Bangladesh’s per capita GNI surpasses $3,000 for first time

Bangladesh's per capita gross national income (GNI) has surpassed the $3,000 mark for the first time, reaching $3,020 in fiscal year 2025-26, according to provisional estimates released today by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

The figure represents an increase of $251, or 9.1 percent, from the revised estimate of $2,769 in FY2024-25.

In local currency terms, per capita GNI is estimated to rise to Tk 368,873 from Tk 334,511 a year earlier.

The latest estimate places Bangladesh among the higher-income economies in South Asia. With a projected per capita GNI of $3,020, Bangladesh would rank ahead of India, Pakistan and Nepal, whose latest per capita GNI figures stand at $2,940, $1,580 and $1,500, respectively.

However, it would remain behind Sri Lanka and Bhutan, where per capita GNI is around $4,020 and $3,710, respectively. The Maldives continues to lead the region with a per capita GNI of about $13,920.

GNI measures the total income earned by a country's residents and businesses, including income received from abroad. Economists often use per capita GNI as a broad indicator of average income and living standards.

BBS data also show that Bangladesh's per capita gross domestic product (GDP), a basic measure of economic output per person, increased to $2,866 in FY2025-26 from $2,625 a year earlier.

The latest estimate comes at a time when the economy is navigating persistent inflationary pressures and external-sector challenges, although income growth has continued to trend upward in nominal terms.