Bangladesh
Southern Asia
Asia
A low-cost Asian country with a 5-year citizenship path and low university tuition, but a weak passport.
48
Overall score
Moderate · 96% data coverage
Language
BengaliCurrency
BDTCitizenship
5 yearsPersonal tax
Progressive, generally up to 30%Cost of living
$650 / mo (single)Rules change often. Confirm any immigration, tax or legal decision with a qualified professional.
Score breakdown
40
Access
17%40Residence12%
39Citizenship and passport5%
62
Earning power
25%53Salary and work12%
71Buying power13%
44
Business and wealth
20%52Taxes7%
44Business8%
31Investment5%
50
Daily life
25%52Quality of life18%
45Education7%
34
Rights and institutions
13%42Freedom6%
27Rule of law7%
Pros
- A 5-year citizenship path
- Low university tuition
Cons
- A weak passport
Best for
Students
Score profile
Access
Residence
40
Citizenship
44
Passport
30
Earning power
Salary & work
53
Buying power
71
Cost of living
96
Economy
58
Business and wealth
Taxes
52
Personal tax
45
Corporate tax
43
Business
44
Investment
31
Wealth building
53
Daily life
Safety
56
Healthcare
42
Environment
40
Infrastructure
61
Education
45
HDI
69
Rights and institutions
Freedom
42
Rule of law
27
Access
Residence
Openness to residents
40Limited
Migrant stock1.7% of population (2024)
Regulatory quality-0.95 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Main pathways
EmploymentStudyFamily reunificationBusiness or investment where eligible
| Student | Rules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting. |
|---|---|
| Work | Rules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting. |
| Self-employed | Rules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting. |
| Permanent | Rules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting. |
Citizenship
Citizenship accessibility
44Limited
| Years required | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Dual allowed | Depends on route and existing nationality |
| Language | Check the current naturalisation rules for the selected route |
| Residence | Typical headline route: 5 years; qualifying residence and absence rules apply |
| Notes | Rules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting. |
Passport
Passport power
30Limited
59 / 198
Mobility
#82
Global rank
Yes
Biometric
- Visa-free22
- On arrival36
- eTA1
- Visa required139
Placeholder estimates for 2024 to 2025. Check entry rules with each destination before travelling.
Earning power
Salary & work
Labour-market strength
53Moderate
Output per worker$20,763 PPP (2024)
Unemployment3.8% (2025)
Participation58.8% of 15+ (2025)
Mean monthly earnings of employees
Overall$121 · $424 PPP (2024)
Tech (IT & comms)$173 · $606 PPP (2024)
| Freelance | Market access depends on language, sector, and work authorisation |
|---|---|
| Job market | Use current local vacancy and salary data for role-specific decisions. |
Buying power
Purchasing power score
71Good
GNI / person$10,710 PPP (2025)
Consumption / person$6,053 PPP (2024)
Price level29 (US = 100) (2025)
Income inequality30.9 Gini (2022)
Inflation8.8% / yr (2025)
Cost of living
Affordability
96Excellent
Price level29 (US = 100) (2025)
| Rent | Varies substantially by city and neighbourhood |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $650 / mo (single) |
| Cities | Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet |
Economy
Economic strength
58Moderate
Output & income
GDP$456.3B (2025)
GDP / person$2,597 (2025)
GNI / person$10,710 PPP (2025)
GDP growth4.2% / yr (2024)
Stability & labour
Inflation8.8% / yr (2025)
Unemployment3.8% (2025)
Output per worker$20,763 PPP (2024)
Sector composition
Agriculture11.4% of GDP (2025)
Industry34.0% of GDP (2025)
Services52.1% of GDP (2025)
Main industries
Ready-made garmentsTextilesAgriculturePharmaceuticalsLeather
Top exports
Garments & apparelTextilesLeatherJute & fish
| Type | Lower-middle-income, garment-export-led |
|---|---|
| Key sectors | Ready-made garments (a top global exporter), Agriculture, Remittances |
| Summary | One of the world's largest garment exporters, with a fast-growing economy resting on apparel, farming and remittances. |
| Currency | Bangladeshi taka |
Business and wealth
Taxes
Tax friendliness
52Moderate
| Personal | Progressive, generally up to 30% |
|---|---|
| Corporate | Rates vary by company type; common rates are about 20%-27.5% |
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, holding structure, residence, and treaty position |
| Dividends | Rates and withholding depend on residence and treaty eligibility |
| Exit tax | Check current domestic rules before changing tax residence |
| Foreign companies | Management, permanent-establishment, CFC, and reporting rules may apply |
Personal tax
Personal tax
45Moderate
| Personal | Progressive, generally up to 30% |
|---|---|
| Freelance | Registration, immigration permission, tax, and social contributions may apply |
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, holding structure, residence, and treaty position |
| Dividends | Rates and withholding depend on residence and treaty eligibility |
| Exit tax | Check current domestic rules before changing tax residence |
Corporate tax
Corporate tax
43Limited
| Corporate | Rates vary by company type; common rates are about 20%-27.5% |
|---|---|
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, holding structure, residence, and treaty position |
| Dividends | Rates and withholding depend on residence and treaty eligibility |
| Foreign companies | Management, permanent-establishment, CFC, and reporting rules may apply |
Business
Business friendliness
44Limited
Regulation & bureaucracy
Regulatory quality-0.95 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Government effectiveness-0.62 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Operating rules
| Foreign company | Generally possible, subject to sector, registration, tax, and substance rules |
|---|---|
| Local company | Available company forms and capital requirements vary |
| Freelance | Registration, immigration permission, tax, and social contributions may apply |
Investment
Investing environment
31Limited
Market cap6% of GDP (2025)
Private credit35% of GDP (2025)
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, residence, holding period, and treaty position |
|---|---|
| Dividends | Data not available yet |
| ETFs & funds | Data not available yet |
| Wealth tax | Check current national and subnational rules |
| Brokers | Local and international availability varies by residency and compliance checks |
| Foreign access | Data not available yet |
| Tax-advantaged | Data not available yet |
Wealth building
Wealth accumulation
53Moderate
Salary & work
53Moderate
Business
44Limited
Investment
31Limited
Tax friendliness
52Moderate
Cost of living
96Excellent
Daily life
Safety
Safety & stability
56Moderate
Institutions & stability
Control of corruption-1.10 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Political stability-1.46 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Check current government travel and security advice before relocating.
Healthcare
Healthcare score
42Limited
Outcomes
Life expectancy74.9 years (2024)
Under-5 mortality30.5 per 1,000 births (2024)
Capacity & resourcing
Physicians0.72 per 1,000 (2023)
Hospital beds0.92 per 1,000 (2023)
Health spending$199 PPP / person (2023)
System & costs
| System | Public/private mix varies by eligibility and residence status |
|---|---|
| Insurance | Check residence-permit and local coverage requirements |
| Average cost | Depends on eligibility, income, insurer, and chosen coverage |
Environment
Environment score
40Limited
Environmental pressure
PM2.5 exposure69.3 μg/m³ annually (2023)
Water stress5.7% (2022)
Infrastructure
Infrastructure score
61Moderate
Digital infrastructure
Internet use53.4% (2024)
Internet resilience56 / 100 (2026)
Fixed speed68 / 100 download index (2026)
Mobile speed57 / 100 download index (2026)
Sources: World Bank World Development Indicators · Internet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Index
Utilities
Electricity access99.5% (2023)
Grid losses7.9% of output (2023)
Transport
Transport quality2.30 / 5 (2022)
Rail density22.1 km / 1,000 km² (2019)
Air connectivity414 departures / million people (2023)
Education
Education score
45Moderate
Attainment
Expected schooling12.3 years (2023)
Mean schooling6.8 years (2023)
Participation & investment
Tertiary enrolment24% gross (2024)
Education spending2.0% of GDP (2024)
| Tuition | $2,000-8,000 / yr |
|---|---|
| Public university | Varies by institution, programme, and student nationality |
| Languages | Bengali |
| Student work | Rules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting. |
HDI
Human development score
69Good
HDI0.685 (2023)
Knowledge
Expected schooling12.3 years (2023)
Mean schooling6.8 years (2023)
Rights and institutions
Freedom
Freedom score
42Limited
| Freedom in the World | 40 / 100 (Partly free) |
|---|---|
| Freedom on the Net | 45 / 100 (Partly free) |
Sources
Rule of law
Rule of law score
27Low
| Rule of Law percentile | 27 / 100 |
|---|
Sources
Resources
Official references
UN Statistics: M49 country and area codesunstats.un.orgPwC: Worldwide Tax Summariestaxsummaries.pwc.comSAARC: Member Statessaarc-sec.orgUNDP Human Development Report 2025hdr.undp.orgInternet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Indexpulse.internetsociety.orgWorld Bank World Development Indicatorsdata.worldbank.orgILOSTAT (International Labour Organization)ilostat.ilo.org
Quick links
Data is illustrative. Not legal or tax advice.