Much of southern Bangladesh is a delta barely above the sea. In 2015, 8.4% of the population — more than 13 million people — lived on land less than 5 metres above sea level, according to estimates by Columbia University’s CIESIN.
13 million+
Bangladeshis living below 5 metres of elevation (2015 estimate).
The share has fallen slightly since 1990 because cities on higher ground have grown faster, but the number of people at risk has not. Rising seas push salt water into rice fields and drinking water, and make cyclone storm surges reach further inland — which is why embankments, mangroves and salt-tolerant crops are central to adaptation on the coast.
Source: CIESIN, Columbia University, via World Bank WDI. 13 million is 8.38% of Bangladesh’s 2015 population (159 million).