Extreme heat cost Bangladesh up to $1.8b in productivity in 2024: WB
The report also said extreme heat is cutting productivity in Bangladesh’s apparel industry.
Extreme heat cost Bangladesh an estimated $1.3-$1.8 billion in productivity losses in 2024 alone – equivalent to 0.3 to 0.4% of the nation's GDP, according to a new World Bank report.
These economic losses escalate sharply on days when daytime temperatures exceed 37°C, according to the report, "A Livable Future: Protecting Jobs and Growth from Extreme Heat in South Asia's Cities", released on Wednesday.
The report said heat stress already makes around 3% of annual working hours in Dhaka – equivalent to about 4,65,000 full-time jobs – theoretically unworkable. By 2080, that figure could rise to 7.4% of annual working hours, or the equivalent of 1.65 million full-time jobs.
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The report also said extreme heat is cutting productivity in Bangladesh's apparel industry.
Citing a joint analysis by the ILO, IFC and Cornell University's Global Labor Institute, the report said the apparel industries of Bangladesh, Pakistan, Vietnam and Cambodia could lose up to $65.8 billion in export earnings by 2030 if heat stress is not addressed.
However, the World Bank said Bangladesh has demonstrated that targeted financing can help industries adapt. "A government-backed Green Transformation Fund, launched in 2016 to help manufacturers invest in energy- and water-efficient equipment and better working environments, grew from a handful of factories into a sector-wide transition."
This was reinforced by IFC engagement through the Partnership for Cleaner Textile and sustainability-linked lending. By the end of 2025, Bangladesh had more than 270 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified apparel factories, with more in the pipeline – a transformation achieved in little more than a decade.
The report found that Bangladesh has warmed by 1.28°C since pre-industrial times, marking the second-fastest pace among the six South Asian countries, behind only Bhutan at 1.45°C.
Heat-related deaths in Bangladesh roughly doubled between 2000 and 2023, according to the Global Burden of Disease study cited in the report. Extreme heat exposure during the first 1,000 days of life also significantly increases the risk of childhood stunting.
Extreme heat also strains Bangladesh's electricity system. During the April 2026 heatwave, nationwide power demand reached 16,237 megawatts, while generation stood at only 13,988 MW, triggering major shortfalls and rolling outages.
Heat stress in Bangladesh's garment factories has also been linked to an increased risk of violence and harassment against women workers unable to meet production quotas.
Moreover, during heatwaves, 60% of women home-based workers in Nepal, Bangladesh and India reported an increase in unpaid care duties.
The report found that, by 2070, around 520 million people across South Asia could experience at least one month of dangerous heat each year – four times as many as today.
