Bangladesh’s external debt reaches $113.44 billion: World Bank

Bangladesh’s external debt has climbed to $113.44 billion, translating into a burden of $646 for every citizen, according to the World Bank.

At the exchange rate of Tk 124.35 to the dollar, the debt amounts to Tk 14.1 trillion.

The World Bank estimates Bangladesh’s population at 175.7 million in 2025, putting per capita external debt at $646, or Tk 80,330 at the prevailing exchange rate.

The figures appear in the World Bank’s International Debt Report 2026, released at its Washington headquarters on Thursday.

Bangladesh’s external debt has almost tripled in a decade, rising from $38.77 billion in 2015.

Of this, $89.51 billion is public and publicly guaranteed debt, $9.87 billion is private non-guaranteed debt and $14.06 billion is short-term debt.

Multilateral creditors account for $51.14 billion of public and publicly guaranteed borrowing, while bilateral lenders account for $32.65 billion.

The World Bank is owed $22.64 billion, followed by the Asian Development Bank, based in Manila, at $17.52 billion. Other multilateral lenders are owed $10.99 billion.

Japan is Bangladesh’s largest bilateral creditor, with $12.72 billion outstanding, followed by Russia with $9.02 billion. Other countries account for a combined $10.90 billion.

Public and publicly guaranteed borrowing includes loans from multilateral institutions and countries; private non-guaranteed debt carries no government backing.

The short-term component reflects obligations due within a shorter repayment window than long-term loans reported at year-end.

Bangladesh Bank Figures

Bangladesh Bank’s latest data, released on Oct 12, put the country’s external debt at a record $114.98 billion at the end of fiscal 2025-26, equivalent to Tk 14.3 trillion at the current exchange rate.

The amount rose by nearly $4 billion, or 3.65 percent, in three months. It stood at $110.93 billion at the end of March and $113.52 billion at the end of December. A year earlier, at the end of June, it was $113.58 billion.

The central bank’s figures show debt rising 1.29 percent in six months and 1.23 percent over the year.

Source: The Financial Express