The Salient Characteristics of Population and Labour

Force of Bangladesh
Bangladesh Studies ; G-102

Submitted to
Wasel Bin Shadat
Assistant Professor
Institute of Business Administration, Dhaka University

Submitted by
Abrar Saud Mozumder
BBA 31st ; Sec -A , Roll : 87

14.08.2023
The Salient Characteristics of Population and Labour
Force of Bangladesh

Demography refers to the study of population in multiple segments such as

age,height,gender,growth, ethnicity and socioeconomic condition . The demography of a country
gives an insight into the population which helps the analysts to understand how various social,
economic, and environmental factors influence the population. The demography of Bangladesh
provides a valuable image of the challenges and possibilities to turn the population of the country
into active labour force to ensure the socio-economic development of the country.

Salient Demographic Characteristics, Composition and Key Indicators

of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a densely populated country with over 160 million people, characterized by a
youthful demographic structure and a rising trend of urbanization.

Population: As of 2023, Bangladesh has a population over 173million which makes this country
a densely populated one. (Worldometer, 2023)
Gender Distribution: According to the census report of 2022, Bangladesh has over 83million
female citizens and over 81 million male citizens making the female proportion a bit higher than
that of male. (BBS,2022)
Age Structure: The population has a significant proportion under the age of 15-19 , indicating to
the fact that Bangladesh is enjoying demographic dividend for quite a long time.
Ethnic Groups: The majority of the population is ethnically Bengali, but there are also various
indigenous ethnic groups, especially in the Chittagong Hill Tracts
Religion: In Bangladesh, Islam is the predominant religion.Although there are also small
minority populations of Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians which indicates the prevalent
religious diversity in the country.
Urbanization: Rapid urbanization has been occurring, with a substantial percentage of the
population living in urban areas, particularly in cities like Dhaka and Chittagong.

Key indicators of the Demography of Bangladesh :

Infant Mortality : Efforts made by the government have to enhance healthcare access have led
to the declining infant mortality rate.
Fertility Rate : The fertility rate has been declining due to increased awareness about family
planning, women's education, and healthcare improvements.

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Life Expectency : Life expectancy has increased nowadays due to the development in
healthcare,sanitation, digitalized hospitals and medical data management.Literacy Rate : The
literacy rate has been rising throughout these years because of the vast development in the
educational sector such as online edu platforms, digitalized classrooms and skilled teachers.
Changes over time :
Throuhout the last 10 years , there has been a lot of improvements in these key indicators of the
demography of this country.From education to healthcare , in every sector there has been some
significant changes.
Literacy Rate Table :
National Urban Rural
2011 2022 2011 2022 2011 2022
Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female

54.11 49.42 76.56 72.82 69.30 63.22 83.18 79.30 49.01 45.38 73.29 69.30

From here, we can notice that in these 11 years from 2011 to 2022 the male and female literacy
rate in urban and rural areas has increased greatly resulting in the sharp rise in the national
literacy rate.

Infant Mortality Rate Table :

Year 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015

Mortality 21.5 22.6 23.6 24.7 25.7 26.8 28.1 29.3 30.6
rate

From the chart , it is evident that the infant mortality rate scaled down to 21.5 in 2023 from 30.6
in 2023 which indicates the gradual development in the healthcare sector.

Populaion Density Table: (Per sq km)

Census 1974 1981 1991 2001 2011 2022
Year
National 484 590 720 843 976 1119
density

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In 48years , we see that the population density has increased from 484 to 1119. This means the
total area pf our country remained the same but our population kept shooting up that gradually
increased challenges for the country.
Income per Household :
Over the past decade ,the income per household increased gradually. From 11,479Tk in 2010 ,
the average income per household at national level shooted up to 32,422 in 2022 which indicates
the continuous growth in the GDP of this country.

Policy Implications:
The evolving demographic landscape in Bangladesh holds several policy implications:
Family Planning: Ongoing efforts in promoting family planning and reproductive health
services are vital to manage population growth.
Urban Planning: Effective urban planning is essential to address challenges associated with
rapid urbanization, including housing, infrastructure, and services.
Healthcare: Continued investment in healthcare infrastructure and services is crucial to sustain
improvements in life expectancy and reduce infant mortality.
Employment and Economy: Addressing the needs of the growing urban population regarding
employment opportunities and economic development is essential for tackling unemployment
and poverty.
Education: Ensuring quality education and increasing literacy rates remain essential for national
development and improved well-being.

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Recent Employment Scenario of Bangladesh
Between 2016-17 to 2022 the employment scenario in Bangladesh has gone through several
notable changes . There has been a few ups and downs in all the employment sectors such
formal ,informal, rural ,urban etc.
Sectoral Composition :
As an agricultural country, most of the labour force of this country is engaged in
agriculture.They contribute to the economy of Bangladesh predominantly.Then comes the
industrial sector. Bangladesh has a substantial labor force engaged in the garment industry,
which is a significant contributor to employment.But over the years , the percentage in the
agricultural sector has been declining whereas the same has been increasing in the services sector.

Female Employment :
Bangladesh has made commendable progress in ensuring female participation in the labour
force, particularly in the garment sector. However, challenges like gender discrimination and
unequal wages are still prevalent. Initiatives to empower and promote women's participation in
the formal economy have been undertaken. Female participation in Bangladesh's labour force has
increased to 42.68% in 2022, up from 36.3% five years ago, according to a survey report
conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) released on Wednesday (29 March).
Labor force, female (% of total labor force) in Bangladesh was reported at 32.67 % in 2022,
according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, complied from officially
recognized sources.(World Bank ,2022)

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Youth Employment :
The largest share of the demography of Bangladesh comprises the youths indicating that
Bangladesh is enjoying the demographic dividend for quite a long time.So, ensuring employment
for the youth is the key to development for Bangladesh. Bangladesh has been struggling to
maintain progress in this particular sector. In 2016, when 88.95% of the youth of Bangladesh
were employed , In 2022 , the percentage scaled down to 87.07% which means Bangladesh
couldn’t keep up the progress in youth employment and is not being able to take the proper
advantage of demographic dividend.

Year Employed Youth

2022 87.07%
2021 86.23%

2020 85.62%

2019 87.63%
2018 87.71%

2017 87.78%

2016 88.95%

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Perception about The Population of Bangladesh and Demographic
Dividend
The population of Bangladesh can be perceived either as an asset or a burden for the country
based on how well Bangladesh capitalizes its demographic dividend. Bangladesh has youth a
large share of its demography . If Bangladesh can make human resources out of its massive
population , then the population will be an asset for the country. Otherwise, the mass population
will remain as a burden for the country.
The youth of this country can lead the economy of the country to its pinnacle.They can
contribute in the formal and informal labour force, even they can make them human resources
and the country can earn a lot of remittance by sending its manpower to foreign countries. That’s
how the large population of our country can be deemed an asset for us.
On the other hand, Bangladesh has been struggling hard to manage employment for the
youth.Throughout the past years, there have been a lot of ups and downs in the unemployment
rate of Bangladesh which fettered the advantages of demographic dividend that Bangladesh has
been enjoying for quite long.

Therefore, I would perceive the population of Bangladesh as a burden as of now because

Bangladesh has not been able to take advantage of its population till now. Proper employment
for the youth,women empowerment, proper education across the country,Diploma courses for
skill development – these requirements must be met up in order to turn the population into
manpower. Only then the population of Bangladesh can be an asset for the country.
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The term Demographic Dividend means the proliferation in the economy that is caused by the
working age structure of a population . It occurs when the proportion of working-age individuals
(15-64 years old) is larger than the dependent population (children and elderly).If properly taken
care of, this larger amount of working age people can contribute to the economy of the country
and also increase productivity.Proper food,education,treatment,opportunities and other
fundamental needs should be met up to take advantage of this situation.
Challenges
Unskilled workforce stands one of the biggest challenges in reaping Demographic Dividend.
According to a study report of BIDS, around 96 percent of Bangladesh’s workforce are unskilled
and they cannot produce the desired amount of goods due to the lack of skill. Moreover,
illiteracy is another challenge that hinders the demographic dividend. Most of the people in the
rural areas are illiterate for which they can’t contribute that much to the economy of the country.
Improper utilization of resources,informal employment, gender disparities – these are also
concerning challenges to reap Demographic Dividend.
Prospects
By taking proper measurements to implicate development policies Bangladesh can capitalize on
its demographic dividend. Bangladesh’s potential to become manufacturing hub and its resources
can open up opportunities for job creation.
Recommendations for better utilization of Demographic Dividend :
Education and Skills: To give the youth the necessary skills for a range of sectors, invest in
high-quality education and vocational training . With a proper knowledge of the work , the youth
can be even more productive and efficient in their particular field.
Healthcare: Upgrade healthcare offerings to guarantee a fit workforce. This covers access to
healthcare generally as well as maternal and pediatric care. Alternative will preclude the women
workforce to contribute to the economy in times of pregnancy or motherhood.
Encourage Economic Diversification : To open up opportunities across sectors and lessen
reliance on a single industry, such as textiles promote an environment that encourages
entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) to innovate and create jobs.
Gender Equality: Give women equal access to education and employment opportunities, which
can considerably boost the demographic dividend .As of 2023, 50.4% of the total population is
female and 49.6 % of the total population is male which means females constitute the larger
share of the population and without ensuring their proper rights and employment , economic
progress is impossible.
Infrastructure and Urbanization: Create the infrastructure necessary to accommodate
urbanization and the burgeoning urban population while promoting economic expansion.

From the discussions above , we can come to a conclusion that Bangladesh has a wide
population with the working age people holding the larger share. But as of now Bangladesh has
not been able
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to take advantage of the Demographic Dividend due to the scarcity of proper education, job
creation , healthcare and policy implications. However, this demography of Bangladesh can open
up ample amount of opportunities for the development of this country. Therefore, if Bangladesh
can nourish its population in the proper way this can be the biggest asset for the country.

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References:
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (2016, 2017, 2022, 2023) Available at : https://bbs.gov.bd/
(Accessed : 12th August,2023)
Bangladesh Population 2023 (live) Available at :
https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/bangladesh-population (Accessed : 13th
August,2023)
Household Income and Expenditure Survey (2022) Available at : http://hies.bbs.gov.bd/
(Accessed : 12th August,2023)
Population and Housing Census Report (2022) Available at :
http://www.bbs.gov.bd/site/page/47856ad0-7e1c-4aab-bd78-892733bc06eb/- (Accessed: 12th
August,2023)
Quarterly Labour Force Survey Reports (2016-17, 2022-23) Available at :
http://data.bbs.gov.bd/index.php/catalog/200 (Accessed : 13th August ,2023)
Sample Vital Statistics Reports (2022) Available at : http://www.bbs.gov.bd/site/page/ef4d6756-
2685-485a-b707-aa2d96bd4c6c/Vital-Statistics (Accessed : 12th August,2023)
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Bangladesh. Available at : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangladesh
( Accessed : 11th August ,2023)
World Bank (2021).Available at : https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/wdr2021
( Accessed : 12th August ,2023)
World Population Review (2023) Available at :
https://worldpopulationreview.com/continents/world-population (Accessed : 12th August,2023)
Worldometer (2023) Available at : https://www.worldometers.info/world-
population/bangladesh-population/ ( Accessed : 12th August , 2023)