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Bangladesh Population

Bangladesh Population

Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated and poorest countries in the world. The two great rivers Brahmaputra and Ganges flow through the land, causing the land to be constantly flooded.

Key figures and facts

  • Capital: Dhaka
  • Ethnic groups: Bengalis 98%, other 2% (2011)
  • Language: Bengali 98.8%, other 1.2% (2011)
  • Religion: Muslims 89.1%, Hindus 10%, others 0.9% (2013)
  • Population: 166 368 149 (2018)
  • Control Form: parliamentarism
  • Area: 148 460 km2
  • Currency: Bangladeshi roof
  • GNP per capita: 3 580 PPP $
  • National Day: March 26th

According to the World Bank, the population of Bangladesh is 157.8 million (2017). The population density is high and the population is young, with almost a third of the population under the age of 15.

Bangladesh Country Population

Population Overview

With a population of just over 157.8 million (2017) distributed over 144,000 km2, the population density in Bangladesh is high, averaging over 1100 people per km2, but in the best rice areas along the lower Ganges (Padma and Meghna) it can live up to 3000 people per km2. The population pressure is high in this agricultural community. The population doubled in the period 1950–80, but the country has since experienced a sharp decline in birth rates. Population growth (2017) is 1.04 percent annually.

Fertility rates have fallen from 6.2 births per woman in 1980-85 to 2.2 in 2016. Bangladesh has also managed to significantly reduce infant mortality. It fell from 150 per million in 1990 to 33 per million in 2014. According to the UN population statistics, annual population growth was 1.2 percent in the period 2010-14.

Life expectancy is 75.6 years for women and 71.3 years for men (2017).

Population of Bangladesh by Year (Historical)

Year Population Annual Growth Rate Population Density Global Rank
2020 164,689,272 1.010% 1265.1869 8
2019 163,046,050 1.030% 1252.5633 8
2018 161,376,597 1.060% 1239.7381 8
2017 159,685,313 1.080% 1226.7452 8
2016 157,977,042 1.100% 1213.6218 8
2015 156,256,165 1.150% 1200.4016 8
2010 147,575,319 1.200% 1133.7131 8
2005 139,035,394 1.720% 1068.1071 8
2000 127,657,743 2.080% 980.7010 8
1995 115,169,819 2.220% 884.7655 9
1990 103,171,845 2.600% 792.5940 9
1985 90,764,072 2.650% 697.2742 9
1980 79,639,380 2.590% 611.8114 8
1975 70,066,190 1.750% 538.2677 9
1970 64,232,371 3.010% 493.4507 9
1965 55,385,001 2.900% 425.4829 9
1960 48,013,393 2.670% 368.8523 11
1955 42,086,190 2.120% 323.3180 12
1950 37,894,570 0.000% 291.1168 12

Major Cities in Bangladesh by Population

Rank City Population
1 Dhaka 10,356,389
2 Chittagong 3,920,111
3 Khulna 1,342,228
4 Rajshahi 700,022
5 Comilla 389,300
6 Shibganj 378,590
7 Natore 369,027
8 Rangpur 343,011
9 Tungi 337,468
10 Narsingdi 280,969
11 Bagerhat 266,277
12 Cox’s Bazar 253,677
13 Jessore 243,876
14 Nagarpur 238,311
15 Sylhet 236,889
16 Mymensingh 225,015
17 Narayanganj 223,511
18 Bogra 209,889
19 Dinajpur 206,123
20 Barisal 202,131
21 Saidpur 199,311
22 Par Naogaon 192,353
23 Pabna 186,670
24 Paltan 184,381
25 Tangail 180,033
26 Jamalpur 167,789
27 Puthia 159,295
28 Nawabganj 142,250
29 Kushtia 135,613
30 Sonargaon 129,889
31 Satkhira 128,807
32 Sirajganj 127,370
33 Faridpur 112,076
34 Sherpur 107,308
35 Bhairab Bazar 105,346
36 Shahzadpur 102,309
37 Bhola 98,968
38 Azimpur 96,530
39 Kishorganj 90,579
40 Bibir Hat 88,919
41 Habiganj 88,649
42 Madaripur 84,678
43 Feni 83,917
44 Laksham 82,179
45 Ishurdi 81,884
46 Sarishabari 81,214
47 Netrakona 78,905
48 Joypur Hat 72,957
49 Thakurgaon 70,985
50 Palang 67,541
51 Lalmonirhat 65,016
52 Raipur 64,541
53 Tungipara 62,099
54 Lakshmipur 61,592
55 Maulavi Bazar 57,330
56 Joymontop 55,889
57 Ramganj 55,130
58 Narail 55,001
59 Pirojpur 54,307
60 Sandwip 52,041
61 Satkania 51,894
62 Patiya 51,249
63 Khagrachhari 50,253
64 Chilmari 49,625
65 Nageswari 49,314
66 Panchagarh 48,420
67 Uttar Char Fasson 48,194
68 Parbatipur 47,909
69 Burhanuddin 45,559
70 Kaliganj 45,520
71 Dohar 45,432
72 Hajiganj 44,232
73 Bhatpara Abhaynagar 42,542
74 Lalmohan 42,109
75 Jhingergacha 41,846
76 Mirzapur 41,026
77 Sakhipur 40,758
78 Teknaf 40,446
79 Gaurnadi 40,408
80 Kalia 40,381
81 Bera 39,493
82 Mehendiganj 39,313
83 Chhagalnaiya 39,224
84 Chhatak 39,107
85 Nalchiti 38,592
86 Bheramara 38,048
87 Phultala 37,874
88 Baniachang 37,696
89 Sarankhola 36,359
90 Shibganj 35,850
91 Pirgaaj 34,495
92 Bajitpur 34,449
93 Char Bhadrasan 34,312
94 Gafargaon 34,066
95 Badarganj 32,489
96 Bandarban 32,412
97 Nabinagar 31,560
98 Morrelgonj 31,536
99 Kesabpur 30,815
100 Bhandaria 30,108
101 Mathba 29,649
102 Raojan 25,597
103 Manikchari 24,702
104 Muktagacha 24,573
105 Parvez Ali Family 5,889
106 Parvez Ali Hossain 5,889

Population Composition

The vast majority of the population of Bangladesh are Bengalis, which denote both an ethnic and a linguistic group. The Bengali people are historically of complex origin and have come from different communities and into the region over many centuries.

The Vedda people were probably the first to settle in the area. According to some ethnologists, they were followed by people from the Mediterranean and nearby areas who spoke Indo-European languages. During the 8th century, people of Arab, Persian and Turkish origin moved to the subcontinent, and from the 13th century these population groups came to Bangaldesh.

Only a small proportion of the population is non-Bengali, and these are mainly small indigenous groups. Most of these live in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in the southeast, the least populated part of the country. Some of the groups are affiliated with the people of Myanmar.

High birth and death rates have resulted in a very “young” population; just over 30 percent are under 15, a decrease of 5 percent from a decade ago. Only 5 percent of the population is 60 years and older.

The median age is 26.7 years.

Emigration and immigration

Throughout history, Bangladesh (and Indian West Bengal) has been a crucible for various peoples and cultures. People from Myanmar, the Himalayas, Dravids (the original residents of the Indian Peninsula) and Aryans formed the first amalgamation.

With the moguls came people from all over the Islamic world. When East Bengal was separated from India in 1947, there were religious dividing lines. The part of the population that is Muslim has Indo-Indian or mixed Dravidian-Aryan background, while Hindus are mainly Dravidian.

Bangladesh also has several smaller peoples and tribes. On the rivers live bathhouses (also called river gypsies). Many tribes live in the hills of the Chittagong tracts in the southeast, others in the hills around Sylhet or north of Mymensingh. The tribes are either Buddhists, Christians, Hindus or animists.

In southeastern Bangladesh, many Muslim refugees from Myanmar have arrived. In 2016-17, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled from Myanmar across the border to Bangladesh, due to persecution in Myannar. The Rohingya are both linguistically and culturally closely related to their neighbors in the Chittagong province of southeastern Bangladesh.

Population Patterns

Most live in the countryside and the urbanization rate is low. About a third of the population lives in cities. Still, cities are growing faster than the rest of the population. The capital of Dhaka is the country’s largest city. Other major cities are the port city of Chittagong and the regional centers of Khulna and Rajshahi.

Religion

Islam reached Bengal in the 13th century. Mahayana Buddhism quickly disappeared, and Hinduism gradually lost ground in favor of Islam, which was propagated partly by Sufis (Muslim mystics) and partly by Muslim immigration from other parts of India. The Muslims make up approximately 89.5 percent of the population (2016), the Hindus well over 9.6 percent. 0.6 percent are Buddhists, mainly theravada Buddhists among tribal people (chakma, mru and others) in the Chittagong area of ​​the southeast. Other tribes are Christians (bon, kuki, lushai).

Language

The official language is the Bengali native language, which is the mother tongue of approximately 98 percent of the country’s population. Minority languages ​​are Urdu and Tibetan-Burmese languages spoken in the border areas against Myanmar. English is also widely used.

Read more:

  • Embassies of Bangladesh
  • Currency in Bangladesh
  • Where is Bangladesh Located?
  • Bangladesh Airports
  • Bangladesh Facts
  • Bangladesh Holidays
  • What is the Capital of Bangladesh? Dhaka
  • Bangladesh Major Exports
  • Bangladesh Major Imports
  • Bangladesh Import Restrictions
  • Bangladesh Flag and Meaning
  • List of Foreign Embassies in Bangladesh
  • Europe Population

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