Data

Charts

130 interactive charts on Bangladesh — hover for exact values, and reuse any of them freely under CC BY 4.0.

HealthBar

Fewer Bangladeshi newborns are breastfed early, and fewer babies are exclusively breastfed, than in 2018

Share of newborns breastfed within one hour of birth, and of infants under 6 months exclusively breastfed, %, 2018 and 2022

Source: UNICEF Data Warehouse, household surveys In: Only 37% of Bangladeshi newborns were breastfed within an hour of birth in 2022, down from 59% in 2018

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HealthLine

Almost everyone has a basic water source, but only 59% have safely managed water

Share of Bangladesh's population using basic and safely managed drinking water services, %, 2000–2024 (modelled estimates)

Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme In: Almost every Bangladeshi has a water tap or tube well — but only 59% have water that is safely managed, and the cities are falling behind

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EconomyArea

Manufacturing has grown from 14.5% of Bangladesh's GDP in 1980 to 22.4% in 2025

Manufacturing, value added, % of GDP, 1980–2025 (note the step up between 2015 and 2016)

Source: Country official statistics and World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank WDI In: Manufacturing now makes up 22.4% of Bangladesh's GDP, up from 14.0% in 2000

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Social JusticeArea

One in three Bangladeshis now lives in a city or town, up from one in five in 1990

Urban population as % of total population, 1990–2025

Source: United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects, via World Bank WDI In: One in three Bangladeshis now lives in an urban area — 58 million people, 2.6 times the 1990 number

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HealthBar

Open defecation has ended, and basic sanitation and handwashing have climbed since 2010

Share of Bangladesh's population, %, selected years 2010–2024 (modelled estimates)

Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme In: Almost every Bangladeshi has a water tap or tube well — but only 59% have water that is safely managed, and the cities are falling behind

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HealthBar

Rural Bangladesh has overtaken the cities on safe water and sanitation

Share of urban and rural population using safely managed water and sanitation services, %, 2000 and 2024 (modelled estimates)

Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme In: Almost every Bangladeshi has a water tap or tube well — but only 59% have water that is safely managed, and the cities are falling behind

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EconomyBar

Across South Asia, Pakistan and Nepal have grown more dependent on remittances while Bangladesh has not

Personal remittances received, % of GDP, 2015 and 2025

Source: IMF balance of payments data and World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank WDI In: Remittances have hit $33.9 billion — nineteen times what foreign investors bring, relative to the economy

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EnergyLine

Bangladesh needs 37% less energy per dollar of output than in 1990

Energy intensity of primary energy, MJ per $ of GDP (constant PPP), 1990–2023

Source: UN SDG Global Database, indicator 7.3.1 In: Bangladesh now uses 37% less energy per dollar of output than in 1990

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EconomyBar

Remittances are about 19 times foreign direct investment relative to the economy

Personal remittances received and net FDI inflows, % of GDP, selected years 2000–2025

Source: IMF balance of payments data and World Bank, via World Bank WDI In: Remittances have hit $33.9 billion — nineteen times what foreign investors bring, relative to the economy

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EconomyBar

Remittances have reached $33.9 billion, but relative to the economy they remain below their 2012 peak

Personal remittances received: US$ billion (bars) and % of GDP (line), 2000–2025

Source: IMF balance of payments data and World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank WDI In: Remittances have hit $33.9 billion — nineteen times what foreign investors bring, relative to the economy

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ClimateLine

Renewable freshwater per person in Bangladesh has fallen by two-thirds since 1962

Renewable internal freshwater resources per capita, cubic metres per person per year, 1962–2022

Source: AQUASTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations In: Renewable freshwater per person in Bangladesh has fallen from 1,913 m³ in 1962 to 620 m³ in 2022

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EconomyBar

Bangladesh's income per person has tripled since 2000, but India, Sri Lanka and Viet Nam have pulled further ahead

GDP per person, PPP, constant 2021 international dollars, 2000 and 2025

Source: International Comparison Program, World Bank, via World Bank WDI In: Income per person in Bangladesh has tripled since 2000 to $8,677, but India has pulled further ahead

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ClimateStacked area

Power plants now emit half of Bangladesh's CO₂, up from under a third in 1990

Carbon dioxide emissions by sector, million tonnes, 1990–2024 (excluding land use, land-use change and forestry)

Source: EDGAR Community GHG Database, European Commission Joint Research Centre, via World Bank WDI In: Power plants now produce half of Bangladesh's CO₂ emissions — 61 million tonnes in 2024

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HealthArea

Undernourishment in Bangladesh has halved since its 2010 peak

Prevalence of undernourishment, % of population, 2001–2024

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations In: Undernourishment in Bangladesh has fallen from 18.2% to 8.2% since 2010

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Social JusticeBar

Women's account ownership fell to 33% in 2024, widening the gap with men to 20 points

Adults aged 15+ with an account at a financial institution or a mobile-money provider, %, by sex, 2021 and 2024

Source: Global Findex Database, World Bank, via World Bank WDI In: Only 33% of Bangladeshi women had a financial account in 2024, against 54% of men

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EnergyBar

Bangladesh generates 8.9 kWh of solar power per person; India and Pakistan generate about 15 times as much

Solar electricity generated per person, kWh, 2019 and 2025

Source: Our World in Data In: Solar power per person in Bangladesh has quadrupled since 2019, but at 8.9 kWh it is a fifteenth of India's

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HealthArea

Bangladesh is ageing: the 65+ share has nearly doubled since 2000

Population aged 65 and above, % of total population (UN estimates and projections), 1990–2025

Source: United Nations Population Division, World Population Prospects, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh's 65-and-over population share has nearly doubled since 2000, to 6.7%

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EducationHorizontal bar

Bangladesh spends less of its income on education than most of its neighbours

Government expenditure on education, % of GDP, latest year available (shown in brackets)

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh spends 2% of GDP on education — and half its secondary teachers are untrained

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EducationBar

Bangladesh's secondary teachers are the least trained in South Asia's main economies

Share of teachers with minimum required training, %, latest year available: primary vs secondary

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh spends 2% of GDP on education — and half its secondary teachers are untrained

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EconomyBar

Farmed fish now make up three-fifths of Bangladesh's fisheries output

Aquaculture production and total fisheries production, metric tons, 1990–2024

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations In: Fish farming has grown fifteenfold since 1990 and now supplies 59% of Bangladesh's fish

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ClimateBar

Fertiliser use per hectare has quadrupled since 1990, and farm nitrous oxide has risen with it

Fertiliser consumption (kg per hectare of arable land, bars) and agricultural nitrous oxide emissions (Mt CO2e, line), 2000–2024

Source: FAO In: Bangladeshi farmers now apply 399 kg of fertiliser per hectare — four times the 1990 rate

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Social JusticeLine

Informal work is the norm for men and almost universal for women

Informal employment as a share of total employment, by sex, 2010–2024 (%)

Source: ILOSTAT, Labour Force Survey estimates In: Eight in ten Bangladeshi workers have no formal job — and almost every working woman is among them

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Social JusticeHorizontal bar

Informality is near-total in farming and construction, and lowest in public administration

Informal employment as a share of employment in each industry, 2024 (%)

Source: ILOSTAT, Labour Force Survey estimates by ISIC Rev. 4 section In: Eight in ten Bangladeshi workers have no formal job — and almost every working woman is among them

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EducationLine

Primary teachers are getting more training; secondary teachers are not

Share of teachers with minimum required training, Bangladesh, %, 2011–2024 (years with data)

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh spends 2% of GDP on education — and half its secondary teachers are untrained

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Social JusticeBar

Women's average monthly pay has fallen well behind men's since 2013

Average monthly earnings of employees, current taka, by sex, 2013–2024

Source: ILOSTAT, Labour Force Survey estimates In: Eight in ten Bangladeshi workers have no formal job — and almost every working woman is among them

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HealthBar

Bangladesh's road death rate is above the world's and South Asian average, but below Nepal's

Deaths due to road traffic injuries per 100,000 population, 2021 (WHO estimates)

Source: WHO, Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023, via UN SDG Global Database In: Road crashes kill 18.6 people per 100,000 in Bangladesh, about a quarter more than the world rate

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HealthBar

Contraceptive use has plateaued near 62–64% since 2011

Married women aged 15–49 using any contraceptive method, survey years, 1989–2022

Source: Household surveys In: Contraceptive use in Bangladesh has stalled at about 64% after rising from 31% in 1989

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EnergyArea

Energy use per person fell from 308 to 288 kg of oil equivalent between 2022 and 2024

Primary energy use, kilograms of oil equivalent per person, Bangladesh, 1990–2024

Source: IEA Energy Statistics, via World Bank WDI In: Energy use per person fell for two years running after peaking at 308 kg of oil equivalent in 2022

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Social JusticeBar

Recorded homicide victims fell from 2.86 to 1.76 per 100,000 between 2014 and 2023

Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population, Bangladesh, 2000–2023 (2019 not reported)

Source: National Police data, via UN SDG Global Database In: Recorded homicides in Bangladesh have fallen to 1.76 per 100,000 people

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HealthHorizontal bar

Bangladesh's tobacco use rate is higher than India's, Pakistan's or Sri Lanka's, and 1.6 times the world's

Age-standardized prevalence of current tobacco use, adults 15+, 2024

Source: WHO Global Health Observatory, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh has nearly halved tobacco use since 2000 — but one adult in three still uses it, and half of men

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EconomyLine

Bank and other lending to the private sector has fallen to 34.5% of GDP

Domestic credit to the private sector, % of GDP, 2016–2025

Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund In: Lending to Bangladesh's private sector has slipped to 34.5% of GDP

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EnergyLine

Clean cooking reached two in three urban Bangladeshis, but only one in eight rural ones

Share of population primarily using clean cooking fuels and technologies, per cent, 2000–2024

Source: Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report, via World Bank WDI In: The kitchen is the last mile — electricity reaches 99.5% of Bangladeshis, but only 12% of rural people cook with clean fuels

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Social JusticeLine

Extreme poverty has almost gone, but seven in ten Bangladeshis still live on under $8.30 a day

Share of population below three poverty lines (2021 PPP dollars per day), 1988–2022, %

Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform, via World Bank WDI In: Extreme poverty has fallen to 5.9%, but 71.5% of Bangladeshis still live on less than $8.30 a day

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EnergyHorizontal bar

Household smoke kills 103 Bangladeshis per 100,000 a year, more than India or Sri Lanka

Age-standardized death rate attributed to household air pollution, per 100,000 population, 2019 (modelled estimate)

Source: WHO Global Health Observatory, via UN SDG Global Database In: The kitchen is the last mile — electricity reaches 99.5% of Bangladeshis, but only 12% of rural people cook with clean fuels

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EnergyBar

India added 47 points of clean-cooking access in 14 years; Bangladesh added 17

Share of population primarily using clean cooking fuels and technologies, per cent, 2010 and 2024

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EducationBar

Nine in ten children now attend organised learning the year before primary school

Participation rate in organised learning one year before the official primary entry age, %, by sex, 2010, 2023 and 2024

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via UN SDG Global Database In: 88% of Bangladeshi children now attend organised learning the year before primary school, up from 34% in 2010

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HealthLine

Tobacco use among Bangladeshi adults has fallen from 58% to 32% since 2000

Age-standardized prevalence of current tobacco use (smoked and smokeless), people aged 15+, by sex, 2000–2024

Source: WHO estimates, via UN SDG Global Database In: Bangladesh has nearly halved tobacco use since 2000 — but one adult in three still uses it, and half of men

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HealthBar

Women cut tobacco use by 34 points, men by 18, so men now use it 3.6 times as often

Age-standardized prevalence of current tobacco use, people aged 15+, 2000 and 2024

Source: WHO estimates, via UN SDG Global Database In: Bangladesh has nearly halved tobacco use since 2000 — but one adult in three still uses it, and half of men

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Social JusticeHorizontal bar

Women spend about a quarter of their day on unpaid care and chores; men spend about 3%

Share of a 24-hour day spent on unpaid domestic chores and care work, people aged 15+, by sex and area, 2021

Source: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Time Use Survey 2021, via UN SDG Global Database In: Bangladeshi women spend a quarter of their day on unpaid care and chores, about seven times as much as men

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HealthHorizontal bar

Bangladesh has 0.92 hospital beds per 1,000 people, less than a quarter of Sri Lanka's

Hospital beds per 1,000 people, Bangladesh and selected Asian countries, 2023

Source: WHO data, supplemented by country data, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh has 0.92 hospital beds per 1,000 people, less than a quarter of Sri Lanka's

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HealthLine

Births per woman fell from 6.8 in 1971 to 2.1 in 2024

Total fertility rate, Bangladesh, 1960–2024 (births per woman)

Source: UN Population Division, World Population Prospects, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh's fertility rate has fallen to 2.14 births per woman, but has barely moved since 2010

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EducationHorizontal bar

Only 55% of Bangladesh's secondary teachers are trained, the lowest share among South Asian peers

Trained teachers in secondary education, % of total teachers, latest year available (2023–2025)

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via World Bank WDI In: Only 55% of Bangladesh's secondary teachers were trained in 2024, down from 65% a year earlier

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Social JusticeArea

Women's share of parliament seats has hovered around 20% since 2010

Seats held by women in the national parliament, 1997–2023 (percent)

Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union In: One in five parliamentary seats is held by a woman — a share unchanged since 2010

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HealthLine

Fewer Bangladeshis die early from chronic disease, but nearly one in five still does

Probability of dying between ages 30 and 70 from cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory disease (%, modelled estimate), 2000–2021

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, via World Bank WDI In: Nearly 1 in 5 Bangladeshis still die early from chronic disease — 18.1% in 2021

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EconomyHorizontal bar

Foreign investment in Bangladesh is 0.4% of GDP, a tenth of Viet Nam's share

Foreign direct investment, net inflows, % of GDP, 2025

Source: IMF balance of payments and World Bank, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh's growth has halved as investment slips and foreign money stays away

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EconomyBar

GDP growth has halved since 2019, and investment has slipped from 32% to 28.5% of GDP

GDP growth (%, bars) and gross capital formation (% of GDP, line), 2012–2025

Source: World Bank and OECD national accounts, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh's growth has halved as investment slips and foreign money stays away

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EducationHorizontal bar

Half of Bangladesh's 10-year-olds are learning-poor, far above Viet Nam and Sri Lanka

Learning poverty, % of children at end-of-primary age, latest year available (shown in brackets)

Source: World Bank and UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via World Bank WDI In: Half of Bangladesh's 10-year-olds cannot read a simple text: learning poverty was 51.2% in 2022

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EconomyBar

Investment is flat in Bangladesh since 2015 while India has pulled ahead and Sri Lanka has fallen back

Gross fixed capital formation, % of GDP, 2015 and 2025

Source: World Bank and OECD national accounts, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh's growth has halved as investment slips and foreign money stays away

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ClimateLine

Marine protection has grown sixfold since 2013, while protected land has shrunk

Protected areas, % of territorial waters and % of land area, 2013–2025

Source: UNEP-WCMC and IUCN, Protected Planet In: Bangladesh's protected waters grew from 1.4% to 8.6% since 2013, but protected land slipped to 4.2%

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HealthHorizontal bar

One in five children of mothers with no schooling is wasted, more than twice the rate of the best-educated

Children under 5 below −2 SD weight-for-height (wasted), by mother's education, %, BDHS 2022

Source: NIPORT and ICF, Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2022: Key Indicators Report In: Bangladesh has beaten child stunting — but one child in nine is still too thin for their height

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HealthBar

Stunting fell by more than half since 2000; wasting barely moved

Share of children under 5 who are stunted, underweight or wasted, %, 2000 and 2022

Source: UNICEF, WHO and World Bank Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh has beaten child stunting — but one child in nine is still too thin for their height

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HealthLine

Wasting has hovered around 10–15% for three decades while stunting has collapsed

Share of children under 5, %, survey years 1990–2022

Source: UNICEF, WHO and World Bank Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh has beaten child stunting — but one child in nine is still too thin for their height

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EducationLine

Women's literacy has risen from 18% to 77%, closing most of the gap with men

Adult literacy rate, % of people aged 15 and above, by sex, 1981–2022

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via World Bank WDI In: Women's literacy has risen from 18% to 77% since 1981, nearly closing the gap with men

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Social JusticeHorizontal bar

Bangladesh's share below $8.30 a day is higher than Indonesia's or Nepal's, and far above Viet Nam's

Share of the population living on less than $8.30 a day (2021 PPP), latest survey year (year in brackets)

Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh has escaped extreme poverty, but seven in ten people still live on less than $8.30 a day

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Social JusticeHorizontal bar

Controlling behaviour is the most common form of partner violence, but nearly half of women also report physical violence

Share of women experiencing each form of intimate partner violence in their lifetime, 2024

Source: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Violence Against Women Survey 2024 In: Three in four Bangladeshi women have faced partner violence — and almost none turn to the law

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Social JusticeBar

Extreme poverty has fallen to 6%, but seven in ten Bangladeshis still live on less than $8.30 a day

Share of the population below three international poverty lines (2021 PPP dollars a day), 2010 and 2022

Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform, from BBS Household Income and Expenditure Surveys, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh has escaped extreme poverty, but seven in ten people still live on less than $8.30 a day

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ClimateBar

Methane from farming rose 38% from 1990 to 2022, then fell in 2023 and 2024

Methane (CH₄) emissions from agriculture, million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent, 1990–2024

Source: EDGAR In: Farming methane fell 11% in two years, but at 47 Mt it is still a fifth of Bangladesh's emissions

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HealthLine

Newborn deaths have fallen by almost three-quarters since 1990, but progress is slowing

Neonatal deaths (first 28 days) per 1,000 live births, modelled estimate, 1990–2024

Source: UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation In: Newborn deaths in Bangladesh have fallen to 18 per 1,000, but the decline has nearly stalled

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Social JusticeBar

Only Afghanistan has a higher modelled rate of lifetime partner violence in South Asia

Ever-partnered women aged 15–49 subjected to physical and/or sexual violence by a partner in their lifetime, 2023 (modelled estimate)

Source: WHO Global Health Observatory, indicator SDGIPVLT In: Three in four Bangladeshi women have faced partner violence — and almost none turn to the law

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EducationBar

Primary-age children out of school fell to 0.54 million by 2018, then rose again to 0.92 million in 2024

Primary-school-age children not enrolled in primary or secondary school: number (million, bars) and share of the age group (%, line), selected years 2010–2024

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via World Bank WDI In: Nearly 920,000 primary-age children were out of school in 2024, up from 540,000 in 2018

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Social JusticeBar

The poorest fifth still takes under 9% of consumption, as in 2000

Share of total household consumption by population quintile (poorest to richest fifth), %, survey years 2000–2022

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Social JusticeBar

The slum share has barely moved, so the number of residents has grown by about 9 million

Urban slum residents (million, bars; DEEPLAB calculation) and share of urban population (%, line), 2000–2022

Source: UN-Habitat Urban Indicators Database In: More than half of Bangladesh's urban population still lives in slums — about 27.6 million people

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Social JusticeBar

Violence in the past year has fallen since 2015, but partner violence is still far more common than violence by others

Share of women experiencing violence in the previous 12 months, 2015 and 2024 (percent)

Source: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Violence Against Women Survey 2024 In: Three in four Bangladeshi women have faced partner violence — and almost none turn to the law

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HealthArea

Anaemia among women has risen since 2012, to 37.6% in 2023

Women aged 15–49 with anaemia, % of women, Bangladesh, 2000–2023 (modelled estimates)

Source: WHO Global Health Observatory, via World Bank WDI In: Anaemia affects 37.6% of Bangladeshi women, and the rate has crept up since 2012

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EconomyLine

Exports have fallen from 20% of GDP in 2012 to 11% in 2025

Exports of goods and services, % of GDP, 2000–2025

Source: Country official statistics and World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh's exports have shrunk from 20.2% of GDP in 2012 to 11.1% in 2025

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HealthLine

India has overtaken Bangladesh on safe drinking water, while Bangladesh's coverage has barely moved since 2000

People using safely managed drinking water services, % of population, 2000–2024

Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme, via World Bank WDI In: Only 59% of Bangladeshis use safely managed drinking water, and the share has barely moved since 2000

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EnergyLine

Power lost on the way to users has fallen to 8%, but it has crept up since 2022

Electric power transmission and distribution losses, % of output, Bangladesh, 2000–2024

Source: International Energy Agency, Energy Statistics, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh loses 8.2% of its electricity before it reaches users, half the rate of India and Pakistan

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EconomyBar

As the state's share of health spending shrank, households paid more

Out-of-pocket share of current health expenditure (%, bars) and government health spending (% of GDP, line), 2000–2023

Source: WHO Global Health Expenditure Database, via World Bank WDI In: A state that collects 7% of GDP in tax cannot pay for health — and Bangladeshi families are covering the bill

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EconomyHorizontal bar

Bangladesh collects 7.6% of GDP in tax, less than most of South Asia

Central government tax revenue, % of GDP, latest year available (year in brackets)

Source: IMF Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank WDI In: A state that collects 7% of GDP in tax cannot pay for health — and Bangladeshi families are covering the bill

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HealthBar

Bangladesh has doubled its doctors per person since 2010, but still has fewer than one per 1,000 people

Physicians and hospital beds per 1,000 people, 2010 and 2023

Source: WHO and OECD workforce statistics In: Bangladesh has 0.72 doctors per 1,000 people — double 2010's level, but still fewer than one per 1,000

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EnergyHorizontal bar

Bangladesh uses about half as much electricity per person as India

Electric power consumption, kWh per person, 2024

Source: IEA Energy Statistics, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh uses 632 kWh of electricity per person, about half of India's and under a quarter of Viet Nam's

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EconomyBar

Bangladesh's government spends 0.31% of GDP on health, the least in South Asia after Afghanistan

Domestic general government health expenditure, % of GDP, 2023

Source: WHO Global Health Expenditure Database, via World Bank WDI In: A state that collects 7% of GDP in tax cannot pay for health — and Bangladeshi families are covering the bill

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HealthHorizontal bar

Bangladesh's government spends less per person on health than every South Asian neighbour but Afghanistan

Government health expenditure per person, US$, 2023 (Maldives, at $915, not shown)

Source: WHO Global Health Expenditure Database, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh's government spends about $8 a person on health — so households pay 79% of the bill

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HealthBar

Government health spending in Bangladesh has slipped to under 0.4% of GDP, about $8 a person

Government health expenditure: US$ per person (bars) and % of GDP (line), 2000–2023

Source: WHO Global Health Expenditure Database, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh's government spends about $8 a person on health — so households pay 79% of the bill

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HealthBar

Households now pay 79% of Bangladesh's health bill as the government and donors both retreat

Share of current health expenditure by source, %, 2000 and 2023

Source: WHO Global Health Expenditure Database, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh's government spends about $8 a person on health — so households pay 79% of the bill

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HealthArea

Safely managed sanitation has tripled since 2000, but still reaches only 37%

People using safely managed sanitation services, % of population, Bangladesh, 2000–2024 (modelled estimates)

Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme In: Only 37% of people in Bangladesh use safely managed sanitation

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Social JusticeBar

Women's vulnerable work fell from 88% to 65%, but still exceeds men's 54%

Vulnerable employment (own-account and contributing family workers), % of employment, 2000 and 2025, modelled ILO estimates

Source: ILO Modelled Estimates In: Women's vulnerable employment fell from 88% to 65% — but is still 11 points above men's

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HealthArea

Adolescent births in Bangladesh have more than halved since 2000

Births per 1,000 women aged 15–19, Bangladesh, 2000–2024 (modelled estimates)

Source: United Nations Population Division, World Population Prospects, via World Bank WDI In: Adolescent births in Bangladesh have more than halved since 2000, but 71 per 1,000 girls still give birth each year

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HealthLine

Bangladeshis gained seven years of life expectancy, then lost some in the pandemic

Life expectancy at birth, both sexes (years), WHO estimates, 2000–2023

Source: WHO Global Health Observatory, Life expectancy at birth In: Life expectancy in Bangladesh rose by seven years since 2000, but has not regained its 2019 peak

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EnergyBar

Nearly everyone has electricity; only 29% cook with clean fuels

Share of the population with access, per cent, 2010 and 2024

Source: Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report, via World Bank WDI In: Only 29% of Bangladeshis cook with clean fuels, even as electricity reaches 99.5%

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EducationLine

Girls have pulled steadily ahead of boys in finishing lower secondary — the gap is now 21 points

Lower-secondary completion rate, % of the relevant age group, by sex, 2000–2024

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh got its children into school — now it is losing its boys before they finish

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EconomyBar

Inflation has topped 8% for three years running, a first in the World Bank series since 1987

Consumer price inflation, annual %, Bangladesh, 2010–2025

Source: International Monetary Fund, International Financial Statistics, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh's inflation has stayed above 8% for three years running, peaking at 10.5% in 2024

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EducationBar

More children now finish school, but each step up still loses many

Completion and gross enrolment rates, per cent, 2010 and 2024 (gross rates can exceed 100% or reflect over-age pupils)

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh got its children into school — now it is losing its boys before they finish

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HealthLine

Nearly all Bangladeshi infants now get routine vaccines

Share of children aged 12–23 months immunized, %, 1990–2024

Source: WHO and UNICEF estimates of national immunization coverage, via World Bank WDI In: 97% of Bangladeshi infants are now protected against diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus

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HealthArea

Nearly every Bangladeshi child now gets the full DPT vaccine course

Children ages 12–23 months immunized against diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus (% of age group), 1985–2024

Source: World Health Organization In: 97% of Bangladeshi toddlers are fully immunized against DPT, up from 2% in 1985

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EducationBar

One in three boys of lower-secondary age is out of school, against one in eight girls

Adolescents of lower-secondary school age who are not in school, %, by sex, selected years

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh got its children into school — now it is losing its boys before they finish

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EducationBar

University enrolment has more than quadrupled since 2000

Gross tertiary enrolment ratio (% of the five-year age group after secondary school), 2000–2024

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via World Bank WDI In: University enrolment has quadrupled since 2000, but only 24% of young people reach tertiary education

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EducationArea

Bangladesh has spent about 2% of GDP on education for a quarter of a century

General government expenditure on education, % of GDP, 1999–2024 (years with data)

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh still spends about 2% of GDP on education

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HealthArea

Childbirth has become far safer for Bangladeshi mothers

Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births (modelled estimate), 1990–2023

Source: WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank and UN DESA, Trends in Maternal Mortality, via World Bank WDI In: Childbirth has become far safer in Bangladesh — but four in ten births still happen without a skilled attendant

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EnergyArea

Each Bangladeshi uses almost four times the electricity of 2005, yet still only about 630 kWh a year

Electric power consumption, kWh per person, 1990–2024

Source: IEA Energy Statistics, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh's lights run on fossil fuels — and the gas that powered them is giving way to costlier coal and imports

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EconomyStacked area

Farming's share of jobs has risen again since 2019

Share of total employment by sector, %, 1991–2025 (modelled ILO estimates)

Source: International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT modelled estimates, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh's jobs are drifting back to the farm — and young women are the most shut out

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EnergyStacked area

Gas's share of Bangladesh's electricity has fallen from 92% to 65% as coal has risen to 20%

Share of electricity generation by fuel, %, 2000–2024 (the small remainder is hydro, solar and other sources)

Source: IEA Energy Statistics, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh's lights run on fossil fuels — and the gas that powered them is giving way to costlier coal and imports

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EconomyBar

Growth has slowed three years in a row

Real GDP growth (% a year), fiscal years 2000–2025

Source: World Bank and OECD national accounts, from Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh's growth has slowed to 3.5%, its weakest pace in a generation outside the pandemic

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EnergyLine

Imports now meet nearly half of Bangladesh's energy use, up from a fifth a decade ago

Net energy imports, % of energy use, 1990–2024 (years without data omitted)

Source: IEA Energy Statistics, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh's lights run on fossil fuels — and the gas that powered them is giving way to costlier coal and imports

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EconomyBar

One in five young women is neither studying nor working

Share of youth aged 15–24 not in education, employment or training, %, by sex, 2022–2024

Source: International Labour Organization, Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh's jobs are drifting back to the farm — and young women are the most shut out

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EconomyArea

Remittances have rebounded to 7.4% of GDP, still below the 2012 peak

Personal remittances received, % of GDP, 2000–2025

Source: World Bank staff estimates, IMF balance of payments data and national accounts, via World Bank WDI In: Remittances are worth 7.4% of Bangladesh's GDP — rising again after a decade-long slide from 10.6%

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HealthBar

Six in ten births now have a skilled attendant

Births attended by skilled health staff (% of total), by survey year

Source: UNICEF State of the World's Children, from DHS and MICS surveys, via World Bank WDI In: Childbirth has become far safer in Bangladesh — but four in ten births still happen without a skilled attendant

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EconomyLine

Young men are far more likely than young women to be counted as unemployed

Unemployment rate, ages 15–24, % of labour force, by sex, 2000–2025 (modelled ILO estimates)

Source: International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT modelled estimates, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh's jobs are drifting back to the farm — and young women are the most shut out

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Social JusticeHorizontal bar

Bangladesh has the highest child marriage rate in South Asia

Women aged 20–24 first married before age 18, latest survey

Source: UNICEF global databases and DHS Program, via World Bank WDI In: Half of Bangladeshi women still marry as children

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Social JusticeLine

Child marriage is falling, but slowly

Share of women aged 20–24 who were first married or in union before age 18 and before age 15, by survey year

Source: UNICEF global databases and DHS Program, from BDHS and MICS surveys, via World Bank WDI In: Half of Bangladeshi women still marry as children

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HealthArea

Estimated cognitive loss as blood-lead concentration rises

Average IQ points lost relative to an unexposed child · modelled estimate

Source: DEP modelling based on pooled international dose–response studies In: Lead poisoning crisis threatens 35 million Bangladeshi children

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HealthBar

Share of children exceeding the WHO lead reference level, by district

% of tested children with blood-lead above 5 µg/dL · Bangladesh, 2024

Source: UNICEF, Pure Earth & IEDCR, Bangladesh childhood blood-lead survey In: Lead poisoning crisis threatens 35 million Bangladeshi children

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ClimateLine

Bangladesh breathes air far above every safety threshold

Mean annual exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), µg/m³, 2000–2023

Source: World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh's air is cutting years off its people's lives

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Social JusticeArea

Extreme poverty has fallen from half the population to about 6%

Share of people living on less than $3.00 a day (2021 prices), by survey year

Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform, from BBS Household Income and Expenditure Surveys, via World Bank WDI In: Extreme poverty in Bangladesh has fallen from half the population to about 6%

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HealthBar

2023 was Bangladesh's worst dengue year on record

Dengue patients hospitalised per year, 2018–2024

Source: Directorate General of Health Services In: Dengue's record year — 2023 brought more cases than the previous 23 years combined

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HealthBar

Dengue deaths per year

Recorded dengue deaths, 2018–2024

Source: Directorate General of Health Services In: Dengue's record year — 2023 brought more cases than the previous 23 years combined

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Social JusticeLine

Inequality rose in the 1990s and has eased slightly since

Gini index of household consumption (0 = everyone equal, 100 = one person has everything), by survey year

Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform, from BBS Household Income and Expenditure Surveys, via World Bank WDI In: Income inequality in Bangladesh rose in the 1990s and has eased only slightly since

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ClimateBar

Cyclone deaths by decade

Total recorded cyclone deaths in Bangladesh, 1960–2009 · logarithmic scale

Source: Haque et al., Bulletin of the World Health Organization 90 In: How Bangladesh cut cyclone deaths more than a hundredfold

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ClimateBar

Storms of similar strength, very different death tolls

Deaths from the four severe cyclones (223–250 km/h winds) recorded 1960–2009: 1970 Bhola 223 km/h, 1991 225 km/h, 1997 225 km/h, 2007 Sidr 250 km/h · logarithmic scale

Source: Haque et al., “Reduced death rates from cyclones in Bangladesh: what more needs to be done?”, Bulletin of the World Health Organization 90 In: How Bangladesh cut cyclone deaths more than a hundredfold

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Social JusticeLine

Twice as many men as women are in the labour force

Labour force participation rate, % of people aged 15+, by sex (modelled ILO estimates)

Source: International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT modelled estimates, via World Bank WDI In: Only about four in ten Bangladeshi women are in the labour force

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Social JusticeBar

Fewer children in hazardous work, but child labour has not fallen

Children aged 5–17, millions — National Child Labour Survey 2013 and 2022

Source: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, National Child Labour Survey 2022 In: 1.78 million Bangladeshi children are in child labour — about as many as a decade ago

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Social JusticeBar

More births are registered, but over 4 in 10 children still lack one

Completeness of birth registration, % of children under 5, household survey estimates

Source: UNICEF and BBS Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys and Demographic and Health Surveys, via World Bank WDI In: More than four in ten young children in Bangladesh have no birth registration

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Social JusticeBar

Bangladesh hosts more than a million refugees

Refugees under UNHCR's mandate living in Bangladesh, end of year

Source: UNHCR, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh now hosts more than a million refugees

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ClimateHorizontal bar

The average Bangladeshi emits a fraction of the world average

CO₂ emissions per person, tonnes, 2024 (excluding land use)

Source: EDGAR / Joint Research Centre, via World Bank WDI In: The average Bangladeshi emits about 0.7 tonnes of CO₂ a year — a sixth of the world average

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ClimateArea

Bangladesh's greenhouse gas emissions have tripled since 1990

Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding land use, million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent

Source: EDGAR / Joint Research Centre, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh's greenhouse gas emissions have tripled since 1990

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EnergyArea

Renewables' share of Bangladesh's energy has fallen by two-thirds

Renewable energy, % of total final energy consumption (mostly traditional biomass such as wood and dung)

Source: IEA, IRENA, UN Statistics Division, World Bank and WHO In: Renewables' share of Bangladesh's energy has fallen from 72% to 25%

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ClimateBar

About one in twelve Bangladeshis lives less than 5 metres above sea level

Share of the population living where land elevation is below 5 metres

Source: CIESIN In: More than 13 million Bangladeshis live less than 5 metres above sea level

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ClimateLine

Only about 14% of Bangladesh is forest

Forest area, % of land area

Source: FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment, via World Bank WDI In: Only 14% of Bangladesh's land is forest — and it is still shrinking

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HealthLine

Child stunting has fallen by more than half since the 1990s

Share of children under 5 who are too short for their age (stunted), by survey year

Source: UNICEF, WHO and World Bank Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates, from BDHS and MICS surveys, via World Bank WDI In: Child stunting in Bangladesh has fallen from 60% to 24%

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HealthLine

Recorded suicide rates have fallen, but the data are thin

Suicide mortality rate, deaths per 100,000 people (WHO estimates)

Source: WHO Global Health Estimates, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladesh's estimated suicide rate has fallen, but mental health care barely exists

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HealthHorizontal bar

TB Incidence by Division

Cases per 100,000 population, 2024

Source: National TB Control Program In: TB prevalence reveals stark geographic disparities in Bangladesh

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EnergyArea

Bangladesh reached near-universal electricity access

Share of the population with access to electricity, 2000–2024

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators In: Bangladesh reached near-universal access to electricity

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HealthLine

Under-five mortality has fallen by four-fifths since 1990

Deaths before age five per 1,000 live births, 1990–2024

Source: UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation In: Under-five mortality in Bangladesh has fallen by nearly two-thirds since 2000

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EconomyArea

Rice yields have more than doubled since 1990

Average rice (paddy) yield, tonnes per hectare, 1990–2024

Source: FAO, FAOSTAT crops and livestock products, via Our World in Data In: Rice yields per hectare have more than doubled since 1990

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EducationLine

Girls overtook boys in secondary school — and the gap has widened

Gross secondary school enrolment ratio by sex, 1998–2024 (no data for 2014)

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via World Bank WDI In: Girls now outnumber boys in Bangladesh's secondary schools

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EconomyArea

More than half of Bangladeshis now use the internet

Individuals using the internet, % of population, 2005–2024

Source: International Telecommunication Union In: More than half of Bangladeshis now use the internet

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HealthHorizontal bar

Bangladeshi households pay a larger share of health costs than anyone else in South Asia

Out-of-pocket spending as a share of current health expenditure, 2022

Source: WHO Global Health Expenditure Database, via World Bank WDI In: Bangladeshi households pay nearly four-fifths of the country's health bill out of pocket

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HealthBar

Fewer people drink arsenic-contaminated water — but progress at the national limit has stalled

People drinking water above each arsenic threshold, millions

Source: BBS & UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys In: Over 27 million Bangladeshis still drink water with arsenic above the WHO guideline

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OtherLine

Full immunization rose from 2% to 84%

Share of children aged 12–23 months who received all basic vaccines

Source: Bangladesh EPI Coverage Evaluation Surveys

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OtherBar

Women's mobile phone ownership rose to 59% by 2024 as the gap with men narrowed to 11 points

Individuals who own a mobile phone, % of each sex, 2021, 2023 and 2024

Source: UN SDG Global Database