Dhaka wages outpace inflation as price pressures ease

Wages of low-paid workers in Dhaka Division finally gained ground against inflation in July, offering a rare boost to workers’ purchasing power as Bangladesh’s overall price pressure eased sharply during the month, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

The general wage rate index in Dhaka rose 8.72 per cent year-on-year in July 2026, outpacing the division’s 8.24 per cent urban inflation rate by 0.48 percentage points. The performance stands in contrast to the national picture, where wage growth of 8.22 per cent remained below general inflation of 8.32 per cent.

The figures suggest that workers covered by the wage index in Dhaka saw a modest improvement in their real purchasing power, even as households across the country continued to grapple with elevated living costs.

Services emerged as the strongest driver of wage growth in Dhaka, with wages rising 9.30 per cent in July. Industry followed with an 8.63 per cent increase, while agricultural wages grew 8.62 per cent.

Dhaka outperformed the national wage-growth rate across all three sectors. Nationwide, wages increased by 8.39 per cent in services, 8.15 per cent in industry and 8.24 per cent in agriculture.

The Dhaka wage performance comes as Bangladesh’s inflationary pressure shows signs of easing. General point-to-point inflation fell to 8.32 per cent in July from 9.16 per cent in June, marking a significant monthly decline.

The 12-month moving average inflation rate also eased to 8.66 per cent during August 2025-July 2026, from 9.77 per cent in the preceding 12-month period.

Despite the improvement, the national wage picture remains challenging. With wage growth still below headline inflation nationally, many workers outside Dhaka continue to face pressure on their real incomes.
The latest BBS data also mark a major methodological change, with both the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Wage Rate Index (WRI) rebased to 2021-22.