BBS to release quarterly GDP data from 2024

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) has decided to release quarterly reports on the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) from 2024.

Besides, the BBS has completed the compilation of all necessary data related to the provisional and final estimation of the country’s 50 years GDP since independence.

The decision was made as part of meeting the conditions set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the $4.7 billion loan for Bangladesh.

After a meeting with the IMF delegation, BBS Director General (DG) Md Matiar Rahman revealed the information Tuesday.

“We are working to prepare and release the GDP data as per the directives issued by the Finance Division,” he said, adding that the division also instructed BBS to publish hard and soft copies of 50 years’ GDP data, quarterly GDP report and implement new method of consumer price index.

Rahman said, “Almost all South Asian countries publish quarterly report on GDP. We will publish GDP data quarterly from 2024.”

“We have informed the international lender about updating our consumer price index (CPI). The updated index would include data on 722 food and non-food items under 12 categories, instead of the current 412 items under eight categories,” he added.

“Now, 95 per cent countries across the world follow this method. The BBS will implement the new method of CPI from April and publish data from July of the next fiscal year,” he said.

Secretary of Statistics and Information Management Department Dr Shahnaz Arefin and senior officials of National Accounting Wing of BBS were present at the meeting.