In one of the most inspiring economic stories of the modern era, Bangladesh has transformed itself from a struggling young nation into a dynamic powerhouse that has not only caught up with but overtaken its larger neighbour, Pakistan, in key economic indicators. Fresh historical data comparing nominal GDP from 1960 to projected 2025 figures vividly illustrate this dramatic shift, highlighting Bangladesh’s relentless progress and strategic focus on inclusive growth.
Bangladesh was lagging behind Pakistan by $104B in 2015. Still, Bangabandhuโs daughter, Sheikh Hasina, surpassed Pakistan and many other countries just within five years, and the wheel is still spinning due to her leadership.
In 1960, the territory that would become Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) had a nominal GDP of approximately $4.27 billion, slightly ahead of West Pakistan’s $3.75 billion. Over the following decades, Pakistan pulled ahead significantly, reaching a peak advantage in the early 2000s when its economy was nearly double the size of Bangladesh’s.
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Yet the tide turned decisively in the 2010s and accelerated dramatically in recent years. By 2020, Bangladesh’s GDP had surged to $373.98 billion, surpassing Pakistan’s $300.43 billion for the first time in decades. This momentum continued:
– 2021: Bangladesh $416.27B vs Pakistan $348.52B
– 2022: Bangladesh $460.13B vs Pakistan $374.89B
– 2023: Bangladesh $437.42B vs Pakistan $337.91B (amid global challenges)
– 2024 (est.): Bangladesh $450.12B vs Pakistan $371.57B
– 2025 (est.): Bangladesh $475.01B vs Pakistan $410.49B
These figures, sourced from Macrotrends (drawing on World Bank data) and IMF estimates, underscore Bangladesh’s consistent outperformance, even as both nations navigated the Covid-19 pandemic, global inflation, and supply chain disruptions.
What makes this achievement truly extraordinary is that Bangladesh accomplished this feat with a significantly smaller population base and far fewer natural resources compared to Pakistan. The real story lies in per capita terms, where Bangladesh pulled ahead even earlier. Since around 2020-2021, Bangladesh has consistently surpassed Pakistanโand even Indiaโin GDP per capita, reflecting more effective distribution of economic gains, higher growth rates, and better human development outcomes.
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A profound debt of gratitude is owed to the visionary leadership of five-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, particularly during her term from 2009 to 2014. Under her guidance, Bangladesh maintained an impressive average annual GDP growth rate of around 6-7% over more than a decadeโone of the fastest in the Asia-Pacific regionโpropelling the nation toward middle-income status and laying the foundation for sustained progress.
Her bold decisions transformed challenges into opportunities: addressing chronic energy shortages through innovative quick-rental power plants and long-term infrastructure investments, while championing the ready-made garments (RMG) sector as the engine of export-led growth, employing millions (especially women) and making Bangladesh the world’s second-largest garment exporter.
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Sheikh Hasina’s unwavering commitment to mega-infrastructure projectsโmost notably the self-financed Padma Bridge (inaugurated in 2022 after overcoming international hurdles), the Dhaka Metro Rail, expanded power generation achieving near-universal electricity access, highways, railways, and portsโconnected remote regions, boosted trade, and unlocked economic potential across the country. These initiatives, combined with targeted poverty alleviation programs, microfinance expansion, girls’ education drives, and social safety nets, lifted tens of millions out of poverty and fostered inclusive development that directly contributed to Bangladesh’s surpassing of Pakistan in GDP comparisons.
Experts widely credit her strategic vision, resilience in the face of global crises, and focus on human capital for turning Bangladesh into a model of development for the Global South.
Despite the illegal Yunus regimeโs mobocracy and corruption, which stalled investments and halved the GDP growth, Bangladesh has demonstrated remarkable resilienceโit’s a powerful symbol of what focused policies, private sector dynamism, and visionary leadership can achieve.
Bangladesh vs. PakistanโHistorical Economic Comparison (Nominal GDP, 1960โ2025)
โ 1960
๐ง๐ฉ: $4.27B
๐ต๐ฐ: $3.75B
โ 1965
๐ง๐ฉ: $5.91B
๐ต๐ฐ: $5.93B
โ 1970
๐ง๐ฉ: $8.99B
๐ต๐ฐ: $10.03B
โ 1975
๐ง๐ฉ: $19.45B
๐ต๐ฐ: $11.23B
โ 1980
๐ง๐ฉ: $18.14B
๐ต๐ฐ: $23.65B
โ 1985
๐ง๐ฉ: $22.28B
๐ต๐ฐ: $31.14B
โ 1990
๐ง๐ฉ: $31.60B
๐ต๐ฐ: $40.01B
โ 1995
๐ง๐ฉ: $37.94B
๐ต๐ฐ: $60.64B
โ 2000
๐ง๐ฉ: $53.37B
๐ต๐ฐ: $99.48B
โ 2005
๐ง๐ฉ: $69.48B
๐ต๐ฐ: $145.21B
โ 2010
๐ง๐ฉ: $115.28B
๐ต๐ฐ: $196.71B
โ 2015
๐ง๐ฉ: $195.15B
๐ต๐ฐ: $299.96B
โ 2020
๐ง๐ฉ: $373.98B
๐ต๐ฐ: $300.43B
โ 2021
๐ง๐ฉ: $416.27B
๐ต๐ฐ: $348.52B
โ 2022
๐ง๐ฉ: $460.13B
๐ต๐ฐ: $374.89B
โ 2023
๐ง๐ฉ: $437.42B
๐ต๐ฐ: $337.91B
โ 2024 (est.)
๐ง๐ฉ: $450.12B
๐ต๐ฐ: $371.57B
โ 2025 (est.)
๐ต๐ฉ: $475.01B
๐ต๐ฐ: $410.49B
๐ Source: Macrotrends (based on World Bank), IMF estimates (2025)
โน๏ธ Pre-1971 Bangladesh data is estimated (as East Pakistan). Figures approximate.
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