Bangladesh has made remarkable success in achieving steady economic growth over the last few decades, with an approximate one percentage point increase every decade since the 1980s. Average real GDP growth over the last five years has been above 6%, which is much higher than average growth rate of all developing countries (4.7%). At the beginning of 2015, per capita income crossed the threshold of $1,046 and made Bangladesh a lower-middle income country. In 2017, per capita income had risen to $1,514 .

The period of political confrontation in 2012-2013 led to a slowdown in growth. Production and distribution chains were disrupted by frequent and long spells of general strikes and country wide blockades; the service and manufacturing sectors were the hardest hit. The terrorist attack in 2016 in Dhaka also stalled economic activity, particularly the inflow of Foreign Direct Investment. Recurrent floods have damaged crops, livelihoods and the economy. The Rohingya crisis continues to strain local (district) and domestic resources. Nonetheless, Bangladesh continues to demonstrate considerable resilience given its capacity to absorb shocks and move forward.