policies in the textile and clothing sector, a major global employment generator, over the past three decades. This paper investigates how these evolving policies have impacted the four largest exporters of textiles and clothing to the EU. A...

Siddique et al. (2024a) report massive effects of a mobile phone-based health awareness campaign in a randomized field experiment conducted in rural Bangladesh and India during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both awareness and compliance with preventive COVID-19 measures were higher when the information...

Can developing economies achieve growth that benefits everyone and protects the planet? This report explores how low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) can achieve inclusive and sustainable economic transformation (ISET) - where economic growth benefits all of society and protects our planet....

The composition of flora and fauna in low-lying coastal regions worldwide is being altered by sea-level rise in a changing climate, favoring saline-tolerant species. These shifts are projected to have significant implications for nature-based livelihoods, resource availability, market prices,...

As Bangladesh's economy grows and the country becomes rapidly urbanized, plastic pollution has become an escalating problem. Moving forward, the Government of Bangladesh aims for sustainable development by stepping up and modernizing the action on pollution and waste management and adopting...

Plastic pollution is a major challenge in Bangladesh, with annual per capita plastic consumption in urban areas tripling from 2005 to 2020. The increased use of plastics, especially single-use plastics (SUPs), combined with inadequate waste management, has resulted in a large amount of plastic...

Islam (2019) reports results from a randomized field experiment in Bangladesh that examines the effects of parent-teacher meetings on student test scores in primary schools. The reported findings suggest strong positive effects across multiple subjects. In this report, we demonstrate that the...

Siddique et al. (2024a) report massive effects of a mobile phone-based health awareness campaign in a randomized field experiment conducted in rural Bangladesh and India during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both awareness and compliance with preventive COVID-19 measures were higher when the information...

Islam (2019) reports results from a randomized field experiment in Bangladesh that examines the effects of parent-teacher meetings on student test scores in primary schools. The reported findings suggest strong positive effects across multiple subjects. In this report, we demonstrate that the...