The recent World Bank International Debt Report 2026 reveals that every Bangladeshi now carries about $646 of foreign debt on paper, that is, the country’s per capita external debt. The country’s external debt stood at $113.44 billion at the end of 2025. This is 8.6 percent more than the previous year, and nearly triple the 2015 total of $38.77 billion.
The World Bank report also shows that Bangladesh’s external debt per person exceeds South Asia’s average of about $564, although it is higher than the amount in some neighbouring countries and lower than in others. These figures, however, should be read carefully because countries differ in income, population, foreign exchange earnings, interest rates, repayment schedules, and…