Workers in Bangladesh may lose 24 work days a year in extreme heat, report warns

Highlights:

• Bangladesh lost $24bn to heat-related productivity in 2024
• Heat stress could erase nearly 24 workdays by 2030
• Report urges integrated climate, health and labour reforms

Bangladesh is expected to remain among the world's most heat-exposed countries over the coming decades, exposing agriculture and construction workers to loss of 23.75 working days annually by 2030 because of heat stress, says a new global report released today (19 July).

Apart from cutting workers' incomes, heat impact could lead to rising healthcare costs amid limited social protection, driving millions of households deeper into financial hardship in Bangladesh, India and Nigeria, according to the report published by adelphi global, a Berlin-based independent think tank for environmental and development policy research and analysis.

The report, "Heat, Health and the Increasing Costs of Living – A Call for Action", analyses link between heat, health and cost of living in eight countries with different contexts: Bangladesh, Brazil, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Nigeria and South Africa. 

 Across all sectors, annual working-hour losses are projected to increase from 4.24% to 4.84%, translating into lower earnings for millions of workers, particularly those in the informal economy who lack paid leave, health insurance and income protection, the report projects about Bangladesh. 

 It also highlights Bangladesh's heavy reliance on out-of-pocket healthcare spending. In 2023, 79.3% of total health expenditure – up from 62% in 2002 – was paid directly by households—one of the highest shares among the countries studied.  

Annual per capita out-of-pocket medical spending has surged by more than 830% since 2000, adding to the financial pressure on families already facing climate-related income losses.

"As heat intensifies in the future and related health expenditures are expected to rise, Bangladesh's heavy reliance on private out of pocket spending is likely to increase the financial burden of individual households," reads the adelphi global report.

Already, Bangladesh and Nigeria have high shares of medical out-of-pocket expenditures between 72% and 79%, while Brazil, India, Indonesia and Italy have reduced dependencies on medical out-of-pocket expenditures between 22% and 44%. France and South Africa have low dependency on medical out-of-pocket expenditures of 7- 9%, the report says. 

183-239 days above 30°C annually in coming years

Most parts of Bangladesh are projected to face high to very high humidity-based heat risk between 2020 and 2039, with 183 to 239 days each year exceeding 30°C in many areas.

During extreme heatwaves, productivity losses in some sectors could reach 50%, posing a growing threat to livelihoods and economic stability.

The report warns that the impacts are particularly severe because Bangladesh's labour market is dominated by informal employment. Nearly all women employed in agriculture work informally, while informal employment also remains widespread across construction and other heat-exposed sectors. Without adequate social protection, every lost working hour directly translates into lost income.

Integrated climate, health and labour reform urged

Beyond households, extreme heat is imposing a significant economic cost on the country. Bangladesh lost an estimated $24 billion in labour income and productivity in 2024 due to extreme heat, equivalent to around 5% of GDP, the report says, quoting the latest Lancet Countdown. 

Recurring power outages due to insufficient infrastructure already increase the heat exposure of people working or being inside such as in factories or residential homes in Bangladesh, it adds, referring to another survey and citing data that parts of Bangladesh saw outages for even 10 hours a day during a heatwave in April this year .

The report says Bangladesh can no longer treat climate adaptation, public health and labour protection as separate policy issues. Instead, it calls for an integrated approach that prioritises people within the country's climate adaptation strategy.

Its recommendations include strengthening public healthcare systems to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses, expanding social and labour protections for workers exposed to extreme heat, integrating heat-related health risks into national climate adaptation plans, and mobilising climate finance for health and worker protection.

As heatwaves become more frequent and prolonged, the report concludes that protecting public health and safeguarding household incomes must become central to Bangladesh's climate adaptation and development agenda.