Demographics of Bangladesh

Demographics of Bangladesh
Bangladesh population pyramid in 2020
Population 172,954,319 (2023)
Growth rate+1.21% (2023 est.)
Birth rate20.35/1000 (2023)
Death rate5.01/1000 (2023)
Life expectancy 74.07 years (2025)
 • male 73.6 years (2025)
 • female 76.9 years (2025)
Fertility rate 2.16 children born/woman (2023)
Infant mortality rate22.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Sex ratio
Total0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
At birth1.04 male to female (2024 est.)
Under 151.04 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
15–64 years0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 and over0.87 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Nationality
NationalityBangladeshi
Major ethnicBengalis (99%)
Minor ethnicChakma,
Tripuri,
Marma,
Mundas,
Garos (Achiks),
Oraons,
Santhals,
Mro,
Meitei people (Manipuri people,
Zomi, Bihari,
Khasi
Language
OfficialStandard Bengali
SpokenBengali and its dialects

Bangladesh is the eighth-most populated country in the world with almost 2.2% of the world's population. As per the final results of the 2022 Census of Bangladesh, the country's population is 169,828,911. Bangladesh has one of the highest population densities in the world and is the only country in the world ranking in the top 10 for both population density and total population.

Bangladesh (previously East Pakistan between 1955 and 1971 and East Bengal between 1947 and 1955) is largely ethnically homogeneous and its name derives from the Bengali ethno-linguistic group which comprises 99% of the population. The Chittagong Hill Tracts, Sylhet, Mymensingh, Barisal and North Bengal regions are home to diverse tribal peoples. There are many dialects of Bengali spoken throughout the region. The dialect spoken by those in Chittagong and Sylhet are particularly distinctive. About (91.04%) of Bangladeshis are Muslims, followed by Hindus (largest-minority) at (7.95%), Buddhists (0.61%) and Christians (0.30%) and others (0.12%) as per 2022 census.

Bangladesh has one of the highest population densities in the world. The total fertility rate (TFR) has been reduced by two thirds since its independence in 1971. In 2025 the TFR in Bangladesh was surveyed at 2.4 per woman, an increase from the last decade and just above the global average.