Demographics of Bangladesh
Encyclopedia
This article is about the demographic
features of the population
of Bangladesh
, including population density
, ethnicity
, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Bangladesh
is largely ethnically
homogeneous. Indeed, its name derives from the Bengali
ethno-linguistic group, which comprises 98% of the population. Bengalis, who also predominate in the West Bengal
province of India
, are one of the most populous ethnic groups in the world. Variations in Bengali culture and language do exist of course. There are many dialects of Bengali spoken throughout the region. The dialect spoken by those in Chittagong
and Sylhet
are particularly distinctive. In 2009 the population was estimated at 156 million. Religiously, about 90% of Bangladeshis are Muslim
s and the remainder are mostly Hindu
s.
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 CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.
Naturally there is some uncertainty about the population, especially in a developing country such as Bangladesh with high illiteracy and a large rural population. For instance, in 2005 there was not a consensus whether Bangladesh or Russia
had a larger population. The UN's ESA ranked Russia 7th in the world and Bangladesh 8th. However, the CIA World Factbook ranked Bangladesh 7th and Russia 8th in the same year. The point is now moot as the population of Russia is in decline while that of Bangladesh is growing.
The baseline for population studies on Bangladesh is the official census which is conducted every 10 years, the last being in 2011.
p=provisional figure
According to the OECD/World Bank population in Bangladesh increased from 1990 to 2008 with 44 million and 38 % growth in population compared to 34 % growth in India
and 54 % growth in Pakistan
. The annual population growth 2007-2008 was 1.4 % compared to India 1.35 %, Pakistan 2.2 %, Dem. Rep. of Congo
2.9 %, Tanzania
2.9 %, Syria
3.5 % or Yemen
4.0 %. According to the OECD/World Bank population statistics between 1990-2008 the world population
growth
was 27 % and 1,423 million persons.
ethno-linguistic group. This group also spans the neighboring Indian province of West Bengal
. Minority ethnic groups include Meitei, Khasi, Santhals, Chakma
, Garo (tribe)
, Biharis, Oraons, Mundas and Rohingyas.
Biharis are Urdu
-speaking, non-Bengalis who emigrated from the state of Bihar
and other parts of northern India during the 1947 partition
. They are concentrated in the Dhaka
and Rangpur
areas and number some 300,000. In the 1971 independence war many of them sided with Pakistan, as they stood to lose their positions in the upper levels of society. Hundreds of thousands went to Pakistan and those that remained were interned in refugee camps
. Their population declined from about 1 million in 1971 to 600,000 in the late 1980s. Refugees International
has called them a "neglected and stateless" people as they are denied citizenship by the governments of Bangladesh and Pakistan. As nearly 40 years has passed, two generations of Biharis have been born in the these camps. Biharis were granted Bangladeshi citizenhip and voting rights in 2008.
Bangladesh's tribal population was enumerated at 897,828 in the 1981 census. These tribes are concentrated in the Chittagong Hill Tracts
and around Mymensingh
, Sylhet
, and Rajshahi
. They are of Sino-Tibetan descent and differ markedly in their social customs, religion, language and level of development. The speak Tibeto-Burman languages and most are Buddhist or Hindu. The four largest tribes are Chakma
s, Marmas, Tipperas and Mros. Smaller groups include the Santals in Rajshahi and Dinajpur, and Khasis, Garos, and Khajons in Mymensingh and Sylhet regions.
There are small communities of Meitei people in the Sylhet district, which is close to the Meitei homeland across the border in Manipur
, India.
There is a small population of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar
near the border in the southeast. There are 28,000 living in two UN refugee camps in Cox's Bazaar as well as some 200,000 "unregistered people of concern" living outside of the camps.
The refugee crisis originated in the early 1990s when the first wave numbering some 250,000 of the predominantly Muslim ethnic group fled persecution from their home in Rakhaine—Myanmar's western-most state. Bangladesh seeks to repatriate the refugees back to Myanmar.
According to the 2001 census, the religious profile of the population is: Islam
89.7%, Hinduism
9.2%, Buddhism
0.7%, Christianity
0.3% and others (such as Animists and non-religious) 0.1%. The majority of the Muslims are Sunni consisting of 95% of the Muslim population, and the remaining are Shi'a and other sects.
Hindu
s constituted 18.5% of the population in 1961, but their population declined significantly during the Bangladesh Liberation War
due to the 1971 Bangladesh atrocities
carried out by the Pakistan Army
. As a result, millions of Hindus fled to India and their population in Bangladesh fell to 13.5% by 1974. Since then, the Hindu population has not grown as much as the Muslim population.
form of mitochondrial DNA
. This genetic variant spans many continents, and is the single most common mtDNA haplogroup in Asia
. In Bangladesh
it represents about 83% of maternal lineages.
Education expenditures
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
features of the population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, including population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
, ethnicity
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
is largely ethnically
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
homogeneous. Indeed, its name derives from the Bengali
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
ethno-linguistic group, which comprises 98% of the population. Bengalis, who also predominate in the West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
province of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, are one of the most populous ethnic groups in the world. Variations in Bengali culture and language do exist of course. There are many dialects of Bengali spoken throughout the region. The dialect spoken by those in Chittagong
Chittagong
Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
and Sylhet
Sylhet
Sylhet , is a major city in north-eastern Bangladesh. It is the main city of Sylhet Division and Sylhet District, and was granted metropolitan city status in March 2009. Sylhet is located on the banks of the Surma Valley and is surrounded by the Jaintia, Khasi and Tripura hills...
are particularly distinctive. In 2009 the population was estimated at 156 million. Religiously, about 90% of Bangladeshis are Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s and the remainder are mostly Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s.
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
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
Most of the demographic statistics below are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.
Population
The mid-2009 estimate for total population was 156,050,883 which ranks Bangladesh 7th in the world (CIA).Naturally there is some uncertainty about the population, especially in a developing country such as Bangladesh with high illiteracy and a large rural population. For instance, in 2005 there was not a consensus whether Bangladesh or Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
had a larger population. The UN's ESA ranked Russia 7th in the world and Bangladesh 8th. However, the CIA World Factbook ranked Bangladesh 7th and Russia 8th in the same year. The point is now moot as the population of Russia is in decline while that of Bangladesh is growing.
The baseline for population studies on Bangladesh is the official census which is conducted every 10 years, the last being in 2011.
Census
| Census date | census population (thousands) | adjusted population (thousands) |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 28 928 | |
| 1911 | 31 555 | |
| 1921 | 33 255 | |
| 1931 | 35 602 | |
| 1941 | 41 997 | |
| 1951 | 41 932 | |
| 1961 | 50 840 | |
| 1974 | 71 479 | 76 398 |
| 1981 | 87 120 | 89 912 |
| 1991 | 106 313 | 111 455 |
| 2001 | 124 355 | 130 523 |
| 15 Mar 2011 (p) | 142 319 |
p=provisional figure
UN estimates
| Total population | Population aged 0-14 (%) | Population aged 15-64 (%) | Population aged 65+ (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 37 895 | 41.2 | 54.8 | 3.9 |
| 1955 | 43 444 | 42.4 | 54.1 | 3.5 |
| 1960 | 50 102 | 43.6 | 53.1 | 3.3 |
| 1965 | 57 792 | 44.7 | 52.0 | 3.3 |
| 1970 | 66 881 | 44.7 | 51.8 | 3.4 |
| 1975 | 70 582 | 45.8 | 50.7 | 3.5 |
| 1980 | 80 624 | 45.0 | 51.4 | 3.6 |
| 1985 | 92 284 | 43.9 | 52.5 | 3.6 |
| 1990 | 105 256 | 42.5 | 53.8 | 3.7 |
| 1995 | 117 487 | 40.3 | 55.9 | 3.8 |
| 2000 | 129 592 | 37.3 | 58.7 | 4.0 |
| 2005 | 140 588 | 34.3 | 61.4 | 4.3 |
| 2010 | 148 692 | 31.3 | 64.1 | 4.6 |
Other sources
The following table lists various recent estimates of the population.| Source | Year | Population (millions) |
| US State Dept | 2005 | 144 |
| Population Reference Bureau | 2005 | 144 |
| World Bank | 2008 | 160 |
| CIA World FactBook | 2010 | 156 |
| World Population Reference | 2010 | 164 |
According to the OECD/World Bank population in Bangladesh increased from 1990 to 2008 with 44 million and 38 % growth in population compared to 34 % growth in India
Demographics of India
The demographics of India are inclusive of the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people , more than a sixth of the world's population. Already containing 17.5% of the world's population, India is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2025, surpassing...
and 54 % growth in Pakistan
Demographics of Pakistan
This article is about the demographic features of the population of Pakistan, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
. The annual population growth 2007-2008 was 1.4 % compared to India 1.35 %, Pakistan 2.2 %, Dem. Rep. of Congo
Demographics of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
This article is about the demographic features of the population of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
2.9 %, Tanzania
Demographics of Tanzania
This article is about the demographic features of the population of Tanzania, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
2.9 %, Syria
Demographics of Syria
Syrians today are an overall indigenous Levantine people. While modern-day Syrians are commonly described as Arabs by virtue of their modern-day language and bonds to Arab culture and history...
3.5 % or Yemen
Demographics of Yemen
This article is about the demographic features of the population of Yemen, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.-Population:The U.S...
4.0 %. According to the OECD/World Bank population statistics between 1990-2008 the world population
World population
The world population is the total number of living humans on the planet Earth. As of today, it is estimated to be billion by the United States Census Bureau...
growth
Population growth
Population growth is the change in a population over time, and can be quantified as the change in the number of individuals of any species in a population using "per unit time" for measurement....
was 27 % and 1,423 million persons.
Population growth rate
Bangladesh had high rates of population growth in the 1960s and 1970s. Since then however it has seen a marked reduction in its total fertility rate. Over a period of three decades it dropped from almost 7 to 2.4 in 2005-2010.Gender ratio
- At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
- Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
- 15–64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
- Total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Urban and rural
The sprawling mega-city of Dhaka has a huge population, but the majority of the people nonetheless still live in villages in rural areas.- Urban population: 27% of total population (2009 est.)
- Rate of urbanization: 3.5% annual rate of change (2005-2010 est.)
Births and deaths
| Period | Live births per year | Deaths per year | Natural change per year | CBR* | CDR* | NC* | TFR* | IMR* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950-1955 | 1 963 000 | 852 000 | 1 111 000 | 48.3 | 20.9 | 27.4 | 6.36 | 165.0 |
| 1955-1960 | 2 252 000 | 921 000 | 1 332 000 | 48.2 | 19.7 | 28.5 | 6.62 | 156.5 |
| 1960-1965 | 2 560 000 | 994 000 | 1 566 000 | 47.5 | 18.4 | 29.1 | 6.80 | 151.2 |
| 1965-1970 | 2 950 000 | 1 090 000 | 1 860 000 | 47.3 | 17.5 | 29.8 | 6.91 | 144.4 |
| 1970-1975 | 3 193 000 | 1 847 000 | 1 346 000 | 46.5 | 26.9 | 29.6 | 6.91 | 175.6 |
| 1975-1980 | 3 381 000 | 1 153 000 | 2 229 000 | 44.7 | 15.2 | 29.5 | 6.65 | 138.3 |
| 1980-1985 | 3 670 000 | 1 151 000 | 2 519 000 | 42.4 | 13.3 | 29.1 | 5.99 | 122.5 |
| 1985-1990 | 3 767 000 | 1 115 000 | 2 652 000 | 38.1 | 11.3 | 26.8 | 5.02 | 104.4 |
| 1990-1995 | 3 709 000 | 1 057 000 | 2 653 000 | 33.3 | 9.5 | 23.8 | 4.10 | 90.6 |
| 1995-2000 | 3 598 000 | 986 000 | 2 612 000 | 29.1 | 8.0 | 21.1 | 3.41 | 73.8 |
| 2000-2005 | 3 432 000 | 934 000 | 2 498 000 | 25.4 | 6.9 | 18.5 | 2.87 | 59.3 |
| 2005-2010 | 3 107 000 | 905 000 | 2 202 000 | 21.5 | 6.3 | 15.2 | 2.38 | 49.0 |
- CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births; TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman)
Life expectancy at birth
- Total population: 60.25 years
- country comparison to the world: 183
- Male: 57.57 years
- Female: 63.03 years (2009 est.)
HIV/AIDS
- Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
- county comparison to the world: 102
- People living with HIV/AIDS: 12,000 (2007 est.)
- county comparison to the world: 85
- Deaths: fewer than 500 (2007 est.)
- country comparison to the world: 8s
Major infectious diseases
- Degree of risk: high
- Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
- Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria are high risks in some locations
- Water contact disease: leptospirosis
- Animal contact disease: rabies (2005)
Ethnic groups
The vast majority (about 98.5%) of Bangladeshis, as the nation's name would imply, hail from the BengaliBengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
ethno-linguistic group. This group also spans the neighboring Indian province of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
. Minority ethnic groups include Meitei, Khasi, Santhals, Chakma
Chakma
Chakma may refer to:*Chakma people, a Tibeto-Burman people of Bangladesh and Northeast India*Chakma language, the Indo-European language spoken by them*Chakma script...
, Garo (tribe)
Garo (tribe)
See also Garo for other uses.The Garos are a tribal people in Meghalaya, India and neighboring areas of Bangladesh, who call themselves A·chik Mande or simply A·chik or Mande...
, Biharis, Oraons, Mundas and Rohingyas.
Biharis are Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
-speaking, non-Bengalis who emigrated from the state of Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
and other parts of northern India during the 1947 partition
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
. They are concentrated in the Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
and Rangpur
Rangpur, Bangladesh
Rangpur is one of the major cities in Bangladesh. Rangpur is considered as the centre of northwestern Bangladesh. Recently established public university of Bangladesh named as "Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur" is situated in the southern part of the city. Earlier Rangpur was the headquarter of...
areas and number some 300,000. In the 1971 independence war many of them sided with Pakistan, as they stood to lose their positions in the upper levels of society. Hundreds of thousands went to Pakistan and those that remained were interned in refugee camps
Stranded Pakistanis
Stranded Pakistanis, also known as Biharis, describes the people mainly of the Bihari ethnic group currently residing in Bangladesh who immigrated to East Pakistan with the hopes of joining Pakistan but after the East Pakistan seceded and became Bangladesh were unable to re-immigrate in 1971 and...
. Their population declined from about 1 million in 1971 to 600,000 in the late 1980s. Refugees International
Refugees International
Refugees International is a humanitarian organization supporting refugees and stateless people. It publishes annual reports, as well as approximately twenty-five field reports throughout the year on refugee issues, as well as comments on international aid issues around the world...
has called them a "neglected and stateless" people as they are denied citizenship by the governments of Bangladesh and Pakistan. As nearly 40 years has passed, two generations of Biharis have been born in the these camps. Biharis were granted Bangladeshi citizenhip and voting rights in 2008.
Bangladesh's tribal population was enumerated at 897,828 in the 1981 census. These tribes are concentrated in the Chittagong Hill Tracts
Chittagong Hill Tracts
The Chittagong Hill Tracts comprise an area of 13,295 km2 in south-eastern Bangladesh, and borders India and Myanmar . It was a single district of Bangladesh until 1984. In that year it was divided into three separate districts: Khagrachari, Rangamati and Bandarban. Topographically, this is the...
and around Mymensingh
Mymensingh
Mymensingh , pronounced moy-mon-shing-haw, is a city of Bangladesh situated on the river Brahmaputra. It is the headquarters of the administrative unit Mymensingh District. Mymensingh is the anglicized pronunciation of the original name Momenshahi, referring to a ruler called Momen Shah. The cadet...
, Sylhet
Sylhet
Sylhet , is a major city in north-eastern Bangladesh. It is the main city of Sylhet Division and Sylhet District, and was granted metropolitan city status in March 2009. Sylhet is located on the banks of the Surma Valley and is surrounded by the Jaintia, Khasi and Tripura hills...
, and Rajshahi
Rajshahi
The city of Rajshahi is the divisional headquarters of Rajshahi division as well as the administrative district that bears its name and is one of the six metropolitan cities of Bangladesh. Often referred to as Silk City and Education City, Rajshahi is located in the north-west of the country and...
. They are of Sino-Tibetan descent and differ markedly in their social customs, religion, language and level of development. The speak Tibeto-Burman languages and most are Buddhist or Hindu. The four largest tribes are Chakma
Chakma
Chakma may refer to:*Chakma people, a Tibeto-Burman people of Bangladesh and Northeast India*Chakma language, the Indo-European language spoken by them*Chakma script...
s, Marmas, Tipperas and Mros. Smaller groups include the Santals in Rajshahi and Dinajpur, and Khasis, Garos, and Khajons in Mymensingh and Sylhet regions.
There are small communities of Meitei people in the Sylhet district, which is close to the Meitei homeland across the border in Manipur
Manipur
Manipur is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Manipur is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west; it also borders Burma to the east. It covers an area of...
, India.
There is a small population of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
near the border in the southeast. There are 28,000 living in two UN refugee camps in Cox's Bazaar as well as some 200,000 "unregistered people of concern" living outside of the camps.
The refugee crisis originated in the early 1990s when the first wave numbering some 250,000 of the predominantly Muslim ethnic group fled persecution from their home in Rakhaine—Myanmar's western-most state. Bangladesh seeks to repatriate the refugees back to Myanmar.
Language
- Official language: BengaliBengali languageBengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
(also known as Bangla) - Dialects: ChittagonianChittagonian languageChittagonian is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the people of Chittagong in Bangladesh and in much of the southeast of the country. It is closely related to Bangla, but is normally considered by linguists to be a separate language rather than a dialect of Bangla. It is estimated to have 14...
and SylhetiSylheti languageSylheti is the language of Sylhet, which is also known as the Surma Valley and is located in the north-eastern region of Bangladesh, and also spoken in parts of the Northeast Indian states of Assam and Tripura...
(both also regarded as languages in their own right) - Tribal languages: Khasi-Jainta, Bishnupriya Manipuri, Arakanese, ChakmaChakma languageChakma language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Chakma people. Its better-known closest relatives are Bengali, Assamese, Chittagonian, Bishnupriya Manipuri, Tanchangya, Rohingya and Sylheti. It is spoken by nearly 310,000 people in southeast Bangladesh near Chittagong City, and another...
, GaroGaro languageGaro is the language of the majority of the people of the Garo Hills in the Indian state of Meghalaya. Garo is also used in Kamrup, Dhubri, Goalpara and the Darrang districts of Assam, India as well as in neighboring Bangladesh...
, HoHo languageHo is a Munda language of the Austroasiatic language family spoken primarily in India by about 3,803,126 people. It is written with the Devanagari and the Varang Kshiti scripts. It is spoken by the Ho people. 0.103% of India's Population speaks this language as per the 2001 census.The Script was...
, Kokborok and Kurukh - Other languages: EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
(spoken and known widely in upper-class & politics), ArabicArabic languageArabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
( sometimes spoken and known by many Muslims, due to Islam being the primary religion), UrduUrduUrdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
(understood by some, and spoken by Biharis)'
Religion
- See also: Islam in BangladeshIslam in BangladeshIslam is the largest religion of Bangladesh, the Muslim population is approximately 148.6 million, which is the third largest Muslim population in the world, constituting 90.4% of the total population as of 2010. Religion has always been a strong part of identity, but this has varied at different...
, Hinduism in BangladeshHinduism in BangladeshHinduism is the second largest religious affiliation in Bangladesh, covering more than 9.2% of the population, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics...
, Buddhism in BangladeshBuddhism in BangladeshBuddhism is the third largest religion in Bangladesh with about 0.7% of population adhering to Theravada Buddhism. Most of the practiconers are the tribal Jumma people who are found mainly in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, where they constitute about 45% of the area's population.- Demographic Overview...
, Christianity in BangladeshChristianity in BangladeshChristianity arrived in what is now Bangladesh during the late sixteenth to early seventeenth century AD, through the Portuguese traders and missionaries. Christians account for approximately 0.3% of the total population. Christianity's first contact with the Indian subcontinent is attributed to...
According to the 2001 census, the religious profile of the population is: Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
89.7%, Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
9.2%, Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
0.7%, Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
0.3% and others (such as Animists and non-religious) 0.1%. The majority of the Muslims are Sunni consisting of 95% of the Muslim population, and the remaining are Shi'a and other sects.
Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s constituted 18.5% of the population in 1961, but their population declined significantly during the Bangladesh Liberation War
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
due to the 1971 Bangladesh atrocities
1971 Bangladesh atrocities
Beginning with the start of Operation Searchlight on 25 March 1971 and continuing throughout the Bangladesh Liberation War, there were widespread violations of human rights in East Pakistan perpetrated by the Pakistan Army, with support from local political and religious militias, especially...
carried out by the Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
. As a result, millions of Hindus fled to India and their population in Bangladesh fell to 13.5% by 1974. Since then, the Hindu population has not grown as much as the Muslim population.
Genetics
Bangladesh has the world's highest frequency of the MHaplogroup M (mtDNA)
In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup M is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup. An enormous haplogroup spanning all the continents, the macro-haplogroup M, like its sibling N, is a descendant of haplogroup L3....
form of mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA is the DNA located in organelles called mitochondria, structures within eukaryotic cells that convert the chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, adenosine triphosphate...
. This genetic variant spans many continents, and is the single most common mtDNA haplogroup in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. In Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
it represents about 83% of maternal lineages.
Education
Literacy- Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
- Total population: 43.1%
- Male: 53.9%
- Female: 31.8% (2003 est.)
Education expenditures
- 2.7% of GDP (2005)
- country comparison to the world: 151