Bangladesh Population

Population now

171,617,045
  • World: 8th
  • Asia: 5th
Male:86,571,885(50.46 %)
Female:85,045,612(49.54 %)
Births in 2024:4,022,935
Deaths in 2024:1,379,859

Life expectancy & Rates (2024)

Male:72.16 years
Female:75.99 years
Total:73.95 years
Median Age:28.11 years
Birth Rate:16.21
Death Rate:5.56
Growth Rate:1.92 %
Fertility Rate:1.89

Population Data Graphs

  • Total population
  • Birth & Death rate
  • Life expectancy
  • Median Age
  • Population structure (mid 2024)
  • Urbanization

Bangladesh Population Review

The country of Bangladesh is located in South Asia in the Indian subcontinent. It is home to an estimated 164.8 million people spread over 147,570 square kilometers. The country sits on the Bay of Bengal and is crisscrossed by many rivers, making its rural lands rich and fertile. Around 62% of the country’s population—or 101 million people—live in rural areas and rely on agriculture or farming for income.

However, this number has dropped exponentially since the 1960s when almost 94% of the country’s population lived in rural areas. As major cities like Dhaka and Chattogram continued to develop, people were drawn to the cities in hopes of bettering their lives and the lives of their children. Unfortunately, like many developing nations, poverty continues to plague Bangladesh, its rural areas, and its cities.

Poverty in rural and urban areas

Much of Bangladesh’s population that live in rural areas lacks access to basic services like education, healthcare, and adequate roads. Thirty-five percent of the country’s rural population lives under the international poverty of $1.90 per day while the other 27% of the population is considered moderately poor. In urban areas, it’s estimated that about 21% of the population live below the poverty line. In general, those living in cities like Sylhet, Dhaka, Chittagong, and Khulna enjoy a better quality of life, including access to electricity, gas and clean drinking water.

The biggest contributor of poverty is the country’s fast growing population. The country’s current growth rate of 2.18% puts its population estimates at 192.5 million people by 2050. This growth rate puts huge pressure of the country’s resources—both natural and social—that leads to rural areas experiencing flooding and erosion, which in turn drives more people to the city. This contributes further to the cycle of poverty.

A country of children

Children make up almost 40% of the country’s population. The country has a birth rate of 17.55 and a fertility rate of 1.99, which means that more children continue to be born into uncertain situations. Unlike many developed nations, Bangladesh’s birth rate far outstrips its death rate of 5.52.

While Bangladesh has managed to achieve one of the world’s most rapid declines in infant mortality rates. In 1950, the country’s rate of death in infants below five was 228 per 1,000 children. That has now dropped to 24 per 1,000 children. Unfortunately, the rate of deaths in newborns is still high and as many as 1.7 million children are engaged in child labor.

One of the world’s most densely populated places

Bangladesh is the tenth most densely populated country in the world. Based on data from the CIA World Fact Book, Bangladesh has one of the highest population densities amongst larger countries with 1,237 people per square kilometer. While much of the population still lives in rural areas, the mega-city of Dhaka has a huge population of over 19.5 million people and a population density of 23,234 people per square kilometer.

Freedom of religion in Bangladesh

The major religion in Bangladesh is Islam with 90% of the population identifying as such. There is also a generous population of Hindus in the country, with nine percent. There are also minor religious groups of Buddhists, Christians, and Animists. The country was originally founded as a secular state, but Islam became the state religion in 1972. In 2010, the country’s High Court made a decision to strengthen its stance against fatwa (punishments by Islamic edict), after rising complaints of violent and brutal sentences being carried out against women by small village courts acting on their own.

Review Updated: August 13, 2020

Bangladesh Population History

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YearTotalMaleFemaleSex RatioGrowth rateBirth rateDeath rateFerti­lity rate
Life exp., total
Life expectancy
Life exp., maleLife exp., femaleMedian AgeUrbani­zation
Density, people / km2
Density, people/km2
196048M25M23M1.081.38%48.3420.326.7345.3846.0844.6317.985.14%333.43
196149M26M24M1.081.44%48.4019.846.7645.9746.6745.2217.825.28%342.80
196251M26M24M1.081.50%48.4319.376.7946.5647.2645.8017.715.50%352.45
196352M27M25M1.081.56%48.4118.926.8347.1347.8346.3817.635.73%362.51
196454M28M26M1.081.61%48.3618.516.8547.6548.3446.9117.545.96%373.21
196555M29M27M1.081.65%48.2818.206.8848.0548.7447.3117.436.21%384.62
196657M30M28M1.071.67%48.1618.056.9048.2448.9247.5017.286.47%396.93
196759M31M28M1.071.65%47.9918.096.9248.1848.8747.4417.126.73%409.96
196861M32M29M1.071.61%47.7818.306.9447.8948.5947.1416.977.01%423.04
196963M32M30M1.071.55%47.5218.646.9547.4348.1546.6716.857.30%435.28
197064M33M31M1.071.49%47.2219.006.9546.9447.6846.1616.797.59%446.06
197166M34M32M1.071.43%46.8819.266.9446.5947.3445.8016.777.90%455.08
197267M34M32M1.071.41%46.5119.326.9346.5147.2645.7216.768.22%462.68
197368M35M33M1.071.41%46.1219.126.9046.7747.5146.0016.768.55%469.71
197469M35M33M1.071.45%45.7018.656.8747.4048.1146.6516.749.03%477.38
197570M36M34M1.061.52%45.2817.966.8248.3148.9947.6016.709.84%486.57
197672M37M35M1.061.62%44.8517.146.7649.4050.0448.7416.5410.70%497.59
197773M38M36M1.061.72%44.4216.316.6850.5051.0949.8816.4411.63%510.16
197875M39M37M1.061.83%43.9815.566.5951.4752.0250.9016.3912.63%523.96
197978M40M38M1.061.91%43.5314.946.4852.2852.7951.7516.3713.70%538.40
198080M41M39M1.061.98%43.0414.446.3652.9053.3852.4116.4014.85%553.05
198182M42M40M1.062.03%42.5114.056.2253.3853.8252.9216.4115.80%567.83
198284M43M41M1.062.06%41.9113.716.0653.7954.2053.3716.4716.21%582.86
198386M44M42M1.072.09%41.2513.355.8854.2354.6053.8416.5716.63%598.21
198488M46M43M1.072.13%40.5112.965.7054.6955.0254.3516.6817.06%614.00
198591M47M44M1.072.16%39.7112.555.5055.2155.4954.9216.8117.50%630.31
198693M48M45M1.072.21%38.8512.115.3055.7756.0055.5316.9317.94%647.14
198796M49M46M1.072.25%37.9311.665.0956.3656.5356.1817.0818.40%664.38
198898M51M48M1.072.30%36.9911.214.8956.9657.0856.8417.2418.86%681.85
1989101M52M49M1.072.34%36.0410.784.6957.5757.6357.5117.4319.33%699.27
1990103M53M50M1.072.39%35.1010.354.5058.2158.2258.2117.6319.81%716.47
1991106M54M51M1.062.44%34.189.934.3258.8958.8458.9517.8120.26%733.33
1992108M56M52M1.062.50%33.309.514.1559.6259.5259.7418.0020.61%749.89
1993110M57M53M1.062.57%32.459.093.9960.3960.2460.5618.2020.97%766.32
1994113M58M55M1.062.65%31.658.683.8561.1961.0061.4118.4121.33%782.90
1995115M59M56M1.062.73%30.908.293.7162.0061.7762.2718.6421.69%799.79
1996118M61M57M1.062.81%30.187.933.5962.8062.5263.1118.8622.06%817.01
1997120M62M58M1.062.88%29.497.603.4863.5563.2363.9219.1222.44%834.45
1998123M63M60M1.062.94%28.827.323.3764.2563.8864.6719.4022.82%851.96
1999125M64M61M1.062.98%28.167.083.2764.8864.4665.3619.7023.20%869.37
2000128M66M62M1.063.00%27.496.883.1765.4564.9665.9920.0123.59%886.51
2001130M67M63M1.062.99%26.826.723.0765.9665.4166.5720.2724.10%903.39
2002132M68M64M1.062.98%26.136.572.9766.4365.8267.1320.5524.76%919.99
2003135M69M66M1.052.95%25.446.442.8866.8966.2067.6620.8525.43%936.05
2004137M70M67M1.052.91%24.746.322.7867.3366.5868.1921.1526.11%951.29
2005139M71M68M1.052.87%24.056.212.6967.7766.9568.7221.4626.81%965.52
2006141M72M69M1.052.84%23.386.092.6068.2167.3269.2421.7527.52%978.62
2007143M73M70M1.042.80%22.755.992.5268.6567.6869.7622.0528.24%990.70
2008144M74M71M1.042.76%22.155.892.4569.0768.0370.2722.3628.97%1002.11
2009146M74M72M1.042.72%21.615.812.3869.4968.3770.7722.6729.71%1013.37
2010148M75M73M1.032.68%21.115.732.3269.8868.6971.2622.9830.46%1024.83
2011149M76M73M1.032.64%20.665.672.2770.2669.0071.7223.3231.23%1036.62
2012151M77M74M1.032.60%20.255.632.2370.6169.2772.1623.6631.99%1048.65
2013153M78M75M1.032.55%19.865.592.1970.9369.5372.5724.0032.76%1060.84
2014155M78M76M1.032.50%19.505.572.1571.2369.7672.9624.3633.54%1073.04
2015156M79M77M1.032.45%19.165.552.1271.5169.9873.3224.7234.31%1085.11
2016158M80M78M1.032.40%18.825.542.0971.7970.1973.6625.0835.08%1097.06
2017160M81M79M1.032.35%18.505.532.0672.0570.4173.9825.4535.86%1108.93
2018161M82M80M1.022.29%18.185.532.0472.3270.6474.2925.8236.63%1120.67
2019163M82M81M1.022.23%17.875.532.0172.5970.8874.6026.1937.41%1132.27
2020165M83M81M1.022.18%17.555.521.9972.8771.1374.8926.5738.18%1143.68
2021166M84M82M1.022.18%17.555.521.9972.8771.1374.8926.9538.95%1154.89
2022168M85M83M1.022.18%17.555.521.9972.8771.1374.8927.3339.71%1165.88
2023169M86M84M1.021.98%16.555.551.9273.6871.9075.7227.7240.47%1176.61
2024171M86M85M1.021.92%16.215.561.8973.9572.1675.9928.1141.23%1187.06

Bangladesh Population Projections

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YearTotalMaleFemaleSex RatioGrowth rateBirth rateDeath rateFerti­lity rate
Life exp., total
Life expectancy
Life exp., maleLife exp., femaleMedian AgeUrbani­zation
Density, people / km2
Density, people/km2
2025172M87M85M1.021.85%15.885.571.8774.2272.4276.2728.5041.98%1197.22
2026174M88M86M1.021.77%15.565.611.8574.4672.6576.5128.9042.73%1207.04
2027175M88M87M1.021.70%15.245.651.8374.6972.8876.7429.3243.47%1216.53
2028176M89M88M1.011.62%14.925.701.8274.9373.1176.9829.7544.20%1225.68
2029178M89M88M1.011.54%14.605.741.8075.1673.3477.2130.1844.92%1234.51
2030179M90M89M1.011.47%14.285.781.7875.4073.5777.4530.6145.63%1243.01
2031180M91M90M1.011.39%14.015.851.7775.6273.7877.6631.0346.34%1251.19
2032181M91M90M1.011.32%13.755.931.7575.8373.9977.8731.4647.03%1259.03
2033182M92M91M1.011.25%13.486.001.7476.0574.2178.0731.8947.71%1266.51
2034183M92M91M1.011.17%13.226.081.7276.2674.4278.2832.3248.38%1273.63
2035184M93M92M1.011.11%12.956.151.7176.4874.6378.4932.7649.04%1280.38
2036185M93M92M1.011.04%12.746.251.7076.6874.8378.6833.1949.68%1286.74
2037186M93M93M1.010.97%12.536.361.6976.8875.0478.8733.6250.30%1292.72
2038187M94M93M10.91%12.336.461.6877.0875.2479.0534.0750.93%1298.33
2039188M94M94M10.84%12.126.571.6777.2875.4579.2434.5151.55%1303.58
2040188M94M94M10.79%11.916.671.6677.4875.6579.4334.9452.18%1308.45
2041189M95M94M10.73%11.766.801.6577.6775.8579.6035.3552.80%1312.96
2042190M95M95M10.67%11.606.941.6577.8676.0579.7735.7753.43%1317.10
2043190M95M95M10.62%11.457.071.6478.0576.2479.9436.1854.05%1320.89
2044191M95M95M10.57%11.297.211.6478.2476.4480.1136.6054.67%1324.31
2045191M95M96M10.52%11.147.341.6378.4376.6480.2837.0255.29%1327.38
2046192M96M96M10.47%11.017.491.6378.6176.8480.4437.4255.91%1330.08
2047192M96M96M10.42%10.887.651.6378.7977.0380.6037.8156.52%1332.44
2048192M96M96M10.38%10.767.801.6278.9777.2380.7538.2057.14%1334.42
2049192M96M96M0.990.34%10.637.961.6279.1577.4280.9138.5957.75%1336.04
2050193M96M97M0.990.29%10.508.111.6279.3377.6281.0738.9958.36%1337.28

Highest City Populations in Bangladesh

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RankCityPopulation, Urban AreaPopulation, City
1Dhaka22,811,93110,356,500
2Chattogram5,307,3713,920,222
3Khulna950,453950,000
4Rajshahi950,156763,580
5Sylhet945,218237,000
6Bogra883,936210,000
7Comilla639,515389,411
8Barisal523,250202,242
9Mymensingh481,078225,126
10Rangpur429,078343,122

Map of Bangladesh

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