The rate of poverty worsened to nearly 28 per cent over the past three years, with food alone now accounting for almost 55 per cent of a household鈥檚 monthly expenditure, according to a survey.
The rate of poverty aggravated to 27.93 per cent in May 2025 compared with that of 18.7 per cent in 2022, showed findings of the survey titled 鈥楾he state of the real economy: household realities and policy options towards strengthening economic democracy鈥�.
With income inequality widening, food alone accounts for about 54.9 per cent of a household鈥檚 monthly expenditure, followed by costs for medical 7.5 per cent, education 7.29 per cent and transport 6.4 per cent.
The survey observed that poverty as well as vulnerability due to indebtedness, chronic diseases, food insecurity and disguised unemployment had plagued the majority of households amid political and economic uncertainties one year since the July uprising and before the country鈥檚 graduation from the least developed countries鈥� bloc.
The July uprising ousted the authoritarian Awami League regime on August 5, 2024. Bangladesh is scheduled to be graduated to a developing country in November 2026.
The Power and Participation Research Centre, a research and policy advocacy organisation, conducted the survey commissioned and participated by 8,067 households across all 64 districts.
Asked, Mustafa K Mujeri, executive director of research organisation Institute for Inclusive Finance and Development, said that it was very difficult to expect a positive economic outlook amid high inflation prevailing over the past three years, a massive devaluation of the local currency and investment inertia until the holding of the next national election.
鈥楳any may raise questions about the accuracy of numbers, but they cannot ignore the findings of growing poverty, rising unemployment and deteriorating food security,鈥� he said, referring to the survey.
According to the survey, about 19.8 per cent of households reported that they were facing financial crisis in the past one year, with highest 67.4 per cent for medical expense and 27 per cent for loan repayment.
The survey findings released at a function in the聽 capital Dhaka on Monday also said that 18 per cent of the households surveyed were staying at a vulnerable zone because of growing burden of chronic illness such as high blood pressure, gastric, diabetes and heart disease.
Borrowing to meet the food and medical costs indebted 40 per cent of households with bottom 4 per cent population experienced a net 7 per cent increase in debt over the past six months.
The insufficient food security left 12 per cent poor skipping meals and nearly 9 per cent passed a day without food in the past month, said the survey.
Funded by a finance ministry project, the survey captured how families were navigating income, employment, expenditure, financial resilience and digital participation in mid-2025, said PPRC chairman Hossain Zillur Rahman.
While presenting the multidimensional survey focusing on income, employment, expenditure, financial capacity, safety net programme, remittance, digital stake, trends of concern and mood at household level one year since the July uprising, concerns, aspirations and optimism, the PPRC chairman said that they also focused on harassment and bribery to know the people鈥檚 concerns and ground realities.
The highest 41.5 per cent of households faced harassment at market place, 21.6 per cent in government services, 17.9 per cent on streets and 15.3 per cent at workplace.
The highest 74.6 per cent of harassment was linked to 鈥榥othing works without money鈥�.
Bureaucratic hassle, lack of clear service path, delays in decision, inattentive officials, greedy attitude and lack of ethics were the other forms of harassment.
Regarding bribery, the study said that about 8.54 per cent expressed willingness to provide data on the issue before August 2024 and only 3.69 per cent after August 2024.
The PRRC comparative picture showed that payment of bribe to local thugs by households increased to 16.11 per cent after August 2024 from previous 12.71 per cent and 33.13 per cent to political leaders and activists from previous 24.98 per cent, 39.37 to police from previous 31.77 per cent and 8.96 per cent to court from previous 7.73 per cent.
Bribing the government office decreased to 46.76 per cent from previous 52.34 per cent and local government representative to 13.22 per cent from 28.81 per cent, said Hossain Zillur, adding 57.65 per before August 2024 and 52.08 per cent after August 2024 had to pay bribe for faster service delivery and 33.19 per cent before August 2024 and 30.96 per cent after August 2024 for fear.
鈥楩ear still persists,鈥� said the PPRC chairman, adding that focusing only on macroeconomic issues was not enough to know actual status of the people of the country.
Terming unemployment the central fault line, the PRRC chairman described that the country was facing an employment emergency as 38 per cent of those counted as employed were underemployed, working less than 40 hours a week.
Female labour force participation is stuck at 26 per cent and the female-headed households, a quarter of whom are in the poorest decile, has faced double disadvantage and nearly half of all workers are self-employed, he said, urging to establish a joint task force by public and private parties to deal with the employment situation.
The PPRC chairman also urged to increase social security programme and introduce a special package on chronic diseases.
The survey said that about 74 per cent of households with 80 per cent of youth were using smartphones.
The survey findings regarding national mood showed both divides and determination.
While 62 per cent of the richest households expressed optimism about the future, a third of the poorest reported outright pessimism.
However, a majority or 54 per cent remains cautiously hopeful for a corruption-free society with education, employment and good health despite voicing deep concerns about inflation, unemployment and governance.