bangladesh on World Bank's red list: Position unchanged for two years

According to a recent report by the World Bank, Bangladesh's name has once again appeared on the red list of countries at high risk of food inflation. Bangladesh has been in this red category for almost two years. The recently released World Bank's updated data highlights the food security situation of various countries around the world, where the organization publishes this analysis every six months.

The report says that this list is prepared considering the food inflation rate of 10 to 12 months. Along with Bangladesh, 14 other countries are in the red category. The countries are: Congo, Angola, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Madagascar, Ghana, India, Laos, Lesotho, Tunisia, Zambia, Belarus and Russia.

The World Bank has divided countries into four categories according to the rate of food inflation. Countries where food inflation is 30 percent or more are in the 'purple category'; If the inflation rate is between 5 and 30 percent, the country is placed in the 'red category'. If it is between 2 and 5 percent, it is included in the 'yellow category' and if it is less than 2 percent, it is included in the 'green category'.

This year's report highlights the food inflation of a total of 172 countries. It shows that although the prices of agricultural products and grains have decreased by 4 to 8 percent in the world market since February, there is a risk of price increases in the future due to supply shortages and weather conditions. In particular, the price of corn has reached its highest level in 15 months. On the other hand, the price of rice has fallen to its lowest level in two years due to reduced demand in the world market.

Eight countries are in the best position in terms of food inflation. The countries in the green category are: Switzerland, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, Macau, China, France, Finland and Benin. On the contrary, six countries are in the purple category with the highest food inflation: Malawi, South Sudan, Haiti, Myanmar, Argentina and Turkey.

Analysis of the situation in Bangladesh shows that the country has been experiencing high inflation for almost three years. Especially in the last one year, the food inflation rate has been very high. Food inflation has been above 10 percent for 10 consecutive months. In February 2024, food inflation fell below 10 percent for the first time, and in March it remained in single digits. However, before that, food inflation had been in double digits continuously since March last year. Especially in July 2024, food inflation reached 14.10 percent, which is the highest in the last 13 years.

According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the average food inflation rate from April 2024 to March 2025 stood at 10.44 percent.

Analysts say that high food inflation is having a direct negative impact on the lives of the country's lower and middle class. Although food prices have decreased slightly in the international market, they are not having much of an impact on the domestic market, which could increase food security risks in the long term.