🇧🇩 Bangladesh

Bangladesh is one of the most remarkable development stories of the 21st century. A country of 170 million crammed into an area smaller than Iowa, it has a population density of over 1,200 people per square kilometer — the highest of any large country. GDP has grown to roughly $460 billion, and the garment industry has turned Bangladesh into the world's second-largest apparel exporter after China. Life expectancy, literacy, and child mortality have all improved dramatically — Bangladesh now outperforms India on several human development indicators despite lower per capita income. Dhaka is one of the most congested cities on earth, with average traffic speeds of 7 km/h.

Ready-made garments account for over 80% of export earnings, worth about $45 billion annually. The sector employs roughly 4 million workers, mostly women, and supplies brands like H&M, Zara, and Walmart. Remittances from 10+ million Bangladeshis working abroad bring in another $20 billion. GDP growth has averaged 6-7% over the past decade. The country's biggest economic risk is climate change — a 1-meter sea level rise would flood 17% of the country and displace 20 million people.

Bangladesh's Grameen Bank pioneered microfinance and won the Nobel Peace Prize — it's lent over $30 billion to 9 million borrowers, 97% of them women. The Sundarbans, shared with India, is the world's largest mangrove forest and home to the Bengal tiger. Bangladesh has more rivers than almost any country — over 700 crisscross the delta.

Bangladesh's growth trajectory is genuinely impressive, but climate vulnerability is an existential threat. Moving up the garment value chain and managing the climate crisis will define the next two decades.