India and Bangladesh
The border, economic connections and human ties make the India-Bangladesh relationship extensive. Bangladesh's political change in 2024 affected dialogue. Border contacts in 2026 show a specific mechanism that does not in itself resolve all diplomatic differences.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07Neighborly relations and historical ties
The Indian annual report describes political, security, development and trade cooperation and cultural contacts.
The 2024 political change
The report records protests and the previous government's departure in Bangladesh in 2024.
Border dialogue and economic activity
The 2026 information reveals continuity of a practical channel despite a changing political environment.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 12,984.56 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / IND |
| Goods: India to Bangladesh | 11,251.04 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / IND |
| Goods: Bangladesh to India | 1,733.52 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / IND |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: India to Bangladesh | 2.52 % | 2025 · UN Comtrade / IND |
| Export share: Bangladesh to India | ||
| Investment stock: India in Bangladesh | ||
| Investment stock: Bangladesh in India |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / IND · Goods; full year; IND reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: India to Bangladesh
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / IND · Goods; full year; IND reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: Bangladesh to India
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / IND · Goods; full year; IND reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Export share: India to Bangladesh
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / IND · Goods share: IND exports to the partner / the same reporter's exports to the world, same year.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
| Indicator | India | Bangladesh |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 3.96 trillion USD2025 · WB | 456.32 billion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 2,702.48 USD2025 · WB | 2,597.34 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 7.57 %2025 · WB | 3.49 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 5.25 %2026-10-06 · RBI | |
| Inflation · annual average | 2.4 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 8.77 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 4.82 %provisionalprovisionalYear-on-year · Aug. 2026 · MoSPI | |
| Unemployment | 4.22 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 3.78 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -7.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -2.9 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 84.1 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 42 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | -0.42 %2025 · WB | -0.05 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 1,463,865,5252025 · WB | 175,686,8992025 · WB |
| Area | 3,287,260 km²2023 · BM / FAO | 147,570 km²2023 · WB |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDIndia: 2025 · World BankBangladesh: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personIndia: 2025 · World BankBangladesh: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)India: 2025 · World BankBangladesh: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)India: 2026-10-06 · RBI policy repo rate · Reserve Bank of India (RBI) · Access date for Current Rates; does not represent a new decision on 6 October. · Alternative official source; verified 2026-10-06
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)India: 2025 · Average annual CPI change (%) · World BankBangladesh: 2025 · Annual average CPI change (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedIndia: 2026-08 · Headline CPI change relative to the same month of the previous year (%) · MoSPI / Press Information Bureau, Government of India · Published: 2026-09-14 · provisional · Provisional · Combined rural and urban headline CPI, 2024 base; provisional MoSPI figure. Not food or wholesale inflation. Provisional figure or official advance release; subject to revision.
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionIndia: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.Bangladesh: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate; percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)India: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Bangladesh: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)India: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Bangladesh: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPIndia: 2025 · World BankBangladesh: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Population
- PeopleIndia: 2025 · World BankBangladesh: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceIndia: 2023 · Total area including inland waters; territorial coverage of the source · World Bank · FAOBangladesh: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
India to Bangladesh
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Mineral fuels and oils | 2,185.9 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 773.8 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 482.2 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 217.5 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 128.9 M USD2025 · Source |
Bangladesh to India
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 6.9 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 6.3 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 0 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 0 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 0 M USD2025 · Source |
Connections between people
Education, work, visits and community connections have their own records and procedures. Residents are not equivalent to annual arrivals, and visits may be repeated. The tables retain dates, definitions and sources to distinguish these connections from business contracts and government decisions. [2]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from India living in Bangladesh | ||
| Residents from Bangladesh living in India | ||
| Study and training: India in Bangladesh | ||
| Study and training: Bangladesh in India | ||
| Academic stays: India in Bangladesh | ||
| Academic stays: Bangladesh in India | ||
| Travel: India to Bangladesh | ||
| Travel: Bangladesh to India |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
Neighborly relations and historical ties
The Indian annual report describes political, security, development and trade cooperation and cultural contacts. The relationship has institutions and local connections beyond presidential meetings. People's movements, production networks and border crossings require their own rules. Historical importance does not eliminate the need to distinguish relationships between societies from decisions by current governments. [1]
The 2024 political change
The report records protests and the previous government's departure in Bangladesh in 2024. That government's visits are not presented as contacts by its successors or evidence of current political trust. Economic connections may continue under a different diplomatic framework. An annual statistic cannot by itself determine each authority's stance on pending matters. [1]
Coordination of border authorities
India's public broadcaster reported in 2026 on commitments to maintain peace and stability along the shared border. The mechanism involves border officials and has its own operational agenda. The statement proposes another meeting in Dhaka for November 2026; at the October cutoff it is planned, not completed. Crossing and security procedures do not amount to a trade treaty. [2]
The scale of the two economies
India recorded nominal GDP of 3956.1 billion USD in 2025, compared with 456.3 in 2025 for Bangladesh. The reference populations were 1463.87 million (2025) and 175.69 million (2025), respectively. In the same year, India's nominal GDP was 8.67 times Bangladesh's. The figures contextualize market size; they do not in themselves describe well-being, individual wealth or political influence. IMF estimates or demographic extrapolations retain their markings in the table. A ratio is not calculated when the periods do not match. [4] [5] [6] [7]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
Border dialogue and economic activity
The 2026 information reveals continuity of a practical channel despite a changing political environment. The 2025 customs table adds shipments in both directions without measuring diplomatic trust. Border contacts have specific officials and objectives, different from dialogue on migration, trade or Bangladesh's political development. [2]
Observed economic exchange
In 2025, recorded goods trade between India and Bangladesh totaled USD 12,984.6 million. India's shipments to Bangladesh were 11,251 million USD; those in the reverse direction were 1733.5 million USD. India's shipments to the partner represented 2.52% of its goods exports to the world, using the same year and reporting country. A single customs declaration is used for both directions. This annual flow does not include all services activity or subsidiaries' local sales and is not added to accumulated investment capital. [3]
Milestones and consequences
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Each figure retains its period, unit, definition and source. Announcements, contracts and results are not interchangeable. Empty cells do not mean zero. Customs data for 2025 are not presented as activity observed during later crises.
- Foreign affairs annual report 2024
Ministry of External Affairs of India · Institutional source · Document: 2025 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Dialogue on the shared border
Akashvani / India's public broadcaster · Institutional source · Document: 2026 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Annual TOTAL X/M; 2025; reporter 699; partners 0,392,36,784,682,376,364,50,524,144,360,704
UN Comtrade / IND · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-09-17
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-06
- SP.POP.TOTL; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 27; 2025; reporter 699; partners 392,36,784,682,376,364,50,524,144,360,704; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / IND · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 30; 2025; reporter 699; partners 392,36,784,682,376,364,50,524,144,360,704; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / IND · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 84; 2025; reporter 699; partners 392,36,784,682,376,364,50,524,144,360,704; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / IND · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 85; 2025; reporter 699; partners 392,36,784,682,376,364,50,524,144,360,704; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / IND · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 87; 2025; reporter 699; partners 392,36,784,682,376,364,50,524,144,360,704; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / IND · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade / IND
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 27; 2025; reporter 699; partners 392,36,784,682,376,364,50,524,144,360,704; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / IND
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 87; 2025; reporter 699; partners 392,36,784,682,376,364,50,524,144,360,704; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / IND
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 84; 2025; reporter 699; partners 392,36,784,682,376,364,50,524,144,360,704; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / IND
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 85; 2025; reporter 699; partners 392,36,784,682,376,364,50,524,144,360,704; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / IND
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 30; 2025; reporter 699; partners 392,36,784,682,376,364,50,524,144,360,704; X/M; annual goods.