Bangladesh’s GDP growth slows to 2.22pc in Q3 FY26 as industry, services sector squeezed
Bangladesh’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth slowed to 2.22 per cent in the third quarter (Q3) January-March of the financial year 0f 2025-26, down from 4.53 per cent in the corresponding quarter of the then previous fiscal year, according to provisional data published by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) on Monday.
The latest quarterly Gross Domestic Product (QGDP) estimates show that GDP at current prices stood at Tk 15,391 billion in the January-March quarter, up from Tk 14,192 billion in the same period of FY25.
According to the provisional estimates, the economy grew by 4.96 percent in the first quarter and 3.03 percent in the second quarter of FY26 before slowing further to 2.22 percent in the third quarter.
Cumulatively, GDP growth during the first three quarters (July-March) stood at 3.63 percent, compared to 3.99 percent during the corresponding period of FY25.
The BBS data indicates mixed sectoral performance during the third quarter.
The sector-wise quarterly estimates showed that growth weakened across the economy during the third quarter, with the industry sector slipping into negative territory.
The industrial sector contracted 0.28per cent in the third quarter of FY2025-26, compared with 3.33per cent growth in the same period a year earlier.
Industrial growth stood at 6.82per cent in the first quarter and 1.27per cent in the second quarter of the current fiscal year, compared with 4.80per cent and 5.78per cent, respectively, in FY2024-25.
Growth in the services sector slowed to 3.52per cent in the third quarter, down from 7.32per cent in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal year.
The sector expanded by 4.51per cent and 4.45per cent in the first and second quarters of FY2025-26, respectively. In the same quarters of FY2024-25, services sector growth was 4.49per cent and 5.84per cent.
According to the BBS, agriculture sector growth at constant prices eased to 1.74per cent in the third quarter, compared with 4.61per cent in the corresponding quarter of FY2024-25.
However, the sector recorded stronger growth earlier in the current fiscal year, expanding 2.11per cent in the first quarter and 3.68per cent in the second quarter.
During the same period of the previous fiscal year, agriculture grew by -0.12per cent and 1.90per cent, respectively.
Bangladesh has been publishing quarterly GDP estimates regularly since FY24, while historical quarterly data from FY16 to FY23 have been generated through a backcasting method.
The BBS said the QGDP estimates were prepared in line with international standards to provide a more frequent assessment of economic performance and support policy planning.
