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.

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.

The total population of Bangladesh was estimated at approximately 172.02 million people in 2024. Following a continuous upward trend, the total population has risen by around 92.38 million people since 1980. Between 2024 and 2030, the total population will rise by around 9.75 million people, continuing its consistent upward trajectory.This indicator describes the total population in the country at hand. This total population of the country consists of all persons falling within the scope of the census.

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. Data and Resources TIFF Bangladesh - Population density (2015) DATASET: Alpha version 2010 and 2015 estimates of numbers of people per grid...

Bangladesh BD: Population: Growth data was reported at 1.222 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.024 % for 2022. Bangladesh BD: Population: Growth data is updated yearly, averaging 1.888 % from Dec 1961 (Median) to 2023, with 63 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.944 % in 1968 and a record low of 0.815 % in 2021. Bangladesh BD: Population: Growth 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. Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage . Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.;Derived from total population. Population source: (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).;Weighted average;

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.

Graph and download economic data for Population Growth for Bangladesh (SPPOPGROWBGD) from 1961 to 2024 about Bangladesh, population, and rate.

Population growth (annual %) in Bangladesh was reported at 1.2146 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Bangladesh - Population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on November of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Population, Total for Bangladesh (POPTOTBDA647NWDB) from 1960 to 2024 about Bangladesh and population.

Historical dataset showing total population for Bangladesh by year from 1950 to 2025.

Bangladesh is largely ethnically homogeneous, and its name derives from the Bengali ethno-linguistic group which comprises 98% of the population. The Chittagong Hill Tracts, Sylhet, Mymensingh and North Bengal divisions are home to diverse indigenous peoples. There are many dialects of Bengali spoken throughout the region. The dialect spoken by those in Chittagong and Sylhet are particularly distinctive. In 2013 the population was estimated at 160 million. About 87% of Bangladeshis are Muslims, followed by Hindus (12%), Buddhists (1%) and Christians (0.5%).

Bangladesh has the highest population density in the world, excluding a handful of city-states and small countries with populations under 10m, such as Malta and Hong Kong.

Most of the demographic statistics below are from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, World Bank and CIA World Fackbook, unless otherwise indicated.

Key information about Bangladesh population

• The Bangladesh population reached 169.3 million people in Jun 2021, compared with the previously reported figure of 167.4 million people in Jun 2020
• The data reached an all-time high of 169.3 million people in Jun 2021 and a record low of 108.7 million people in Jun 1990

Dataset

This dataset was created by ANTOR MOJUMDAR

Released under CC BY-SA 4.0

Contents

Comprehensive socio-economic dataset for Bangladesh including population demographics, economic indicators, geographic data, and social statistics. This dataset covers key metrics such as GDP, population density, area, capital city, and regional classifications.

The population density in Bangladesh reached its highest in 2020, amounting to approximately 1.27 thousand people per square kilometer. The South Asian country was the tenth most densely populated country in the world in 2019. Within the Asia Pacific region, Bangladesh’s population density was only exceeded by Macao, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Maldives. Overall, Asia had the highest population density in the world in 2018.

Population growth in Bangladesh

In 1971, Bangladesh gained its independence from Pakistan. Bangladesh’s birth rate and mortality rate had declined significantly in the past years with a life expectancy of 72.59 years in 2019. In general, the population in Bangladesh had been growing at a slow pace, slightly fluctuating around an annual rate of one percent. This growth was forecasted to continue, although it was estimated to halve by 2040. As of today, Dhaka is the largest city in Bangladesh.

Population density explained

According to the source, “population density is the mid-year population divided by land area in square kilometers.” Further, “population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents.” Bangladesh’s population reached an estimated number of 164.69 million inhabitants in 2020. In 2018, the country’s land area amounted 130.2 thousand square kilometers.

Analysis unit

Persons, households, and dwellings

UNITS IDENTIFIED: - Dwellings: yes - Vacant Units: no - Households: yes - Individuals: yes - Group quarters: yes

UNIT DESCRIPTIONS: - Dwellings: Yes - Households: Person or persons related or unrelated, living together and taking food from the same kitchen. - Group quarters: The hostels, hospitals, clinics, jails, barracks or orphanages where a person or a group of persons spent the census night.

Universe

Everyone who spent the night of March 14-15 in Bangladesh. The homeless or transient population found on the census night e.g. at railway stations, launch ghats, boats, majars, Mosques etc. Enumeration of this population was completed between 12 a.m. to 6 a.m. on March 15, 2011. Offices, residential hotels, religious institutions, educational institutions, and businesses where persons stay overnight. Overnight security guards are included here.

Kind of data

Population and Housing Census [hh/popcen]

Sampling procedure

MICRODATA SOURCE: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics

SAMPLE SIZE (person records): 7205720.

SAMPLE DESIGN: Systematic Sample of every 10th dwelling with a random start, drawn by Bureau of Statistics. The homeless or transient population found on the census night e.g. at railway stations, launch ghats, boats, majars, Mosques etc. Enumeration of this population was completed between 12 a.m. to 6 a.m. on March 15, 2011. Offices, residential hotels, religious institutions, educational institutions, and businesses where persons stay overnight. Overnight security guards are included here.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Long and short enumeration forms.

Abstract

The 2011 Population and Housing Census is the fifth Bangladesh Population and Housing Census conducted over a period of five days starting at the zero hour of 15 March 2011 and completing on the 19 March 2011. Population census done in every ten years indeed is the only recognized source in Bangladesh for quality benchmark database pertaining to population size and its spatial distribution and for various basic demographic characteristics. Along with national level aggregates, the census has generated detailed segregated data at community levels (mahallas/mauzas/villages) of the country being a full-count statistical undertaking.

The main objective of the census was to collect information on the basic characteristics related to housing, households and population for developing a comprehensive database for all development planning and human resource development programmes as well as economic management.

According to the provisional results of 2011 Population and Housing Census, the enumerated population on 15th March, 2011 was 142,319 thousands.

Geographic coverage

National

Analysis unit

• Households;
• Individuals.

Kind of data

Census/enumeration data [cen]

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The census questionnaire was designed for data capture through ICR equipment and had two modules: 1) a housing and household module with 11 questions and 2) an individual module with 14 questions.

Actual value and historical data chart for Bangladesh Rural Population Percent Of Total Population

Bangladesh: Population ages 65 and above, percent of total: The latest value from 2024 is 6.5 percent, an increase from 6.32 percent in 2023. In comparison, the world average is 10.43 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for Bangladesh from 1960 to 2024 is 3.79 percent. The minimum value, 2.88 percent, was reached in 1963 while the maximum of 6.5 percent was recorded in 2024.

Historical dataset showing Bangladesh population density by year from 1961 to 2022.