In brief
According to a World Bank International Debt Report released Monday, Bangladesh’s external debt is projected to reach $113.44 billion by year‑end 2025. The figure triples the 2015 debt of $38.77 billion and places the country’s per‑capita debt at about $646. The report also notes that developing‑country external debt reached a record $9.4 trillion in 2025, the fastest rise since 2021.
The World Bank’s International Debt Report 2026, released at its Washington headquarters on Monday, projects Bangladesh’s external debt will climb to $113.44 billion by the end of 2025. World Bank officials noted that the figure almost triple the amount recorded in 2015, when the country’s external liabilities were $38.77 billion.
Based on the bank’s estimate that Bangladesh’s population in 2025 will be 175.7 million, the report calculates a per‑capita external debt of roughly $646. World Bank data therefore signal a significant increase in the debt burden carried by each Bangladeshi citizen over the past decade.
The International Debt Report also places Bangladesh’s debt rise in a broader context. Global external debt for developing countries jumped 5.5 percent to a record $9.4 trillion in 2025 – the fastest pace since 2021 and roughly four times the average for the 2022‑24 period.
In comparison, Bangladesh’s 2025 debt figure represents about 1.2 percent of the world’s record external debt for developing countries in that year, underscoring the country’s growing reliance on foreign borrowing within a rapidly expanding global debt market.
Experts at the World Bank highlighted that the sharp increase coincides with a period of heightened borrowing activity among emerging economies, driven in part by low global interest rates and a need for infrastructural investment. World Bank analysts therefore signal that Bangladesh will need to manage its external obligations carefully amid a faster‑than‑expected debt accumulation.
While the report frames the debt growth as part of a broader trend in developing economies, it also underlines Bangladesh’s particular debt trajectory, noting that its 2025 debt level is “nearly triple its 2015 level.” The World Bank’s projection serves as a key benchmark for policymakers, investors, and economists monitoring the country’s fiscal health and its potential impact on future growth and stability.
