Social Justice
Inequality & Poverty
How many Bangladeshis live in poverty, and who is being left behind as the economy grows.
3 data insights
Bangladesh has spent about 2% of GDP on education for a quarter of a century
Bangladesh still spends about 2% of GDP on education
Government spending on education was 2.03% of GDP in 2024, almost exactly where it stood in 1999 (2.13%) — the economy has grown, but the share devoted to schools has not.
By DEEPLAB Research Team
Extreme poverty has fallen from half the population to about 6%
Extreme poverty in Bangladesh has fallen from half the population to about 6%
In 1991, 51% of Bangladeshis lived on less than $3.00 a day. By the 2022 household survey, 5.9% did — one of the fastest falls in extreme poverty anywhere.
By DEEPLAB Research Team
Inequality rose in the 1990s and has eased slightly since
Income inequality in Bangladesh rose in the 1990s and has eased only slightly since
Bangladesh's Gini index jumped from 27.6 in 1991 to about 33 by 2000 and has stayed near 31–33 since, edging down to 30.9 in 2022.
By DEEPLAB Research Team