Credit card spending sees a decline at home and abroad in February

 
Credit card transactions by Bangladeshi nationals abroad and foreign nationals within Bangladesh witnessed a notable decline in February compared to the previous month, according to the latest report from the Bangladesh Bank.

The central bank’s data shows that Bangladeshi cardholders spent Tk 377 crore abroad in February, a Tk 86 crore drop from the Tk 463 crore recorded in January, according to UNB report. 

Among international destinations, the United States remained the top location for spending, accounting for Tk 54.03 crore. This was followed by Thailand (Tk 50.04 crore), Singapore (Tk 32.04 crore), and the United Kingdom (Tk 30.04 crore).

Other significant spending was recorded in Saudi Arabia, Tk 28 crore, India, Tk 25 crore, Malaysia, Tk 23 crore, and the Netherlands, Tk 17 crore, while Australia, the UAE, Ireland, and other countries accounted for the remainder.

A similar downward trend was observed among foreign nationals using credit cards within Bangladesh. Spending by foreigners dropped to Tk 266.06 crore in February, down from Tk 344.04 crore in January�"a Tk 78 crore decrease in a single month.

US citizens were the highest spenders in Bangladesh, totaling Tk 86.09 crore. They were followed by citizens of Mozambique, Tk 35 crore, the United Kingdom, Tk 24 crore, and Australia, Tk 9.06 crore.

Domestic credit card usage also saw a contraction. Transactions within the country fell by Tk 298 crore, sliding from Tk 3,720 crore in January to Tk 3,422 crore in February.