GDP growth rises to 4.50% in first quarter of FY26

Bangladesh's economic growth gained momentum in the first quarter of the 2025-26 fiscal year, with point-to-point GDP growth at constant prices rising to 4.50%, up from 2.58% in the same period of the previous fiscal year.

According to provisional quarterly estimates released by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) yesterday (12 January), overall GDP growth at constant prices stood at 3.72% in the 2024–25 fiscal year.

However, the BBS noted that there are some differences between the provisional annual GDP estimates for 2024-25 and the quarterly estimates. These discrepancies will be adjusted through benchmarking in line with internationally accepted methods once the final GDP figures for the fiscal year are determined.

Sector-wise data show a notable recovery in agriculture. In the first quarter of 2025-26, agricultural growth reached 2.30%, compared to negative growth of 0.60% in the same quarter of the previous year.

Growth in the industrial sector strengthened further, recording 6.97% in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, nearly double the 3.59% growth posted in the corresponding quarter of 2024-25.

The services sector also saw an upward trend, with growth rising to 3.67% in the first quarter of 2025-26 from 2.96% a year earlier. The improvement was driven by a gradual increase in domestic demand and business activity.