Bangladesh: immigration

How many Rohingya refugees are in Bangladesh?

Bangladesh hosted 1,178,038 refugees at the end of 2025, up from 1,005,602 a year earlier, according to the UNHCR population statistics. Almost all are Rohingya from Myanmar, and UNHCR also counts 1,177,962 of them as stateless.

Most live in camps in Cox's Bazar district, and some have been moved to Bhasan Char island; the camps are run by the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner. The rise in 2025 reflects new arrivals and registration. UNHCR's Refugee Data Finder holds the same data, but blocked automated checks on 15 October 2026.

Official sources: UNHCR: population statistics API, Bangladesh as host · Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner · UNHCR: Refugee Data Finder

How many Bangladeshis seek asylum abroad?

92,441 asylum seekers from Bangladesh had claims pending around the world at the end of 2025, and 31,862 Bangladeshis were recognised as refugees in other countries, according to the UNHCR population statistics. A year earlier the figures were 108,131 and 28,473.

Pending claims are a stock of cases not yet decided, not the number of new applications made in a year, which receiving countries such as the UK and Italy publish themselves. UNHCR compiles the totals from host governments.

Official sources: UNHCR: population statistics API, Bangladesh as origin

How much money do Bangladeshis abroad send home?

Remittances from Bangladeshis working abroad reached US$3.75 billion in March 2026, the highest ever recorded in a single month, according to the national budget speech for 2026-27. The government pays a 2.5% cash incentive on remittances sent through legal channels.

Bangladesh Bank publishes monthly and yearly remittance totals by country; its site showed an automated-visitor check on 15 October 2026, so the full-year figure for 2025-26 is not quoted here. Money sent through informal hundi channels is not counted.

Official sources: Finance Division: Budget Speech 2026-27 (PDF) · Bangladesh Bank

What share of Bangladeshi households have a member abroad?

8.33% of households in Bangladesh had a member who had migrated abroad in 2022, and 2.25% one who had moved elsewhere within the country, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2022. The share with a member abroad was 9.09% in rural areas and 6.69% in cities.

The figure is a share of households, not a count of migrants. Annual departures of workers abroad are registered by the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training, which publishes country-wise overseas employment figures.

Official sources: BBS: HIES 2022 statistical highlights (PDF) · Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training

How many passports has Bangladesh issued?

The Department of Immigration and Passports had printed 3,44,76,230 machine-readable passports (about 34.5 million) and 36,27,099 machine-readable visas by 30 June 2026, according to its website.

The totals are cumulative since machine-readable passports were introduced, not a count of valid passports. The department now issues e-passports, applied for online, and its site lists visa types, fees and the rules for visas on arrival for foreign visitors. Bangladeshi numbers group digits in lakhs and crores, so 3,44,76,230 is 34,476,230.

Official sources: Department of Immigration and Passports

How many foreign-born people live in Bangladesh?

1.7%: that is the share of people born abroad in Bangladesh for 2024, according to the UN Population Division. In 2015 the figure was 0.9%. South Asia median: 1.6%; Bangladesh is 3rd highest of 6. Of 193 countries with 2024 data, 136th highest.

Are more people leaving Bangladesh than arriving?

According to the UN Population Division, net migration in Bangladesh was -402,100 in 2025. That is the highest since at least 2005. South Asia median: -197,712; Bangladesh is 5th highest of 6. World rank, highest first: 191st of 193.

How many refugees does Bangladesh host?

According to UNHCR, the number of refugees in the country in Bangladesh was 1.18 million in 2025. It is the top of the series, which starts in 2005. World rank, highest first: 5th of 169.

How many refugees come from Bangladesh?

The latest figure from UNHCR, for 2025, is 31,862. No year since 2005 has been higher. It is 3rd highest of 6 in South Asia, where the median is 19,940. Worldwide: 40th of 189.

How big are remittances in Bangladesh's economy?

The World Bank puts personal remittances received in Bangladesh at 7.4% of GDP in 2025. Its high point since 2005 was 2012, at 10.6% of GDP; its low point was 2017, at 4.6% of GDP. South Asia median: 7.4% of GDP; Bangladesh is 3rd highest of 5. World rank, highest first: 27th of 127.