Bangladesh, Nov. 9 -- Bangladesh's growing dependence on foreign borrowing is adding to the country's economic burden, with external debt reaching approximately $646 per person in 2025, exceeding the South Asian average of $564.

Although this does not represent an individual citizen's personal liability, the mounting debt is putting increasing pressure on public finances, as the government struggles with rising expenditure on salaries, pensions, subsidies and interest payments amid weak revenue collection.

According to the World Bank's International Debt Report 2026, released on November 5, Bangladesh's external debt stock reached $113.44 billion at the end of 2025, marking an 8.6 per cent increase from a year earlier.

The amount has ...