Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
Bangladesh is the second-largest apparel exporter in the world after China, holding a 7.9% share of the global market as of 2023
In the fiscal year 2022-23, Bangladesh earned $46.99 billion from readymade garment exports
The garment industry accounts for approximately 84.58% of Bangladesh's total export earnings
The garment industry employs approximately 4 million workers directly
While historically 80%, recent data suggests female participation in the RMG workforce has dropped to roughly 54-57%
The new minimum monthly wage for garment workers was set at 12,500 BDT ($113) effective from December 2023
Bangladesh has the highest number of LEED Green factories in the world, with 206 certified factories as of early 2024
Out of the top 100 LEED Green Factories globally, 54 are located in Bangladesh
There are 76 Platinum-rated LEED factories in Bangladesh, the highest category of certification
The European Union absorbs about 50% of Bangladesh’s total apparel exports
The USA is the single largest country destination for Bangladesh, taking approx 18-20% of total RMG exports
Bangladesh's RMG exports to non-traditional markets grew by 31.43% to $8.37 billion in FY23
Bangladesh imports approximately 9 million bales of raw cotton annually to feed its industry
The country relies on imports for 60% of its woven fabric requirements
Upon LDC graduation in 2026/2029, Bangladesh may face tariffs of nearly 12% in the EU without GSP+
Challenges, Raw Materials & Logistics
- Bangladesh imports approximately 9 million bales of raw cotton annually to feed its industry
- The country relies on imports for 60% of its woven fabric requirements
- Upon LDC graduation in 2026/2029, Bangladesh may face tariffs of nearly 12% in the EU without GSP+
- 99% of the required raw cotton is imported, costing over $3 billion annually
- Lead time for export from Bangladesh is typically 90-120 days, higher than competitors like Turkey (45-60 days)
- Logistics costs in Bangladesh are 20-30% higher than in competing countries like Vietnam
- Container congestion at Chittagong Port can delay shipments by 7-10 days during peak season
- Bangladesh imports over $1.5 billion worth of textile chemicals annually, mostly from China and India
- Energy shortages (gas crisis) in 2023 caused production drops of 20-40% in some textile zones
- The textile machinery market in Bangladesh is valued at over $4 billion, dominated by imports
- Waste management remains a challenge; only 5% of textile waste is currently recycled locally within the formal sector
- Infrastructure improvements (Padma Bridge) are expected to boost shipment speed from the southwest region by 15%
- Air freight is used for roughly 10% of shipments when maritime deadlines are missed, costing 3-5x more
- The new Patenga Container Terminal aims to handle 4.5 lakh TEUs annually to ease logistics pressure
- Almost 40% of the machinery in older factories is considered outdated, affecting energy efficiency
- Dependence on China for raw materials (fabrics, accessories) is approximately 45-50%, creating supply chain risks
- Interest rates on industrial loans have recently capped around 9-10%, impacting capital investment for modernization
- Due to gas price hikes in 2023, production costs increased by nearly 15% for textile millers
- The Single Country Verification (SCV) requirement by customs often delays release of raw material imports by 2-3 days
- Bangladesh plans to increase MMF (Man-Made Fiber) production capacity to reduce cotton volatility risks
Financial Performance & Export Data
- Bangladesh is the second-largest apparel exporter in the world after China, holding a 7.9% share of the global market as of 2023
- In the fiscal year 2022-23, Bangladesh earned $46.99 billion from readymade garment exports
- The garment industry accounts for approximately 84.58% of Bangladesh's total export earnings
- The RMG sector contributes roughly 10.35% to the national GDP of Bangladesh
- Knitwear exports stood at $25.73 billion in FY 2022-23, surpassing woven garments
- Woven garment exports earned $21.25 billion in the fiscal year 2022-23
- Bangladesh recorded a year-on-year export growth of 10.27% in the RMG sector for FY 2022-23
- The value addition in the knitwear sector is approximately 75% due to strong backward linkage
- The value addition in the woven sector is lower, estimated at around 45-50%
- Bangladesh aims to achieve a $100 billion export target for the RMG sector by 2030
- In January 2024 alone, RMG exports grew by 12.45% to $4.97 billion
- Bangladesh's share of the EU apparel market was 22.5% in 2023
- During July-April of FY23, RMG exports increased by 9.09% compared to the same period in the previous year
- Bangladesh's apparel exports to the UK reached $5.3 billion in FY 2022-23
- In FY23, export earnings from home textiles fell by 32.47% to $1.09 billion
- Bangladesh is the global leader in denim exports to the European Union, holding a significant market share
- The country earned $8.51 billion from apparel exports to the USA in FY23
- Export of cotton-based products accounts for nearly 70% of the total RMG export basket
- The average unit price of Bangladeshi apparel exports to the US rose by 11% in 2023
- Total exports of sweater items reached roughly $5.8 billion in recent fiscal years
Interpretation
Having quietly stitched itself into the world's wardrobe as the second-largest apparel exporter after China with a 7.9% global share and nearly $47 billion in RMG earnings that make up about 84.6% of national exports and more than 10% of GDP, Bangladesh, driven by strong knitwear performance with roughly 75% value addition versus about 45 to 50 percent in woven, denim dominance in the EU, rising unit prices to the US, and notable export gains, aims for $100 billion by 2030 but must diversify its product mix and reverse a steep 32 percent drop in home textiles if it wants that momentum to become long term, resilient prosperity.
Market Destinations & Product Diversity
- The European Union absorbs about 50% of Bangladesh’s total apparel exports
- The USA is the single largest country destination for Bangladesh, taking approx 18-20% of total RMG exports
- Bangladesh's RMG exports to non-traditional markets grew by 31.43% to $8.37 billion in FY23
- Japan is the largest non-traditional market for Bangladesh, with exports crossing $1.6 billion in FY23
- Exports to India surged by 41% crossing $1 billion in FY23, showing regional market integration
- Bangladesh holds a 14.5% share of the global denim market, surpassing China in the EU denim sector
- In the T-shirt segment, Bangladesh is the top exporter to Europe
- Diversification into Man-Made Fiber (MMF) is slow; roughly 74% of exports are still cotton-based vs the global average of 25%
- Exports to Australia grew by 42% in FY23, reaching $1.16 billion
- Bangladesh exports apparel to over 160 countries globally
- High-end value-added items (jackets, suits) currently make up less than 10% of the export basket
- The United Kingdom accounts for roughly 10-11% of Bangladesh's total garment exports
- Exports to Canada account for roughly 3% of the total, enjoying duty-free access
- Lingerie and intimate apparel exports are growing at 15% annually, marking a product diversification shift
- Bangladesh supplies roughly 15% of the total apparel imports of the UK
- Exports to South Korea grew by 22% in the last fiscal year
- Russia was a growing market ($600m+) but declined recently due to sanctions and war logistics
- Bangladesh has 520 active spinning mills aimed at reducing import dependency for the woven sector
- Kids' wear is emerging as a strong sub-category, growing at nearly 8-10% per annum
- Sportswear exports are valued at approximately $2 billion, targeting giants like Adidas and Puma
Interpretation
Bangladesh's garment industry is stitching together a global footprint with roughly 50 percent of apparel heading to the European Union and nearly 18 to 20 percent to the United States while parlaying a 14.5 percent share of the global denim market and top T shirt exporter status in Europe into growth across Japan, Australia, India and more than 160 countries, yet its cotton‑heavy mix of about 74 percent versus a 25 percent global MMF average and less than 10 percent in high‑end goods makes faster MMF adoption and a push up the value chain imperative even as fast‑growing niches such as lingerie at 15 percent annually, kidswear growing eight to ten percent and two billion dollars in sportswear offer viable diversification paths amid risks like the recent decline in Russia.
Sustainability, Safety & Compliance
- Bangladesh has the highest number of LEED Green factories in the world, with 206 certified factories as of early 2024
- Out of the top 100 LEED Green Factories globally, 54 are located in Bangladesh
- There are 76 Platinum-rated LEED factories in Bangladesh, the highest category of certification
- A Bangladeshi factory holds the highest LEED score in the world (97 out of 110)
- Since the Rana Plaza collapse in 2013, over 3,800 factories have been inspected for electrical, fire, and structural safety
- The RMG Sustainability Council (RSC) took over the operations of the Bangladesh Accord in 2020 to maintain safety standards
- Roughly 500 more factories are currently in the pipeline for LEED certification
- Bangladesh uses 98% less water in washing denim in its newest green factories compared to traditional methods
- The Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PaCT) program helped factories save 21.6 billion liters of water annually
- Over 80% of remediation work identified by the Accord/Alliance post-2013 has been completed across the industry
- Bangladesh aims to reduce carbon emissions in the RMG sector by 30% by 2030
- 40 out of the world’s top 100 green industrial projects are in Bangladesh's RMG sector
- The Circular Fashion Partnership in Bangladesh aims to recycle textile waste, with a potential $500 million market opportunity
- Post-industrial cotton waste (clip waste) in Bangladesh is estimated at 400,000 tonnes annually, ripe for recycling
- Bangladesh signed the ILO convention 138 on minimum age in 2022 to strengthen compliance against child labor
- The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety ceased operations in 2018 after training 1.6 million workers on safety protocols
- More than 1,200 safety committees have been formed in factories to monitor occupational health and safety (OHS)
- Chemical discharge compliance involves Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC), adopted by leading mills
- Green factories in Bangladesh report energy savings of roughly 40% compared to non-certified factories
- Social compliance audits (like BSCI, SMETA) are mandatory for 100% of Tier-1 export-oriented factories
Interpretation
By sewing together the world's most and highest scoring LEED factories, massive water and energy savings, widespread safety inspections and training, and bold recycling and emissions targets, Bangladesh's garment industry has become a global green and safety leader, but the real measure will be whether these certifications translate into durable worker protections and a true circular, low carbon economy.
Workforce, Employment & Wages
- The garment industry employs approximately 4 million workers directly
- While historically 80%, recent data suggests female participation in the RMG workforce has dropped to roughly 54-57%
- The new minimum monthly wage for garment workers was set at 12,500 BDT ($113) effective from December 2023
- The minimum wage increase in 2023 represented a 56.25% hike from the previous wage of 8,000 BDT set in 2018
- Approximately 60% of garment workers operate bank accounts or Mobile Financial Services (MFS) for wage digitization
- The gender pay gap in the sector is estimated at roughly 21%, according to ILO studies on the region
- Over 90 trade unions have been registered in the sector since 2013, though active collective bargaining remains a challenge
- The average age of a garment worker in Bangladesh is roughly 25 years old
- Nearly 90% of the RMG workforce migrates from rural districts to industrial hubs like Dhaka and Gazipur
- Grade 1 skilled workers in the new wage structure have a minimum wage set significantly higher than entry-level helpers
- Around 5-7% of the total workforce consists of mid-level management, often filled by foreign nationals due to local skill gaps
- Bangladesh has established a Workers’ Welfare Fund where 0.03% of export value is deposited
- The turnover rate in RMG factories is estimated between 3% to 5% per month
- Over 50% of RMG workers report having access to factory-based healthcare facilities
- Automation is predicted to displace about 60% of low-skilled jobs in the sector by 2041
- There are approximately 800,000 to 1 million workers employed specifically in the knitwear sub-sector
- Following the 2023 wage protests, over 100 factories were temporarily shut down due to labor unrest
- The number of active factories registered with BGMEA is approximately 2,300 out of a larger national pool
- Skill development centers run by BGMEA aim to train 10,000 workers annually to meet efficiency demands
- Worker efficiency in Bangladesh is roughly 40-45%, compared to 60-65% in China, indicating a productivity gap
Interpretation
With roughly four million workers, an average age of 25, and massive rural migration into hubs like Dhaka, Bangladesh’s garment industry is a lifeline that looks fragile: a politically charged 56 percent wage hike to 12,500 BDT and partial wage digitization for about 60 percent of staff sit beside a slipped female share now around 54 to 57 percent, an estimated 21 percent gender pay gap, limited collective bargaining despite over 90 unions, a tiny 0.03 percent export based welfare fund, 3 to 5 percent monthly turnover, over 800,000 knitwear jobs, spotty factory healthcare access for just over half of workers, reliance on foreign mid level managers, a productivity gap with China, and the looming risk that automation could wipe out roughly 60 percent of low skilled roles by 2041 unless training and protections are dramatically scaled up.
References
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