A rapidly growing population

In 1900 the population of Bangladesh was around 29 million people. By 1950 it had grown only slightly to 38 million. But then things changed. Between 1950 and 2000 the population of Bangladesh increased with 92 million people to 130 million corresponding to a 341 percent increase. From 2000 to 2020 the population has increased with an additional 35 million people to 164 million.

Population of Bangladesh to peak in 2050

By 2050 the population in Bangladesh is expected to reach 202 million people and then decline to around 170 million people by 2100. 

Declining fertility rate

The main reason the population is expected to decline after 2050 is the relatively low fertility rate in Bangladesh with an average of 2.2 children per woman. The promotion of birth control in the 1980s is a key reason for this though as late as in the early 1990s, the fertility rate was still at 3.44.

Highest population density in the world

With 1,141 people per square kilometer, Bangladesh is the most densely populated country in the world, not counting city-states and small countries with populations under 10 million, such as Monaco and the Maldives.

Largest cities of Bangladesh

The largest city in Bangladesh is Dhaka with 9 million people followed by Chittagong with 2.6 million people.

A city of 58 million people!

By 2050 Dhaka is expected to be the second largest city in the world with 36 million people. By 2100, the population of Dhaka is expected to reach 58 million - roughly the same as the total current population of Italy or the combined populations of California and Florida. 

Poverty in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has one of the highest poverty rates in the world. An estimated 31 percent of the population of Bangladesh live below the national poverty line of US$2 per day.

Life expectancy

Life expectancy at birth in Bangladesh is 72.9 years for women, 70.3 years for men and 71.6 years for the whole population. The median age in Bangladesh is 26.7 years.
Size of the Bangladesh economy

Even though Bangladesh has the 8th largest population of the world’s countries, it is just the 45th largest economy with a GDP of $250 billion. Agriculture makes up 15 percent of the economy, industri 29 percent, and services 56 percent.

The working people of Bangladesh

Although it makes up less than 15 percent of the economy, most people in Bangladesh still earn their living from agriculture with rice and jute being the primary crops. Of an estimated labor force of 74.4 million people, 45 percent work in agriculture, 30 percent in the industrial sector, and 25 percent in the service sector.

Made in Bangladesh

The textile and clothing industries are the main drivers of economic growth in Bangladesh accounting for 77 percent of the country’s total exports of merchandise. In 2016 Bangladesh was the world's second-largest apparel producer and the second largest exporter of western fast fashion brands. About 60 percent of these exports go to Europe and about 40 percent to the US.

Criticism of the textile and clothing industries

The textile industry in Bangladesh has been criticised including for poor working conditions and heavy use of chemicals. The industry has also experienced a number of accidents and fires on factories killing and injuring hundreds of workers. In 2013, the minimum wage was set to $68 a month.

Environmental issues in Bangladesh

The most important environmental issues in Bangladesh include polluted drinking water and heavy air pollution. Drinking water has been found to be contaminated with many heavy metals, including arsenic, lead, cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury, nickel, and uranium.

Ecological footprint of Bangladesh

Bangladesh has an ecological footprint of 0.8 global hectares per person which is just 28 percent of the global average.