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Last fiscal end showed a respite for Bangladesh's stressed economy with inflation little easing and third-quarter GDP growth a bit bettering, according to latest official statistics.
Yet, the overall rate of inflation in the last fiscal year (FY) 2024-25 was still on a double-digit trajectory notwithstanding a significant fall in the final month, June, the data unveiled Monday.
The 12-month average inflation rate was recorded at 10.03 per cent in the last fiscal, 0.03- percentage-point higher than that in the previous FY2024 and 1.01-percentage-point bigger than that in the FY2023, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) data showed.
Meanwhile, the point-to-point inflation rate last month was recorded lower at 8.48 per cent against 9.05 per cent in the previous month of May.
In June of the previous FY2024, the point-to-point inflation was 9.58 per cent.
According to the BBS count, the inflation rate on point-to-point basis last month was the lowest in 35 months.
About three years ago in July 2022, the country's inflation rate was lowest at 7.48 per cent.
Since August 2022, inflationary trend has been volatile as it even climbed to 11.38 per cent in November 2024--the highest over the last few years.
Officials of the bureau said "a cautious approach and prudent monitory policy" of the present interim government helped to mitigate the inflationary pressure.
The static and lower prices of many food items over the few months of the last fiscal year cooled down the consumer price index (CPI) which is already reflected in the month-on-month data, they point out.
The BBS officials hope for a further fall in inflation which would give a space to people in their daily livelihood cost.
Meanwhile, the government had pledged to bring down the moving average inflation rate of the last FY2025 to 9.0 per cent.
And it has set a target to douse the stiff inflation down to 6.5 per cent in the current FY2026 that just began this month of July, under the maiden budget crafted by the interim government.
According to the BBS, the inflation rate on a point-to-point basis in June was dragged down to 8.48 per cent by a significant fall in the food inflation.
The food-inflation rate calmed to 7.39 per cent in June from 8.59 per cent in May.
The non-food inflation also came down to 9.37 per cent in the past month from 9.42 per cent, the official statistics showed.
Inflation rate in urban areas was higher than in the rural areas last month.
In the towns, the point-to-point inflation rate was recorded at 8.94 per cent in June while that in rural Bangladesh 8.46 per cent.
The inflation rate in June 2025 fell below the 9.0-percent trajectory after 27 months.
In February 2023, the inflation rate was recorded at 8.78 per cent which increased to 9.33 per cent in the following month of March 2023.
Since March 2023, the inflation rate had not fallen behind 9.0-percent club trill May 2025, the BBS data showed.
The statistical bureau also published the Wage Rate Index (WRI) where it showed an 8.18-percent growth in June month on month.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh's economic growth in the 3rd quarter (Q3) of the just-past fiscal year was shown a bit better with a 4.86-percent growth over the previous two quarters.
In the Q1 and Q2 of FY2025, the gross domestic product (GDP) growth was recorded at 1.96 per cent and 4.48 per cent, according to the BBS data unveiled Monday.
The GDP growth in the Q3 of FY2024 was recorded at 4.62 per cent.
Meanwhile, the BBS in its provisional estimation has shown that Bangladesh's economy may grow at 3.97 per cent in the last FY2025 in view of some adversities at home and abroad.
In the previous FY2024, the country's GDP growth was recorded at 4.22 per cent.
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