Bangladesh's population of 169.8 million people lives with a density of 1,350 per square kilometer. Nearly half of all Bangladeshis are under the age of 25, yet the median age is steadily climbing. The country's demographic structure is shifting, with implications for dependency ratios and urban growth.
Key Takeaways
- 0-4 years age group: 9.2% of population (15.6 million) in 2022
- 5-9 years: 9.8% (16.6 million) in 2022 UN estimates
- 10-14 years: 9.5% (16.1 million) population share in 2022
- Sex ratio at birth: 105 males per 100 females in 2023
- Overall sex ratio: 97.3 males per 100 females in 2023 population
- Male population: 84.9 million (49.8%), female: 85.6 million (50.2%) in 2023
- The total population of Bangladesh as of July 1, 2023, was estimated at 169,828,911 people
- Bangladesh's population density in 2023 stood at 1,350 people per square kilometer, making it one of the most densely populated countries globally
- From 2022 to 2023, Bangladesh's population grew by 1,265,491 people, representing a 0.75% annual growth rate
- Urban population percentage: 39.37% (67.2 million) in 2023
- Rural population: 102.8 million (60.63%) in 2023 estimates
- Urban growth rate: 3.28% annually vs rural 0.45% in 2020-2025
- Crude birth rate: 17.05 births per 1,000 population in 2023
- Total fertility rate: 1.95 children per woman (2023)
- Crude death rate: 5.42 deaths per 1,000 in 2023
Bangladesh is a fast growing, very young but slowly aging nation, with about 47.6% dependents in 2023.
Related reading
01 · Category
Age Structure30 stats
01
0-4 years age group: 9.2% of population (15.6 million) in 2022
02
5-9 years: 9.8% (16.6 million) in 2022 UN estimates
03
10-14 years: 9.5% (16.1 million) population share in 2022
04
15-19 years age cohort: 9.1% (15.4 million) in 2022
05
20-24 years: 8.7% (14.7 million)
06
25-29 years: 8.2% (13.9 million) in 2022 data
07
30-34 years: 7.5% (12.7 million)
08
35-39 years: 6.8% (11.5 million) population in 2022
09
40-44 years: 6.2% (10.5 million)
10
45-49 years: 5.6% (9.5 million) in 2022 estimates
11
50-54 years: 5.0% (8.5 million)
12
55-59 years: 4.3% (7.3 million) share
13
60-64 years: 3.7% (6.3 million) in 2022
14
65-69 years: 2.5% (4.2 million)
15
70-74 years: 1.8% (3.0 million)
16
75-79 years: 1.2% (2.0 million)
17
80+ years: 1.0% (1.7 million) in 2022 UN data
18
Median age in Bangladesh rose from 23.3 in 2000 to 27.9 in 2023
19
Dependency ratio total: 47.6% (youth 41.2%, old 6.4%) in 2023
20
Youth population (0-24) is 46.5% of total in 2023
21
Population aged 15-24: 18.5% (31.4 million) in 2022
22
Age structure shows broad base narrowing, indicating demographic transition
23
2023 age pyramid: 27.15% under 15, 5.12% over 64
24
Mean age of childbearing women: 28.5 years in latest DHS survey
25
Proportion 65+ projected to reach 12% by 2050
26
Child population (0-14) declined from 34% in 2011 to 27% in 2023
27
Working age bulge peaks at 68% around 2030-2040
28
Population under 18: 45 million (26.5%) in 2022
29
Adolescent population (10-19): 28 million (16.5%)
30
Elderly dependency ratio: 7.5% in 2023, rising to 20% by 2050
Interpretation
Age Structure Interpretation
Bangladesh is balancing a colossal youth dividend with a ticking demographic clock, as nearly half its population is under 25 yet the median age steadily climbs toward 30.
02 · Category
Gender Distribution24 stats
01
Sex ratio at birth: 105 males per 100 females in 2023
02
Overall sex ratio: 97.3 males per 100 females in 2023 population
03
Male population: 84.9 million (49.8%), female: 85.6 million (50.2%) in 2023
04
Sex ratio 0-14 years: 103.5 males/100 females
05
Sex ratio 15-64 years: 96.2 males/100 females in 2023
06
Sex ratio 65+ years: 72.1 males/100 females due to higher female longevity
07
Female-headed households: 13.7% in 2019 census data
08
Gender ratio in urban areas: 92 males/100 females, rural: 99/100
09
Male life expectancy: 71.6 years, female: 74.7 years in 2023
10
Women of reproductive age (15-49): 38.5 million (2022)
11
Male literacy rate: 76.6%, female: 72.8% in 2022
12
Gender parity index in primary education: 1.01 (near equal)
13
Female labor force participation: 42.5% vs male 81.2% in 2022
14
Sex ratio at birth improved from 106.6 in 1990s to 105 in 2020s
15
Female population growth rate slightly higher at 0.8% vs male 0.7% annually
16
In Dhaka Division, sex ratio 95 males/100 females due to migration
17
Chittagong Division sex ratio: 98/100
18
Maternal mortality reflects gender health disparities at 173/100,000 births
19
Female median age: 28.5 years vs male 27.2 in 2023
20
Gender imbalance in elderly: 68 males/100 females over 65
21
Boys under 5: 51.2%, girls 48.8% stunting prevalence higher in girls
22
Female voters: 51% of electorate in recent elections
23
Male unemployment: 3.6%, female: 6.7% in 2022 labor survey
24
Sex-selective practices minimal with sex ratio stabilizing
Interpretation
Gender Distribution Interpretation
Bangladesh’s population tells a tale of two sexes: boys start with a slight numerical head start at birth, but women steadily outpace them in longevity, education, and urban migration, ultimately becoming the resilient majority who live longer, vote more, and increasingly head their own households.
03 · Category
Population Size and Growth30 stats
01
The total population of Bangladesh as of July 1, 2023, was estimated at 169,828,911 people
02
Bangladesh's population density in 2023 stood at 1,350 people per square kilometer, making it one of the most densely populated countries globally
03
From 2022 to 2023, Bangladesh's population grew by 1,265,491 people, representing a 0.75% annual growth rate
04
The population of Bangladesh reached 150 million in 2013 and has since increased by over 19 million
05
In 2021, Bangladesh's mid-year population was 164,689,383 according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics
06
Bangladesh's population growth rate declined from 1.37% in 2010 to 0.92% in 2022
07
The projected population of Bangladesh for 2025 is 174,701,211
08
Bangladesh overtook Indonesia as the 8th most populous country in 2023 with 171 million inhabitants
09
Dhaka Division holds 20.1% of Bangladesh's total population with 34,402,000 people in 2022
10
Chittagong Division's population was 30,478,000 in 2022, accounting for 17.8% of national total
11
Bangladesh's population in 1951 census was 44,224,643, growing to 169 million by 2023
12
Annual population increase in Bangladesh averaged 1.5 million per year between 2000-2020
13
By 2030, Bangladesh's population is forecasted to reach 186 million according to UN medium variant
14
Sylhet Division population: 10,612,000 (6.2%) in 2022
15
Rangpur Division: 17,135,000 people (10%) in 2022 census projection
16
Mymensingh Division newly formed with 11,804,000 (6.9%) population in 2022
17
Barisal Division population: 9,735,000 (5.7%) as per 2022 estimates
18
Khulna Division: 17,126,000 (10%) in 2022
19
Rajshahi Division: 19,375,000 (11.3%) population in 2022
20
Dhaka city's population exceeds 21 million in metro area as of 2023
21
Population growth rate in Bangladesh was 0.95% in 2021 per World Bank data
22
Bangladesh population doubled from 71.38 million in 1975 to 142.76 million in 2000
23
2024 projection: Bangladesh population at 173,562,563
24
Net migration rate: -4.9 migrants per 1,000 population annually
25
Infant population (0-14 years) constitutes 27.2% of total in 2023
26
Working-age population (15-64) is 67.8% in 2023 estimates
27
Elderly (65+) make up 5% of population in 2023
28
Bangladesh's land area is 130,170 sq km supporting 1,300+ people/km²
29
Population at 2011 census: 149,772,364
30
1974 census population: 76,381,000
Interpretation
Population Size and Growth Interpretation
Bangladesh has transformed its land into a meticulously efficient human mosaic, where 169.8 million people, growing at a more thoughtful pace of under 1%, are packed with a density that would make even Manhattan blush, all while its capital Dhaka swells to a staggering 21-million-person symphony of controlled chaos.
04 · Category
Urban and Rural Population26 stats
01
Urban population percentage: 39.37% (67.2 million) in 2023
02
Rural population: 102.8 million (60.63%) in 2023 estimates
03
Urban growth rate: 3.28% annually vs rural 0.45% in 2020-2025
04
Dhaka metro urban agglomeration: 23.9 million (2023)
05
Chittagong city population: 5.6 million in metro area 2023
06
Khulna urban population: 1.0 million
07
Rajshahi city: 760,000 urban dwellers in 2022
08
Sylhet urban: 700,000 in 2022 estimates
09
Barisal urban population: 450,000 (2022)
10
Urbanization rate projected to reach 50% by 2040
11
Slum population in urban Bangladesh: 22% of city dwellers (15 million)
12
Rural density: 1,100/km² vs urban 12,000/km² in 2023
13
Dhaka Division urban share: 45%, highest in country
14
Chittagong Division urban: 35% of divisional population
15
Rural-to-urban migration: 400,000 net migrants annually
16
Urban literacy: 84% vs rural 73% in 2022
17
Rural households: 70% use improved sanitation vs 90% urban
18
Urban poor: 30% live below poverty line vs rural 25%
19
Projected urban population 2030: 85 million (45%)
20
Rangpur Division urban share lowest at 18%
21
Mymensingh urban: 20% of 11.8 million divisional pop
22
Urban fertility rate: 1.8 vs rural 2.1 children per woman
23
Rural electricity access: 90% vs near 100% urban in 2022
24
Urban density in major cities exceeds 20,000/km²
25
Rural landlessness affects 15% of households
26
Urban migration driven by 60% employment opportunities
Interpretation
Urban and Rural Population Interpretation
Bangladesh’s countryside is gently emptying while its cities swell fiercely, creating a lopsided future where opportunity and congestion race each other and no one's quite sure who's winning.
05 · Category
Vital Rates and Health22 stats
01
Crude birth rate: 17.05 births per 1,000 population in 2023
02
Total fertility rate: 1.95 children per woman (2023)
03
Crude death rate: 5.42 deaths per 1,000 in 2023
04
Life expectancy at birth: 73.9 years total (male 71.6, female 76.4) 2023
05
Infant mortality rate: 25.8 deaths per 1,000 live births (2023)
06
Under-5 mortality: 32.5 per 1,000 in 2022 UNICEF data
07
Maternal mortality ratio: 113 deaths per 100,000 live births (2020)
08
Net reproduction rate: 0.91 (below replacement)
09
Contraceptive prevalence: 64.5% among married women 15-49
10
Annual births: 2.9 million estimated in 2023
11
Annual deaths: 920,000 in 2023 projection
12
Natural increase: 1.06% per year (2023)
13
Healthy life expectancy: 64.1 years (2021 WHO)
14
Neonatal mortality: 18 per 1,000 live births (2022)
15
Post-neonatal mortality: 7.8 per 1,000
16
Stillbirth rate: 21.2 per 1,000 births
17
Adolescent birth rate: 71 per 1,000 women 15-19 (2021)
18
HIV prevalence: 0.01% adult population (2022)
19
Tuberculosis death rate: 37 per 100,000 (2021)
20
Suicide rate: 6.8 per 100,000 (female higher)
21
Immunization coverage DTP3: 97.5% children under 1 (2022)
22
Stunting prevalence under 5: 28.1% (2022)
Interpretation
Vital Rates and Health Interpretation
Bangladesh is a nation in the midst of a profound transition, where the triumphant decline in fertility to below replacement level and the impressive extension of life expectancy are starkly contrasted by the stubborn, sobering shadows of maternal, infant, and neonatal mortality that still demand urgent attention.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Alexander Schmidt. (2026, February 13). Bangladesh Population Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bangladesh-population-statistics
MLA
Alexander Schmidt. "Bangladesh Population Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/bangladesh-population-statistics.
Chicago
Alexander Schmidt. 2026. "Bangladesh Population Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bangladesh-population-statistics.
Sources & references
24 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level