Employment in Bangladesh

Bangladesh: Employment was 71,915 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
71,915
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
8th
of 188 countries
All-time high
72,283
in 2023
All-time low
36,571
in 1991
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Employment in Bangladesh, 1991–2025

020.0k40.0k60.0k80.0k1991200820251991: 36.6k1992: 37.7k1993: 38.8k1994: 39.9k1995: 41.2k1996: 42.4k1997: 43.7k1998: 45.0k1999: 46.2k2000: 47.4k2001: 48.4k2002: 49.2k2003: 50.0k2004: 50.8k2005: 51.8k2006: 52.9k2007: 53.6k2008: 54.3k2009: 54.9k2010: 56.8k2011: 57.1k2012: 57.4k2013: 57.8k2014: 58.5k2015: 59.2k2016: 59.9k2017: 63.3k2018: 64.7k2019: 66.0k2020: 66.4k2021: 68.7k2022: 71.2k2023: 72.3k2024: 70.9k2025: 71.9k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for employment in Bangladesh is 71,915, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 21.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employment in Bangladesh peaked at 72,283 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 36,571, in 1991.

Bangladesh ranks 8th of 188 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.

Employment in Bangladesh, year by year

Annual values for Employment (ILO modelled estimates) in Bangladesh, 1991 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1991 36,571
1992 37,658 +3.0%
1993 38,765 +2.9%
1994 39,934 +3.0%
1995 41,161 +3.1%
1996 42,434 +3.1%
1997 43,690 +3.0%
1998 44,950 +2.9%
1999 46,211 +2.8%
2000 47,444 +2.7%
2001 48,418 +2.1%
2002 49,213 +1.6%
2003 49,954 +1.5%
2004 50,848 +1.8%
2005 51,752 +1.8%
2006 52,937 +2.3%
2007 53,648 +1.3%
2008 54,294 +1.2%
2009 54,917 +1.1%
2010 56,810 +3.4%
2011 57,066 +0.5%
2012 57,433 +0.6%
2013 57,807 +0.7%
2014 58,502 +1.2%
2015 59,198 +1.2%
2016 59,905 +1.2%
2017 63,256 +5.6%
2018 64,680 +2.3%
2019 66,050 +2.1%
2020 66,420 +0.6%
2021 68,674 +3.4%
2022 71,222 +3.7%
2023 72,283 +1.5%
2024 70,943 -1.9%
2025 71,915 +1.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 41,264 36,571 46,211 9
2000s 51,342 47,444 54,917 10
2010s 60,071 56,810 66,050 10
2020s 70,243 66,420 72,283 6

Countries ranked near Bangladesh

  1. 5 Nigeria 113,009 compare
  2. 6 Brazil 101,852 compare
  3. 7 Pakistan 80,542 compare
  4. 9 Russian Federation 71,459 compare
  5. 10 Japan 67,630 compare
  6. 11 Mexico 60,058 compare

See the full ranking of 276 places →

More work & labour data for Bangladesh

All data for Bangladesh →

Frequently asked questions

What is employment in Bangladesh?
Employment in Bangladesh was 71,915 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest employment recorded in Bangladesh?
The highest recorded value was 72,283 in 2023.
What is the lowest employment recorded in Bangladesh?
The lowest recorded value was 36,571 in 1991.
How does Bangladesh rank for employment?
Bangladesh ranks 8th out of 188 countries with data for 2025.
Is employment rising or falling in Bangladesh?
Over the last ten years it is up 21.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Employment in Bangladesh. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/employment-ilo-modelled-estimates/bangladesh/

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About this data

Indicator
Employment (ILO modelled estimates)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
276 places, 9,646 data points, 1991–2025
Last refreshed

Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The employed comprise all persons of working age who, during a specified brief period, were in one of the following categories: a) paid employment (whether at work or with a job but not at work); or b) self-employment (whether at work or with an enterprise but not at work). Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.