The statistic shows the distribution of employment in Bangladesh by economic sector from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, 35.27 percent of the employees in Bangladesh were active in the agricultural sector, 20.88 percent in industry and 43.85 percent in the service sector.

In 2024, the unemployment rate in Bangladesh was at approximately 4.68 percent. After a decrease from 2010 through 2011, Bangladesh’s unemployment has been steady at around 4.5 percent. Stuck in the middle? In the Asia-Pacific region, Bangladesh’s economy is ranked somewhere in the middle, lower than Pakistan, but even higher than New Zealand. The same is true for gross national income (GNI) and about the same for unemployment (where it ranks eighth, behind China, Australia, and Afghanistan). But Bangladesh’s figures are not always seemingly mediocre: It is one of the most densely populated countries with one of the largest populations worldwide. On the way up Most of Bangladesh’s workforce is employed in the tertiary sector, which is gaining workers while the share of employed people in the primary sector, including agriculture, is decreasing. The country’s GDP is on a steady upswing, while inflation seems to recover and level off at around 5 percent for now. Bangladesh is, after all, one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

Unemployment Rate in Bangladesh increased to 4.70 percent in 2024 from 4.20 percent in 2023. This dataset provides - Bangladesh Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Graph and download economic data for Employment to Population Ratio for Bangladesh (SLEMPTOTLSPZSBGD) from 1991 to 2024 about Bangladesh, employment-population ratio, employment, and population.

Bangladesh BD: Employment To Population Ratio: National Estimate: Aged 15-24: Male data was reported at 47.214 % in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 49.000 % for 2017. Bangladesh BD: Employment To Population Ratio: National Estimate: Aged 15-24: Male data is updated yearly, averaging 51.060 % from Dec 2006 (Median) to 2022, with 6 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 65.320 % in 2006 and a record low of 47.214 % in 2022. Bangladesh BD: Employment To Population Ratio: National Estimate: Aged 15-24: Male data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bangladesh – Table BD.World Bank.WDI: Employment and Unemployment. Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed. Employment is defined as persons of working age who, during a short reference period, were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period (i.e. who worked in a job for at least one hour) or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangements. Ages 15-24 are generally considered the youth population.;International Labour Organization. “Labour Force Statistics database (LFS)” ILOSTAT. Accessed January 07, 2025. https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/.;Weighted average;The series for ILO estimates is also available in the WDI database. Caution should be used when comparing ILO estimates with national estimates.

Graph and download economic data for Youth Unemployment Rate for Bangladesh (SLUEM1524ZSBGD) from 1991 to 2024 about Bangladesh, 15 to 24 years, unemployment, and rate.

Key information about Bangladesh Labour Force Participation Rate

• Bangladesh Labour Force Participation Rate dropped to 61.7 % in Dec 2023, compared with 61.9 % in the previous year.
• Bangladesh Labour Force Participation Rate is updated yearly, available from Dec 1990 to Dec 2023, with an average rate of 58.1 % .
• The data reached the an all-time high of 61.9 % in Dec 2022 and a record low of 56.1 % in Dec 2016.
• Bangladesh Labour Force Participation Rate is reported by reported by CEIC Data.
• In the latest reports, Bangladesh Population reached 169.3 million people in Jun 2021.
• Unemployment Rate of Bangladesh increased to 5.3 % in Dec 2020.

In 2024, the youth unemployment rate in Bangladesh increased by 0.6 percentage points (+5.51 percent) compared to 2023. In total, the youth unemployment rate amounted to 11.46 percent in 2024. This increase was preceded by a declining youth unemployment rate.The youth unemployment rate refers to the share of the economically active population aged 15 to 24 currently without work but in search of employment. The youth unemployment rate does not include economically inactive persons such as the long-term unemployed or full-time students.Find more key insights for the youth unemployment rate in countries like Bhutan and Pakistan.

Bangladesh youth unemployment rate for 2024 was 11.46%, a 0.57% increase from 2023.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Bangladesh youth unemployment rate for 2023 was <strong>10.90%</strong>, a <strong>0.09% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>Bangladesh youth unemployment rate for 2022 was <strong>10.99%</strong>, a <strong>1.46% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>Bangladesh youth unemployment rate for 2021 was <strong>12.44%</strong>, a <strong>0.85% decline</strong> from 2020.</li>
</ul>Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment.

Bangladesh: Unemployment rate: The latest value from 2023 is 5.06 percent, a decline from 5.25 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 6.99 percent, based on data from 178 countries. Historically, the average for Bangladesh from 1991 to 2023 is 3.88 percent. The minimum value, 2.2 percent, was reached in 1991 while the maximum of 5.83 percent was recorded in 2020.

Bangladesh LFS: Under Employment Rate data was reported at 2.400 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3.000 % for 2016. Bangladesh LFS: Under Employment Rate data is updated yearly, averaging 16.600 % from Jun 2000 (Median) to 2017, with 7 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 37.600 % in 2003 and a record low of 2.400 % in 2017. Bangladesh LFS: Under Employment Rate data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bangladesh – Table BD.G010: Labour Force Survey: Under Employment Rate.

Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Bangladesh was reported at 4.68 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Bangladesh - Unemployment, total - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Employment in services (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) in Bangladesh was reported at 43.85 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Bangladesh - Employment in services (% of total employment) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Key information about Bangladesh Unemployment Rate

• Bangladesh Unemployment Rate increased to 5.30% in Dec 2020, from the previously reported figure of 4.22% in Dec 2019.
• Bangladesh Unemployment Rate is updated yearly, available from Dec 1991 to Dec 2020, with an average rate of 3.94%.
• The data reached an all-time high of 5.30% in Dec 2020 and a record low of 2.20% in Dec 1991.
• The data is reported by reported by CEIC Data.
• In the latest reports, Bangladesh Population reached 169.31 million people in Jun 2021.

Bangladesh unemployment rate for 2024 was 4.68%, a 0.23% increase from 2023.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Bangladesh unemployment rate for 2023 was <strong>4.45%</strong>, a <strong>0.14% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>Bangladesh unemployment rate for 2022 was <strong>4.59%</strong>, a <strong>0.73% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>Bangladesh unemployment rate for 2021 was <strong>5.33%</strong>, a <strong>0.11% decline</strong> from 2020.</li>
</ul>Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.

In 2017, approximately **** percent of the labor force aged 15 to 24 years in Bangladesh were unemployed. This was an increase from 2008, in which *** percent of the labor force aged 15 to 24 years old were unemployed in Bangladesh.

Employment in industry (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) in Bangladesh was reported at 20.88 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Bangladesh - Employment in industry (% of total employment) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Bangladesh LFS: Employment Rate: Non-Agriculture data was reported at 55.580 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 54.600 % for 2022. Bangladesh LFS: Employment Rate: Non-Agriculture data is updated yearly, averaging 54.600 % from Jun 2000 (Median) to 2023, with 9 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 59.400 % in 2017 and a record low of 48.300 % in 2003. Bangladesh LFS: Employment Rate: Non-Agriculture data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bangladesh – Table BD.G004: Labour Force Survey: Employment and Employment Rate.

Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) in Bangladesh was reported at 59 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Bangladesh - Employment to population ratio, 15+, total - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Abstract

Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) has initiated the labor force survey on a quarterly basis, to measure the levels and trends of employment, unemployment and labor force in the country on a continuous basis. In the past, labor force surveys conducted at four-five yearly time intervals since 1980.

Detailed information on labor force characteristics has been collected from representative sample of 123 thousand households to produce gender disaggregated national and divisional level estimates with urban/rural/city corporation breakdown. The survey also provides quarterly representative results and sample size for each quarter was 30,816 households. The survey, along with the quantification of core variables, also estimates important attributes of literacy, migration, own use production of goods and own use provision of services, volunteer work, occupational safety and health etc. The estimates are profiled according to latest classifications viz Bangladesh Standard Industrial Classification (BSIC 2009 based on ISIC rev-4) and Bangladesh Standard Classification of Occupations (BSCO- 2012 in line with ISCO-2008).

The primary objective of the survey was to collect comprehensive data on the Labor Force, employment and unemployment of the population aged 15 or older for use by the Government, international organizations, NGOs, researchers and others to efficiently provide targeted interventions. Specific objectives of the survey: - Provide relevant information regarding the characteristics of the population and household that relate to housing, household size, female-headed households; - Provide detailed information on education and training, such as literacy, educational attainment and vocational training; - Provide relevant information on economic activities and the labor force regarding the working-age population, economic activity status and Labor Force participation; - Provide detailed information on employment and informal employment by occupation and industry, education level and status in employment; - Provide relevant information on unemployment, the youth labor force participation, youth employment, and youth unemployment; - Provide other information on decent work regarding earnings from employment, working hours and time-related underemployment, quality and stability of employment, social security coverage, and safety at work, equal opportunities; - Provide relevant information on non-economic activities, volunteer activities etc.

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

• Individual
• Household

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The quarterly Labor Force Survey questionnaire comprised of 14 sections:

Section 1. Household basic information Section 2. Household roster (members' basic information) Section 3. General education (for persons aged 5 years or older) & vocational training (for persons aged 15 years or older) Section 4. Working status (for persons aged 15 years or older) Section 5. Main activities (for persons aged 15 years or older) Section 6. Secondary activities (for employed persons aged 15 years or older) Section 7. Occupational safety and health within the previous 12 months (for persons aged 15 years or older) Section 8. Time-related underemployment (for employed persons aged 15 years or older) Section 9. Unemployment (for not employed persons aged 15 years or older) Section 10. Own use production of goods (for persons aged 15 years or older) Section 11. Own use provision of services (for persons aged 15 years or older) Section 12. Unpaid trainee/apprentice work (for persons aged 15 years or older) Section 13. Volunteer work (for persons aged 15 years or older) Section 14. Migration (for persons aged 15 years or older)

Cleaning operations

Editing and processing errors, several consistency checks were done, both manually and computerized program using CSPro; batch editing was done using Stata, to ensure the quality and acceptability of the data produced. The non-sampling error is to ensure high quality data, several steps were taken to minimize non-sampling errors. Unlike sampling errors, these errors cannot be measured and can only be overcome through several administrative procedures. These errors can arise as a result of incomplete survey coverage, frame defect, response error, non-response and processing errors such as during editing, coding and data capture.

Sampling error estimates

Sampling error is a result of estimating data based on a probability sampling, not on census. Such error in statistics is termed as relative standard error and often denoted as RSE which is given in percentage. This error is an indication to the precision of the parameter under study. In other words, it reflects the extent of variation with other sample-based estimates. Sampling errors of estimates on a few important variables at national levels are calculated separately as shown in the annex. For example, the labor force participation rate at the national level was 67.0 per cent with an RSE of 0.23 per cent and standard error (SE) of 0.16 per cent. At 95 per cent confidence interval (a = 0.05), the labor force participation rate was in the range of 66.69-67.31 per cent.