A birth certificate is the first legal document most people ever have, and in Bangladesh it is needed to enrol in school, get a national ID, marry legally, own land and prove one’s age in court. Without it, children are easier to marry early, employ illegally or traffic.
56%
Children under five whose birth was registered, 2019 household survey — up from 10% in 2006.
Registration has risen sharply since online registration began, but in the 2019 survey 44% of young children were still unregistered. Universal birth registration is a Sustainable Development Goal target (16.9) and one of the cheapest ways to widen access to justice.
Sources: UNICEF/BBS Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (2006, 2012–13, 2019), via World Bank WDI. Survey methods differ between rounds, so compare figures with care.