Is Bangladesh A Third World Country?

It has been well-known for some time that Bangladesh has been a country with high poverty rates. As such, the government of Bangladesh has been working hard on strategies to improve living conditions in the country. So is Bangladesh a third-world country, or have these governmental efforts worked?

Bangladesh is no longer considered a third-world country, a low-income country, or an underdeveloped country. Bangladesh is on its way to becoming officially classified as a developing country; this status change has been put on hold so that the country can recover from the pandemic.

The country of Bangladesh has had to work tremendously hard to make the strides that it has, which shouldn’t be discounted. The government still needs to continue to expand and improve economic development in order to bring more people out of poverty and strife.

In this article you will find out:

Bangladesh has emerged from being a third-world country, based on the most modern definition of this concept. A third world label used to be used to refer to a country without allies, but the terminology was informally changed to classify a country as having low income opportunities, high poverty rates, and low quality of life among other factors.

Bangladesh has a very large population, despite the most recent figures stating population growth has actually decreased. In Bangladesh’s capital city Dhaka alone, there are 14 million people. The population is large because the birth rates and frequency of families expanding has been high comparatively in the country.

Is Bangladesh Developed, Developing, Or Underdeveloped?

Bangladesh was considered to be an underdeveloped country for many years, but has since grown into a developing country. Bangladesh as a country has a goal to become a developed country. They have implemented strong plans to achieve this goal, which is projected to be met by 2031.

Several projects have been planned in order for Bangladesh to improve its development, which by extension, creates more working opportunities for Bangladesh citizens in order to get these projects completed. The country is making efforts to improve transportation opportunities throughout the country, such as a new expressway, the building of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge, and railway systems.

All that said, there are still people in the country who lack access to basic necessities, including safe drinking water. Sanitation issues also cause distress for many in Bangladesh. Access to education for some is still a struggle, especially considering so much of the population is still young.

Is Bangladesh Low Income, Middle Income, Or High Income?

Bangladesh has fallen under low income status for many years. Since the designation of least developed country, or low income countries, was enacted, Bangladesh met that marker in 1975. It has been difficult for many countries to rise above that status, but Bangladesh has managed to.

Bangladesh has been able to improve income per capita rates throughout the country, helping the country move above low income status. Based on GNI, or gross national income, the income per capita threshold to meet was $1222 in 2019. Bangladesh surpassed this number with their income per capita being at $1827, and that number has since increased.

Poverty rates in Bangladesh are still high, and many improvements to quality of life and income opportunities still need to be made. However, it should be noted that over a period of about 15 years, Bangladesh managed to cut their poverty rates almost in half. As with every country, COVID-19 has had an impact on economic progress.

The Economy In Bangladesh

When Bangladesh first became an independent nation, one of the first moves by the new government caused some hiccups in economic and industrial innovation. These initiatives were led by people without adequate experience, causing some disruption in the economy. However, in the years since, Bangladesh’s government has been able to learn from past mistakes.

The government of Bangladesh has been working very hard to make moves towards economic diversification. As a result, there have been many successes towards making Bangladesh’s economy much more stable and healthy. There are several strategies that have been used to achieve this growth.

Agriculture has been the lifeblood of Bangladesh for many, many years, but the unreliability of such a sector has made it difficult for agriculture alone to both stabilize the economy and provide reliable income for workers. As such, the Bangladesh government understood that building industries based on accessible commodities was necessary, as can be seen with their burgeoning garment production.

Bangladesh has also made it a priority to improve the forestry industry, transportation, and the sewage, water, and electricity industries. Bangladesh is not home to much in terms of natural and mineral resources, but some of what Bangladesh does possess, such as coal and oil, has yet to be tapped into.

Remittances And The Bangladesh Economy

The remittance system also exists in Bangladesh, and not only helps citizens contribute to the economy, but it also helps families who lack access to income-generating opportunities. Essentially, people will move outside of Bangladesh in order to gain an education or earn income, much of which will be sent back to family members still living in Bangladesh.

Remittances can generate economic growth as the government is able to benefit from that influx of income coming into the country. This is a billion dollar earning system in Bangladesh, and the country has been touted as one of the highest earners in terms of remittance income.

This is a system that is regulated by the government, as the government actually tries to encourage people to become involved in remittance work. It is mutually beneficial for both the government to have more money coming into the country to convert into ways to help Bangladeshi citizens, but it also affords citizens to have another method of supporting their family.

Quality Of Life In Bangladesh

Bangladesh does not have a lot of urban areas, as this aspect of development has not been the highest priority. As such, many people in Bangladesh live in rural settlements. Within these rural settlements, it can be difficult for people to access or afford reliable electricity, food sources, and clean water. In urban areas, crime is a distressing issue for many.

Finding proper housing that is safe, warm, and has workable utilities such as electricity, sanitation, and water has been a concern for some living in Bangladesh. As discussed, poverty has decreased in the country, but some still have to deal with lack of access to basic needs. Bangladesh also has to deal with frequent cyclones, landslides, and other inclement weather conditions.

Women also face unique safety concerns, especially if caught dressing immodestly, such as punishment, kidnapping, and dealing with corrupt police. It is often recommended that women shouldn’t be outside alone at night. Female travelers aren’t often targets for violence, but the women who live in Bangladesh do have to deal with the anxiety of being potential targets.

Bangladesh is a beautiful country with diverse landscapes, but tourism is not a growing industry due to concerns around safe travels. Bangladesh can be a difficult country to travel around, though the country is working on improving transportation options. The biggest threat to tourists regarding crime would be pickpocketing and potential robbery. Some Bangladeshi citizens have to be cautious in order to avoid becoming victims of crime and corruption.

About Bangladesh

Bangladesh has a large indigenous and ethnic population, though it is estimated the majority of the population are native Bengali. The small percentage of the population that don’t identify as Bengali are members of various ethnic tribes, including Marma, Chakma, and Kuki. A large percentage of people in Bangladesh practice the Muslim faith, but some practice Hinduism or Buddhism, for example.

Bangladesh used to be considered a part of Pakistan as encompassed by British India. However, in 1971, Bangladesh was able to achieve independence and become its own freestanding country. Geographically, the country is nestled between parts of India.

The people of Bangladesh hold their customs and traditions very dear, and they are extremely family-oriented. Many people also observe traditional religious practices such as arranged marriages and established gender roles within families. Music and art are two very important aspects of Bangladesh culture, and portions of the population also enjoy sports such as football and cricket.

Final Thoughts

Is Bangladesh a third world country? Not anymore, thanks to various efforts made within the country to make strides towards modernization and economic stability. There are still portions of the country experiencing conflict and poverty, so the country still has a lot of work to do. The future of Bangladesh is very promising, and the country is on its way to become a developed nation.

There is still room for Bangladesh to grow in terms of income opportunities for its citizens by continuing to innovate and add new sectors and industries to the country. This will not only bring income into the country, but will give its citizens access to disposable income to cycle through the economy. There also needs to be opportunity for enhanced education and skill building to produce a capable workforce.

Human Development Index Ranking

HDI Rank	Country	Human Development Index (HDI)	Gross national income (GNI) per capita
1	Norway	1	66,494.00
2	Ireland	1	68,371.00
3	Switzerland	1	69,394.00
4	Hong Kong, China (SAR)	0.949	62,985.00
5	Iceland	0.949	54,682.00
6	Germany	0.947	54,682.00
7	Sweden	0.945	54,682.00
8	Australia	0.944	54,682.00
9	Netherlands	0.944	54,682.00
10	Denmark	0.94	58,662.00
11	Finland	0.938	48,511.00
12	Singapore	0.938	88,155.00
13	United Kingdom	0.932	46,071.00
14	Belgium	0.931	52,085.00
15	New Zealand	0.931	40,799.00
16	Canada	0.929	48,527.00
17	United States	0.926	63,826.00
18	Austria	0.919	56,197.00
19	Israel	0.919	40,187.00
20	Japan	0.919	42,932.00
21	Liechtenstein	0.917	131,032.00
22	Slovenia	0.917	38,080.00
23	Korea (Republic of)	0.916	43,044.00
24	Luxembourg	0.916	72,712.00
25	Spain	0.904	40,975.00
26	France	0.901	47,173.00
27	Czechia	0.9	38,109.00
28	Malta	0.895	39,555.00
29	Estonia	0.892	36,019.00
30	Italy	0.892	42,776.00
31	United Arab Emirates	0.89	67,462.00
32	Greece	0.888	30,155.00
33	Cyprus	0.887	38,207.00
34	Lithuania	0.882	35,799.00
35	Poland	0.88	31,623.00
36	Andorra	0.868	56,000.00
37	Latvia	0.866	30,282.00
38	Portugal	0.864	33,967.00
39	Slovakia	0.86	32,113.00
40	Hungary	0.854	31,329.00
41	Saudi Arabia	0.854	47,495.00
42	Bahrain	0.852	42,522.00
43	Chile	0.851	23,261.00
44	Croatia	0.85	28,070.00
45	Qatar	0.848	92,418.00
46	Argentina	0.845	21,190.00
47	Brunei Darussalam	0.838	63,965.00
48	Montenegro	0.829	21,399.00
49	Romania	0.828	29,497.00
50	Palau	0.826	19,317.00
51	Kazakhstan	0.825	22,857.00
52	Russian Federation	0.824	26,157.00
53	Belarus	0.823	18,546.00
54	Turkey	0.82	27,701.00
55	Uruguay	0.817	20,064.00
56	Bulgaria	0.816	23,325.00
57	Panama	0.815	29,558.00
58	Bahamas	0.814	33,747.00
59	Barbados	0.814	14,936.00
60	Oman	0.813	25,944.00
61	Georgia	0.812	14,429.00
62	Costa Rica	0.81	18,486.00
63	Malaysia	0.81	27,534.00
64	Kuwait	0.806	58,590.00
65	Serbia	0.806	17,192.00
66	Mauritius	0.804	25,266.00
67	Seychelles	0.796	26,903.00
68	Trinidad and Tobago	0.796	26,231.00
69	Albania	0.795	13,998.00
70	Cuba	0.783	8,621.00
71	Iran	0.783	12,447.00
72	Sri Lanka	0.782	12,707.00
73	Bosnia and Herzegovina	0.78	14,872.00
74	Grenada	0.779	15,641.00
75	Mexico	0.779	19,160.00
76	Saint Kitts and Nevis	0.779	25,038.00
77	Ukraine	0.779	13,216.00
78	Antigua and Barbuda	0.778	20,895.00
79	Peru	0.777	12,252.00
80	Thailand	0.777	17,781.00
81	Armenia	0.776	13,894.00
82	North Macedonia	0.774	15,865.00
83	Colombia	0.767	14,257.00
84	Brazil	0.765	14,263.00
85	China	0.761	16,057.00
86	Ecuador	0.759	11,044.00
87	Saint Lucia	0.759	14,616.00
88	Azerbaijan	0.756	13,784.00
89	Dominican Republic	0.756	17,591.00
90	Moldova	0.75	13,664.00
91	Algeria	0.748	11,174.00
92	Lebanon	0.744	14,655.00
93	Fiji	0.743	13,009.00
94	Dominica	0.742	11,884.00
95	Maldives	0.74	17,417.00
96	Tunisia	0.74	10,414.00
97	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	0.738	12,378.00
98	Suriname	0.738	14,324.00
99	Mongolia	0.737	10,839.00
100	Botswana	0.735	16,437.00
101	Jamaica	0.734	9,319.00
102	Jordan	0.729	9,858.00
103	Tonga	0.728	12,224.00
104	Libya	0.725	6,365.00
105	Uzbekistan	0.724	15,688.00
106	Bolivia	0.72	7,142.00
107	Indonesia	0.718	8,554.00
108	Philippines	0.718	11,459.00
109	Belize	0.718	9,778.00
110	Samoa	0.716	6,382.00
111	Turkmenistan	0.715	6,309.00
112	Venezuela	0.711	7,045.00
113	South Africa	0.709	12,129.00
114	Palestine	0.708	6,417.00
115	Egypt	0.707	11,466.00
116	Marshall Islands	0.704	5,039.00
117	Viet Nam	0.704	7,433.00
118	Gabon	0.703	13,930.00
119	Kyrgyzstan	0.697	4,864.00
120	Morocco	0.686	7,368.00
121	Guyana	0.682	9,455.00
122	Iraq	0.674	10,801.00
123	El Salvador	0.673	8,359.00
124	Tajikistan	0.668	3,954.00
125	Cabo Verde	0.665	7,019.00
126	Guatemala	0.663	8,494.00
127	Nicaragua	0.66	5,284.00
128	Bhutan	0.654	10,746.00
129	Namibia	0.646	9,357.00
130	India	0.645	6,681.00
131	Honduras	0.645	6,681.00
132	Bangladesh	0.632	4,976.00
133	Kiribati	0.63	4,260.00
134	Sao Tome and Principe	0.625	3,952.00
135	Micronesia	0.62	3,983.00
136	Lao People’s Democratic Republic	0.613	7,413.00
137	Eswatini	0.611	7,919.00
138	Ghana	0.611	5,269.00
139	Vanuatu	0.609	3,105.00
140	Timor-Leste	0.606	4,440.00
141	Nepal	0.602	3,457.00
142	Kenya	0.601	4,244.00
143	Cambodia	0.594	4,246.00
144	Cambodia	0.592	13,944.00
145	Zambia	0.584	3,326.00
146	Myanmar	0.583	4,961.00
147	Angola	0.581	6,104.00
148	Congo	0.574	2,879.00
149	Zimbabwe	0.571	2,666.00
150	Solomon Islands	0.567	2,253.00
151	Syrian Arab Republic	0.567	3,613.00
152	Cameroon	0.563	3,581.00
153	Pakistan	0.557	5,005.00
154	Papua New Guinea	0.555	4,301.00
155	Comoros	0.554	3,099.00
156	Mauritania	0.546	5,135.00
157	Benin	0.545	3,254.00
158	Uganda	0.544	2,123.00
159	Rwanda	0.543	2,155.00
160	Nigeria	0.539	4,910.00
161	Côte d’Ivoire	0.538	5,069.00
162	Tanzania	0.529	2,600.00
163	Madagascar	0.528	1,596.00
164	Lesotho	0.527	3,151.00
165	Djibouti	0.524	5,689.00
166	Togo	0.515	1,602.00
167	Senegal	0.512	3,309.00
168	Afghanistan	0.511	2,229.00
169	Haiti	0.51	1,709.00
170	Sudan	0.51	3,829.00
171	Gambia	0.496	2,168.00
172	Ethiopia	0.485	2,207.00
173	Malawi	0.483	1,035.00
174	Congo (Democratic Republic of the)	0.48	1,063.00
175	Guinea-Bissau	0.48	1,996.00
176	Liberia	0.48	1,258.00
177	Guinea	0.477	2,405.00
178	Yemen	0.47	1,594.00
179	Eritrea	0.459	2,793.00
180	Mozambique	0.456	1,250.00
181	Burkina Faso	0.452	2,133.00
182	Sierra Leone	0.452	1,668.00
183	Mali	0.434	2,269.00
184	Burundi	0.433	754.00
185	South Sudan	0.433	2,003.00
186	Chad	0.398	1,555.00
187	Central African Republic	0.397	993.00
189	Niger	0.394	1,201.00

Source: https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/human-development-index#/indicies/HDI