Wealth and income in Bangladesh remain heavily concentrated among a small elite, with the richest 10% holding 58% of total wealth and the top 1% alone controlling nearly one-quarter, according to the Global Inequality Report 2026 from the Paris School of Economics. By contrast, the bottom 50% of Bangladeshis collectively own just 4.7% of national wealth.
The income picture is similarly skewed: the top 10% capture about 41% of national income, while the bottom half share only 19%. Inequality has scarcely budged over the past decade; the gap between the richest and poorest narrowed only marginally from 22 to 21 (2014–2024), the report notes.
Measured at purchasing power parity, Bangladesh’s average annual per-capita income is €6,100 (≈৳873,154), and average wealth per adult stands at €30,000 (≈৳4,294,200). The study also highlights persistent gender gaps, with women’s labor force participation at just 22.3%, indicating a structural drag on inclusive growth.
Despite rapid economic transformation, overall inequality in Bangladesh shows “no major change,” the report concludes, urging stronger policy action to balance income and wealth distribution. Globally, it finds three-quarters of personal wealth is held by the wealthiest 10%, including 37% by the top 1%, underscoring an entrenched concentration of assets worldwide.