Abstract

The 2022 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (2022 BDHS) is the ninth national survey to report on the demographic and health conditions of women and their families in Bangladesh. The survey was conducted under the authority of the National Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT), Medical Education and Family Welfare Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), Government of Bangladesh.

The primary objective of the 2022 BDHS is to provide up-to-date estimates of basic demographic and health indicators. Specifically, the BDHS collected information on: • Fertility and childhood mortality levels • Fertility preferences • Awareness, approval, and use of family planning methods • Maternal and child health, including breastfeeding practices • Nutrition levels • Newborn care

The information collected through the 2022 BDHS is intended to assist policymakers and program managers in designing and evaluating programs and strategies for improving the health of the population of Bangladesh. The survey also provides indicators relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Bangladesh.

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

• Household
• Individual
• Children age 0-5
• Woman age 15-49

Universe

The survey covered all de jure household members (usual residents), all women aged 15-49 and all children aged 0-4 resident in the household.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The sampling frame used for the 2022 BDHS is the Integrated Multi-Purpose Sampling Master Sample, selected from a complete list of enumeration areas (EAs) covering the whole country. It was prepared by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) for the 2011 population census of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. The sampling frame contains information on EA location, type of residence (city corporation, other than city corporation, or rural), and the estimated number of residential households. A sketch map that delineates geographic boundaries is available for each EA.

Bangladesh contains eight administrative divisions: Barishal, Chattogram, Dhaka, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Sylhet. Each division is divided into zilas and each zila into upazilas. Each urban area in an upazila is divided into wards, which are further subdivided into mohallas. A rural area in an upazila is divided into union parishads (UPs) and, within UPs, into mouzas. These administrative divisions allow the country to be separated into rural and urban areas.

The survey is based on a two-stage stratified sample of households. In the first stage, 675 EAs (237 in urban areas and 438 in rural areas) were selected with probability proportional to EA size. The BBS drew the sample in the first stage following specifications provided by ICF. A complete household listing operation was then carried out by Mitra and Associates in all selected EAs to provide a sampling frame for the second-stage selection of households.

In the second stage of sampling, a systematic sample of an average of 45 households per EA was selected to provide statistically reliable estimates of key demographic and health variables for urban and rural areas separately and for each of the eight divisions in Bangladesh.

Mode of data collection

Computer Assisted Personal Interview [capi]

Research instrument

Four types of questionnaires were used for the 2022 BDHS: the Household Questionnaire, the Woman’s Questionnaire (completed by ever-married women age 15–49), the Biomarker Questionnaire, and two verbal autopsy questionnaires. The questionnaires, based on The DHS Program’s model questionnaires, were adapted to reflect population and health issues relevant to Bangladesh. In addition, a selfadministered Fieldworker Questionnaire collected information about the survey’s fieldworkers. The questionnaires were adapted for use in Bangladesh after a series of meetings with a Technical Working Group (TWG). The questionnaires were developed in English and then translated to and printed in Bangla.

Cleaning operations

The survey data were collected using tablet PCs running Windows 10.1 and Census and Survey Processing System (CSPro) software, jointly developed by the United States Census Bureau, ICF, and Serpro S.A. The Bangla language questionnaire was used for collecting data via computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI). The CAPI program accepted only valid responses, automatically performed checks on ranges of values, skipped to the appropriate question based on the responses given, and checked the consistency of the data collected. Answers to the survey questions were entered into the PC tablets by each interviewer. Supervisors downloaded interview data to their computer, checked the data for completeness, and monitored fieldwork progress

Each day, after completion of interviews, field supervisors submitted data to the servers. Data were sent to the central office via the internet or other modes of telecommunication allowing electronic transfer of files. The data processing manager monitored the quality of the data received and downloaded completed files into the system. ICF provided the CSPro software for data processing and offered technical assistance in preparation of the data editing programs. Secondary editing was conducted simultaneously with data collection. All technical support for data processing and use of PC tablets was provided by ICF.

The 2014 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) is the seventh DHS undertaken in Bangladesh, following those implemented in 1993-94, 1996-97, 1999-2000, 2004, 2007, and 2011. The main objectives of the 2014 BDHS are to: • Provide information to meet the monitoring and evaluation needs of the health, population, and nutrition sector development program (HPNSDP) • Provide program managers and policy makers involved in the program with the information they need to plan and implement future interventions The specific objectives of the 2014 BDHS were as follows: • To provide up-to-date data on demographic rates, particularly fertility and infant, and child mortality rates, at the national and divisional level • To measure the level of contraceptive use of currently married women • To provide data on maternal and child health, including antenatal care, assistance at delivery, postnatal care, newborn care, breastfeeding, immunizations, and prevalence and treatment of diarrhea and other diseases among children under age 5 • To assess the nutritional status of children (under age 5) and women by means of anthropometric measurements (weight and height), and to assess infant and child feeding practices • To provide data on knowledge and attitudes of women about sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS • To measure key education indicators, including school attendance ratios • To provide community-level data on accessibility and availability of health and family planning services

The 1999-2000 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) is a nationally representative sample survey designed to provide information on basic national indicators of social progress including fertility, contraceptive knowledge and use, fertility preference, childhood mortality, maternal and child health, nutritional status of mothers and children and awareness of AIDS. The 1999-2000 BDHS provides a comprehensive look at levels and trends in key health and demographic parameters for policy makers and program managers. The fertility has declined from 6.3 children per women in 1975 to 3.3 in 1999-2000. The pace of fertility decline has slowed in the most recent period compared to the rapid decline during late 1980s and early 1990s. The BDHS 1999-2000 findings also show the increasing trend of contraceptive use, declining childhood mortality, and improving nutritional status. The Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) is intended to serve as a source of population and health data for policymakers and the research community. In general, the objectives of the BDHS survey are to: Assess the overall demographic situation in Bangladesh Assist in the evaluation of the population and health programs in Bangladesh Advance survey methodology. More specifically, the objective of the BDHS survey is to provide up-to-date information on fertility and childhood mortality levels; nuptiality; fertility preferences; awareness, approval, and use of family planning methods; breastfeeding practices; nutrition levels; and maternal and child health. This information is intended to assist policymakers and administrators in evaluating and designing programs and strategies for improving health and family planning services in the country. The 1999-2000 BDHS survey was conducted under the authority of the National Institute for Population Research and Training (NIPORT) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The survey was implemented by Mitra and Associates, a Bangladeshi research firm located in Dhaka. Macro International Inc. of Calverton, Maryland, provided technical assistance to the project as part of its international Demographic and Health Surveys program, and financial assistance was provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)/Bangladesh.

Abstract

The 2017-18 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (2017-18 BDHS) is a nationwide survey with a nationally representative sample of approximately 20,250 selected households. All ever-married women age 15-49 who are usual members of the selected households or who spent the night before the survey in the selected households were eligible for individual interviews. The survey was designed to produce reliable estimates for key indicators at the national level as well as for urban and rural areas and each of the country’s eight divisions: Barishal, Chattogram, Dhaka, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Sylhet.

The main objective of the 2017-18 BDHS is to provide up-to-date information on fertility and fertility preferences; childhood mortality levels and causes of death; awareness, approval, and use of family planning methods; maternal and child health, including breastfeeding practices and nutritional status; newborn care; women’s empowerment; selected noncommunicable diseases (NCDS); and availability and accessibility of health and family planning services at the community level.

This information is intended to assist policymakers and program managers in monitoring and evaluating the 4th Health, Population and Nutrition Sector Program (4th HPNSP) 2017-2022 of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) and to provide estimates for 14 major indicators of the HPNSP Results Framework (MOHFW 2017).

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

• Household
• Individual
• Children age 0-5
• Woman age 15-49
• Community

Universe

The survey covered all de jure household members (usual residents), all women aged 15-49 and all children aged 0-5 resident in the household.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The sample for the 2017-18 BDHS is nationally representative and covers the entire population residing in non-institutional dwelling units in the country. The survey used a list of enumeration areas (EAs) from the 2011 Population and Housing Census of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, provided by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), as a sampling frame (BBS 2011). The primary sampling unit (PSU) of the survey is an EA with an average of about 120 households.

Bangladesh consists of eight administrative divisions: Barishal, Chattogram, Dhaka, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Sylhet. Each division is divided into zilas and each zila into upazilas. Each urban area in an upazila is divided into wards, which are further subdivided into mohallas. A rural area in an upazila is divided into union parishads (UPs) and, within UPs, into mouzas. These divisions allow the country as a whole to be separated into rural and urban areas.

The survey is based on a two-stage stratified sample of households. In the first stage, 675 EAs (250 in urban areas and 425 in rural areas) were selected with probability proportional to EA size. The sample in that stage was drawn by BBS, following the specifications provided by ICF that include cluster allocation and instructions on sample selection. A complete household listing operation was then carried out in all selected EAs to provide a sampling frame for the second-stage selection of households. In the second stage of sampling, a systematic sample of an average of 30 households per EA was selected to provide

statistically reliable estimates of key demographic and health variables for the country as a whole, for urban and rural areas separately, and for each of the eight divisions. Based on this design, 20,250 residential households were selected. Completed interviews were expected from about 20,100 ever-married women age 15-49. In addition, in a subsample of one-fourth of the households (about 7-8 households per EA), all ever-married women age 50 and older, never-married women age 18 and older, and men age 18 and older were weighed and had their height measured. In the same households, blood pressure and blood glucose testing were conducted for all adult men and women age 18 and older.

The survey was successfully carried out in 672 clusters after elimination of three clusters (one urban and two rural) that were completely eroded by floodwater. These clusters were in Dhaka (one urban cluster), Rajshahi (one rural cluster), and Rangpur (one rural cluster). A total of 20,160 households were selected for the survey.

For further details on sample selection, see Appendix A of the final report.

Mode of data collection

Computer Assisted Personal Interview [capi]

Research instrument

The 2017-18 BDHS used six types of questionnaires: (1) the Household Questionnaire, (2) the Woman’s Questionnaire (completed by ever-married women age 15-49), (3) the Biomarker Questionnaire, (4) two verbal autopsy questionnaires to collect data on causes of death among children under age 5, (5) the Community Questionnaire, and the Fieldworker Questionnaire. The first three questionnaires were based on the model questionnaires developed for the DHS-7 Program, adapted to the situation and needs in Bangladesh and taking into account the content of the instruments employed in prior BDHS surveys. The verbal autopsy module was replicated from the questionnaires used in the 2011 BDHS, as the objectives of the 2011 BDHS and the 2017-18 BDHS were the same. The module was adapted from the standardized WHO 2016 verbal autopsy module. The Community Questionnaire was adapted from the version used in the 2014 BDHS. The adaptation process for the 2017-18 BDHS involved a series of meetings with a technical working group. Additionally, draft questionnaires were circulated to other interested groups and were reviewed by the TWG and SAC. The questionnaires were developed in English and then translated into and printed in Bangla. Back translations were conducted by people not involved with the Bangla translations.

Cleaning operations

Completed BDHS questionnaires were returned to Dhaka every 2 weeks for data processing at Mitra and Associates offices. Data processing began shortly after fieldwork commenced and consisted of office editing, coding of open-ended questions, data entry, and editing of inconsistencies found by the computer program. The field teams were alerted regarding any inconsistencies or errors found during data processing. Eight data entry operators and two data entry supervisors performed the work, which commenced on November 17, 2017, and ended on March 27, 2018. Data processing was accomplished using Census and Survey Processing System (CSPro) software, jointly developed by the United States Census Bureau, ICF, and Serpro S.A.

Response rate

Among the 20,160 households selected, 19,584 were occupied. Interviews were successfully completed in 19,457 (99%) of the occupied households. Among the 20,376 ever-married women age 15-49 eligible for interviews, 20,127 were interviewed, yielding a response rate of 99%. The principal reason for non-response among women was their absence from home despite repeated visits. Response rates did not vary notably by urbanrural residence.

Sampling error estimates

The estimates from a sample survey are affected by two types of errors: nonsampling errors and sampling errors. Nonsampling errors are the results of mistakes made in implementing data collection and data processing, such as failure to locate and interview the correct household, misunderstanding of the questions on the part of either the interviewer or the respondent, and data entry errors. Although numerous efforts were made during the implementation of the 2017-18 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) to minimize this type of error, nonsampling errors are impossible to avoid and difficult to evaluate statistically.

Sampling errors, on the other hand, can be evaluated statistically. The sample of respondents selected in the 2017-18 BDHS is only one of many samples that could have been selected from the same population, using the same design and expected size. Each of these samples would yield results that differ somewhat from the results of the actual sample selected. Sampling errors are a measure of the variability among all possible samples. Although the degree of variability is not known exactly, it can be estimated from the survey results.

Sampling error is usually measured in terms of the standard error for a particular statistic (mean, percentage, etc.), which is the square root of the variance. The standard error can be used to calculate confidence intervals within which the true value for the population can reasonably be assumed to fall. For example, for any given statistic calculated from a sample survey, the value of that statistic will fall within a range of plus or minus two times the standard error of that statistic in 95% of all possible samples of identical size and design.

If the sample of respondents had been selected as a simple random sample, it would have been possible to use straightforward formulas for calculating sampling errors. However, the 2017-18 BDHS sample is the result of a multi-stage stratified design, and, consequently, it was necessary to use more complex formulas. Sampling errors are computed in SAS, using programs developed by ICF. These programs use the Taylor linearization method to estimate variances for survey estimates that are means, proportions, or ratios. The Jackknife repeated replication method is used for variance estimation of more complex statistics such as fertility and mortality rates.

Note: A more detailed description of estimates of sampling errors are presented in APPENDIX B of the survey report.

Data

Population and housing census dataset as of Census 2022 by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). The population and Housing census has two parts that include- (1) The Population Census, which provides socio-economic and demographic information on every person living in a country at a point in time, down to the smallest geographical unit. (2) The Housing Census, which provides data on all dwelling units prevailing in a country, their conditions, and facilities available, down to the smallest geographical unit. Although it covered smallest geographical unit of Bangladesh; till date it's available up to District (Admin 02) level.
All information contains this dataset is collated from Final Population and Housing census report published by BBS to ensure meaningful access. For more detail information and further query/questions it’s recommended to check the full report.

Please click in Below link to access the full report-
https://bbs.portal.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/bbs.portal.gov.bd/page/b343a8b4_956b_45ca_872f_4cf9b2f1a6e0/2024-01-31-15-51-b53c55dd692233ae401ba013060b9cbb.pdf

The Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) is part of the worldwide Demographic and Health Surveys program, which is designed to collect data on fertility, family planning, and maternal and child health. The BDHS is intended to serve as a source of population and health data for policymakers and the research community. In general, the objectives of the BDHS are to: assess the overall demographic situation in Bangladesh, assist in the evaluation of the population and health programs in Bangladesh, and advance survey methodology. More specifically, the objective of the BDHS is to provide up-to-date information on fertility and childhood mortality levels; nuptiality; fertility preferences; awareness, approval, and use of family planning methods; breastfeeding practices; nutrition levels; and maternal and child health. This information is intended to assist policymakers and administrators in evaluating and designing programs and strategies for improving health and family planning services in the country.

The 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) is the sixth DHS undertaken in Bangladesh, following those implemented in 1993-94, 1996-97, 1999-2000, 2004, and 2007. The main objectives of the 2011 BDHS are to: • Provide information to meet the monitoring and evaluation needs of health and family planning programs, and • Provide program managers and policy makers involved in these programs with the information they need to plan and implement future interventions. The specific objectives of the 2011 BDHS were as follows: • To provide up-to-date data on demographic rates, particularly fertility and infant mortality rates, at the national and subnational level; • To analyze the direct and indirect factors that determine the level of and trends in fertility and mortality; • To measure the level of contraceptive use of currently married women; • To provide data on knowledge and attitudes of women and men about sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS; • To assess the nutritional status of children (under age 5), women, and men by means of anthropometric measurements (weight and height), and to assess infant and child feeding practices; • To provide data on maternal and child health, including antenatal care, assistance at delivery, breastfeeding, immunizations, and prevalence and treatment of diarrhea and other diseases among children under age 5; • To measure biomarkers, such as hemoglobin level for women and children, and blood pressure, and blood glucose for women and men 35 years and older; • To measure key education indicators, including school attendance ratios and primary school grade repetition and dropout rates; • To provide information on the causes of death among children under age 5; • To provide community-level data on accessibility and availability of health and family planning services; • To measure food security. The 2011 BDHS was conducted under the authority of the National Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The survey was implemented by Mitra and Associates, a Bangladeshi research firm located in Dhaka. ICF International of Calverton, Maryland, USA, provided technical assistance to the project as part of its international Demographic and Health Surveys program (MEASURE DHS). Financial support was provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Bangladesh BD: Population Projection: Mid Year: Growth data was reported at -0.770 % in 2100. This records a decrease from the previous number of -0.760 % for 2099. Bangladesh BD: Population Projection: Mid Year: Growth data is updated yearly, averaging 0.440 % from Jun 1981 (Median) to 2100, with 120 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.580 % in 1981 and a record low of -0.770 % in 2100. Bangladesh BD: Population Projection: Mid Year: Growth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by U.S. Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bangladesh – Table BD.US Census Bureau: Demographic Projection.

The urban indicators data available here are analyzed, compiled and published by UN-Habitat’s Global Urban Observatory which supports governments, local authorities and civil society organizations to develop urban indicators, data and statistics. Urban statistics are collected through household surveys and censuses conducted by national statistics authorities. Global Urban Observatory team analyses and compiles urban indicators statistics from surveys and censuses. Additionally, Local urban observatories collect, compile and analyze urban data for national policy development. Population statistics are produced by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, World Urbanization Prospects.

The total population in Bangladesh was estimated at 171.6 million people in 2024, according to the latest census figures and projections from Trading Economics. This dataset provides - Bangladesh Population - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

In 2023, approximately 25.5 percent of the population in Bangladesh was aged up to 14 years old. This was a decrease from 2014, when over 30 percent of the population in Bangladesh was aged up to 14 years old.

The Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) is the first of this kind of study conducted in Bangladesh. It provides rapid feedback on key demographic and programmatic indicators to monitor the strength and weaknesses of the national family planning/MCH program. The wealth of information collected through the 1993-94 BDHS will be of immense value to the policymakers and program managers in order to strengthen future program policies and strategies. The BDHS is intended to serve as a source of population and health data for policymakers and the research community. In general, the objectives of the BDHS are to: asses the overall demographic situation in Bangladesh, assist in the evaluation of the population and health programs in Bangladesh, and advance survey methodology. More specifically, the BDHS was designed to: provide data on the family planning and fertility behavior of the Bangladesh population to evaluate the national family planning programs, measure changes in fertility and contraceptive prevalence and, at the same time, study the factors which affect these changes, such as marriage patterns, urban/rural residence, availability of contraception, breastfeeding patterns, and other socioeconomic factors, and examine the basic indicators of maternal and child health in Bangladesh.

Population density per pixel at 100 metre resolution. WorldPop provides estimates of numbers of people residing in each 100x100m grid cell for every low and middle income country. Through ingegrating cencus, survey, satellite and GIS datasets in a flexible machine-learning framework, high resolution maps of population counts and densities for 2000-2020 are produced, along with accompanying metadata. DATASET: Alpha version 2010 and 2015 estimates of numbers of people per grid square, with national totals adjusted to match UN population division estimates (http://esa.un.org/wpp/) and remaining unadjusted. REGION: Africa SPATIAL RESOLUTION: 0.000833333 decimal degrees (approx 100m at the equator) PROJECTION: Geographic, WGS84 UNITS: Estimated persons per grid square MAPPING APPROACH: Land cover based, as described in: Linard, C., Gilbert, M., Snow, R.W., Noor, A.M. and Tatem, A.J., 2012, Population distribution, settlement patterns and accessibility across Africa in 2010, PLoS ONE, 7(2): e31743. FORMAT: Geotiff (zipped using 7-zip (open access tool): www.7-zip.org) FILENAMES: Example - AGO10adjv4.tif = Angola (AGO) population count map for 2010 (10) adjusted to match UN national estimates (adj), version 4 (v4). Population maps are updated to new versions when improved census or other input data become available.

Bangladesh BD: Population Projection: Mid Year data was reported at 164,803,115.000 Person in 2100. This records a decrease from the previous number of 166,067,937.000 Person for 2099. Bangladesh BD: Population Projection: Mid Year data is updated yearly, averaging 167,184,465.000 Person from Jun 1950 (Median) to 2100, with 151 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 196,569,652.000 Person in 2060 and a record low of 45,645,964.000 Person in 1950. Bangladesh BD: Population Projection: Mid Year data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by U.S. Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bangladesh – Table BD.US Census Bureau: Demographic Projection.

2014 Upazila-level demographic data for Bangladesh. Variables include total population, total households, average household size, and breakdowns by gender and age.

WorldPop produces different types of gridded population count datasets, depending on the methods used and end application. Please make sure you have read our Mapping Populations overview page before choosing and downloading a dataset.


Bespoke methods used to produce datasets for specific individual countries are available through the WorldPop Open Population Repository (WOPR) link below. These are 100m resolution gridded population estimates using customized methods ("bottom-up" and/or "top-down") developed for the latest data available from each country. They can also be visualised and explored through the woprVision App.
The remaining datasets in the links below are produced using the "top-down" method, with either the unconstrained or constrained top-down disaggregation method used. Please make sure you read the Top-down estimation modelling overview page to decide on which datasets best meet your needs. Datasets are available to download in Geotiff and ASCII XYZ format at a resolution of 3 and 30 arc-seconds (approximately 100m and 1km at the equator, respectively):

- Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 ( 1km resolution ): Consistent 1km resolution population count datasets created using unconstrained top-down methods for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020.
- Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 ( 100m resolution ): Consistent 100m resolution population count datasets created using unconstrained top-down methods for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020.
- Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 UN adjusted ( 100m resolution ): Consistent 100m resolution population count datasets created using unconstrained top-down methods for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020 and adjusted to match United Nations national population estimates (UN 2019)
-Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 UN adjusted ( 1km resolution ): Consistent 1km resolution population count datasets created using unconstrained top-down methods for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020 and adjusted to match United Nations national population estimates (UN 2019).
-Unconstrained global mosaics 2000-2020 ( 1km resolution ): Mosaiced 1km resolution versions of the "Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020" datasets.
-Constrained individual countries 2020 ( 100m resolution ): Consistent 100m resolution population count datasets created using constrained top-down methods for all countries of the World for 2020.
-Constrained individual countries 2020 UN adjusted ( 100m resolution ): Consistent 100m resolution population count datasets created using constrained top-down methods for all countries of the World for 2020 and adjusted to match United Nations national population estimates (UN 2019).

Older datasets produced for specific individual countries and continents, using a set of tailored geospatial inputs and differing "top-down" methods and time periods are still available for download here: Individual countries and Whole Continent.

Data for earlier dates is available directly from WorldPop.

WorldPop (www.worldpop.org - School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton; Department of Geography and Geosciences, University of Louisville; Departement de Geographie, Universite de Namur) and Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University (2018). Global High Resolution Population Denominators Project - Funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1134076). https://dx.doi.org/10.5258/SOTON/WP00645

In 1800, the population of the area of modern-day Bangladesh was estimated to be just over 19 million, a figure which would rise steadily throughout the 19th century, reaching over 26 million by 1900. At the time, Bangladesh was the eastern part of the Bengal region in the British Raj, and had the most-concentrated Muslim population in the subcontinent's east. At the turn of the 20th century, the British colonial administration believed that east Bengal was economically lagging behind the west, and Bengal was partitioned in 1905 as a means of improving the region's development. East Bengal then became the only Muslim-majority state in the eastern Raj, which led to socioeconomic tensions between the Hindu upper classes and the general population. Bengal Famine During the Second World War, over 2.5 million men from across the British Raj enlisted in the British Army and their involvement was fundamental to the war effort. The war, however, had devastating consequences for the Bengal region, as the famine of 1943-1944 resulted in the deaths of up to three million people (with over two thirds thought to have been in the east) due to starvation and malnutrition-related disease. As the population boomed in the 1930s, East Bengal's mismanaged and underdeveloped agricultural sector could not sustain this growth; by 1942, food shortages spread across the region, millions began migrating in search of food and work, and colonial mismanagement exacerbated this further. On the brink of famine in early-1943, authorities in India called for aid and permission to redirect their own resources from the war effort to combat the famine, however these were mostly rejected by authorities in London. While the exact extent of each of these factors on causing the famine remains a topic of debate, the general consensus is that the British War Cabinet's refusal to send food or aid was the most decisive. Food shortages did not dissipate until late 1943, however famine deaths persisted for another year. Partition to independence Following the war, the movement for Indian independence reached its final stages as the process of British decolonization began. Unrest between the Raj's Muslim and Hindu populations led to the creation of two separate states in1947; the Muslim-majority regions became East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and West Pakistan (now Pakistan), separated by the Hindu-majority India. Although East Pakistan's population was larger, power lay with the military in the west, and authorities grew increasingly suppressive and neglectful of the eastern province in the following years. This reached a tipping point when authorities failed to respond adequately to the Bhola cyclone in 1970, which claimed over half a million lives in the Bengal region, and again when they failed to respect the results of the 1970 election, in which the Bengal party Awami League won the majority of seats. Bangladeshi independence was claimed the following March, leading to a brutal war between East and West Pakistan that claimed between 1.5 and three million deaths in just nine months. The war also saw over half of the country displaced, widespread atrocities, and the systematic rape of hundreds of thousands of women. As the war spilled over into India, their forces joined on the side of Bangladesh, and Pakistan was defeated two weeks later. An additional famine in 1974 claimed the lives of several hundred thousand people, meaning that the early 1970s was one of the most devastating periods in the country's history. Independent Bangladesh In the first decades of independence, Bangladesh's political hierarchy was particularly unstable and two of its presidents were assassinated in military coups. Since transitioning to parliamentary democracy in the 1990s, things have become comparatively stable, although political turmoil, violence, and corruption are persistent challenges. As Bangladesh continues to modernize and industrialize, living standards have increased and individual wealth has risen. Service industries have emerged to facilitate the demands of Bangladesh's developing economy, while manufacturing industries, particularly textiles, remain strong. Declining fertility rates have seen natural population growth fall in recent years, although the influx of Myanmar's Rohingya population due to the displacement crisis has seen upwards of one million refugees arrive in the country since 2017. In 2020, it is estimated that Bangladesh has a population of approximately 165 million people.

Bangladesh BD: Population: Total data was reported at 171,466,990.000 Person in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 169,384,897.000 Person for 2022. Bangladesh BD: Population: Total data is updated yearly, averaging 114,869,650.500 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 171,466,990.000 Person in 2023 and a record low of 51,828,660.000 Person in 1960. Bangladesh BD: Population: Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bangladesh – Table BD.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates.;(1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision; (2) Statistical databases and publications from national statistical offices; (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics; (4) United Nations Statistics Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years).;Sum;Relevance to gender indicator: disaggregating the population composition by gender will help a country in projecting its demand for social services on a gender basis.

Population ages 35-39, male (% of male population) in Bangladesh was reported at 6.9628 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Bangladesh - Population ages 35-39, male (% of male population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

Abstract

The Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) is part of the worldwide Demographic and Health Surveys program, which is designed to collect data on fertility, family planning, and maternal and child health.

The main objective of this survey is to provide policy-makers and program managers in health and family planning with detailed information on fertility and family planning, childhood mortality, maternal and child health, nutritional status of children and mothers, and awareness of HIV/AIDS. The survey consisted of two parts: a household-level survey of women and men and a community survey around the sample points from which the households were selected. Preparations for the survey started in mid-2003 and the fieldwork was carried out between January and May 2004.The urvey was conducted under the authority of the National Institute for Population Research and Training (NIPORT) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The survey was implemented by Mitra and Associates, a Bangladeshi research firm located in Dhaka. ORC Macro of Calverton, Maryland, provided technical assistance to the project as part of its international Demographic and Health Surveys program, and financial assistance was provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)/Bangladesh.

In general, the objectives of the BDHS are to: - Assess the overall demographic situation in Bangladesh - Assist in the evaluation of the population and health programs in Bangladesh - Advance survey methodology.

More specifically, the objective of the BDHS survey is to provide up-to-date information on fertility and childhood mortality levels; nuptiality; fertility preferences; awareness, approval, and use of family planning methods; breastfeeding practices; nutrition levels; and maternal and child health. This information is intended to assist policymakers and administrators in evaluating and designing programs and strategies for improving health and family planning services in the country.

Geographic coverage

National

Analysis unit

• Household
• Children under five years
• Women age 10-49
• Men age 15-54

Kind of data

Sample survey data

Sampling procedure

The sample for the 2004 BDHS covered the entire population residing in private dwellings units in the country. Administratively, Bangladesh is divided into six divisions. In turn, each division is divided into zilas, and in turn each zila into upazilas. Each urban area in the upazila is divided into wards, and into mahallas within the ward; each rural area in the upazila is divided into union parishads (UP) and into mouzas within the UPs. The urban areas were stratified into three groups, i) Standard metropolitan areas, ii) Municipality areas, and iii) Other urban areas. These divisions allow the country as a whole to be easily separated into rural and urban areas.

For the 2001 census, subdivisions called enumeration areas (EAs) were created based on a convenient number of dwellings units. Because sketch maps of EAs were accessible, EAs were considered suitable to use as primary sampling units (PSUs) for the 2004 BDHS. In each division, the list of EAs constituted the sample frame for the 2004 BDHS survey.

A target number of completed interviews with eligible women for the 2004 BDHS was set at 10,000, based on information from the 1999-2000 BDHS. The 2004 BDHS sample is a stratified, a multistage cluster sample consisting of 361 PSUs, 122 in the urban area and 239 in the rural area. After the target sample was allocated to each group area according to urban and rural areas, the number of PSUs was calculated in terms of an average of 28 completed interviews of eligible women per PSU (or an average of 30 selected households per PSU).

Mitra and Associates conducted a household listing operation in all the sample points from 3 October 2003 to 15 December 2003. A systematic sample of 10,811 households was then selected from these lists. All ever-married women age 10-49 in the selected households were eligible respondents for the women's questionnaire. For the men's survey, 50 percent of the selected households were chosen through systematic sampling. Interviewers interviewed one randomly selected man, regardless of marital status, in the age group 15-54, from each of the selected households. It was expected that the sample would yield interviews with approximately 10,000 ever-married women age 10-49 and 4,400 men age 15-54.

Note: See detailed in APPENDIX A of the survey report.

Sampling deviation

Data collected for women 10-49, indicators calculated for women 15-49.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face

Research instrument

The BDHS used a Household Questionnaire, a Women’s Questionnaire, a Men’s Questionnaire, and a Community Questionnaire. The contents of these questionnaires was based on MEASURE DHS+ model questionnaire. These model questionnaires were adapted for use in Bangladesh during a series of meetings with the Technical Task Force, which consisted of representatives from NIPORT, Mitra and Associates, USAID/Dhaka, ICDDR,B’s Center for Health and Population Research, Bangladesh, Pathfinder/Dhaka, and ORC Macro. Draft questionnaires were then circulated to other interested groups and were reviewed by the BDHS Technical Review Committee. The questionnaires were developed in English and then translated into and printed in Bangla. In addition, two versions of a Verbal Autopsy Questionnaire were used. One version was for neonatal deaths (0-28 days old at death) and the other was for deaths among older children (age 29 days to 5 years at death). The verbal autopsy instruments were developed using the previous two BDHS verbal autopsy surveys, the WHO verbal autopsy questionnaire, and the instrument used since 2003 in the Matlab Health and Demographic Surveillance System.

The Household Questionnaire was used to list all the usual members and visitors in the selected households. Some basic information was collected on the characteristics of each person listed, including his/her age, sex, education, and relationship to the head of the household. The main purpose of the Household Questionnaire was to identify women and men who were eligible for individual interview. In addition, information was collected about the dwelling itself, such as the source of water, type of toilet facilities, materials used to construct the house, and ownership of various consumer goods. The arsenic level of the water used by households for drinking was also tested. The Household Questionnaire was also used to record the heights and weights of all children under six years of age.

The Women’s Questionnaire was used to collect information from ever-married women age 10-49. These women were asked questions on the following topics: - Background characteristics (age, education, religion, etc.) - Reproductive history - Knowledge and use of family planning methods - Antenatal and delivery care - Breastfeeding and weaning practices - Vaccinations and health of children under age five - Marriage - Fertility preferences - Husband’s background and respondent’s work - Awareness of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases - Causes of deaths of children under five years of age

The Men’s Questionnaire was used to collect information from men age 15-54 whether ever married or not. The men were asked questions on the following topics: - Background characteristics (including respondent’s work) - Health and life style (illness, use of tobacco) - Marriage and sexual activity - Participation in reproductive health care - Awareness of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases - Attitudes on women’s decision making roles - Domestic violence

The Community Questionnaire was completed for each sample cluster and included questions about the existence of development organizations in the community and the availability and accessibility of health and family planning services.

The Verbal Autopsy Questionnaire was used for collection of open-ended information including narrative stories on the following topics: - Identification including detailed address of respondent - Informed consent - Detailed age description of deceased child - Information about caretaker or respondent of deceased child - Detailed birth and delivery information - Open-ended section allowing the respondent to provide a narrative history - Maternal history including questions on prenatal care, labor and delivery, and obstetrical complications - Information about accidental deaths - Detailed signs and symptoms preceding death - Treatment module and information on direct, underlying - Contributing causes of death from the death certificate, if available.

Cleaning operations

All questionnaires for the BDHS were periodically returned to Dhaka for data processing at Mitra and Associates. The processing of the data collected began shortly after the fieldwork commenced. The processing operation consisted of office editing, coding of open-ended questions, data entry, and editing inconsistencies found by the computer programs. The data were processed on six microcomputers working in double shifts and carried out by 10 data entry operators and two data entry supervisors. The concurrent processing of the data was an advantage since the quality control teams were able to advise field teams of problems detected during the data entry. In particular, tables were generated to check various data quality parameters. Data processing commenced on 12 January 2004 and was completed by 24 June 2004.

Response rate

A total of 10,811 households were selected for the sample; 10,523 were occupied, of which 10,500 were