The average income and expenditure of a household have doubled in the last six years while poverty and extreme poverty declined significantly across the country, according to the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2022.
The final HIES report was revealed at a programme, organised by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), in the capital on Wednesday. The report was prepared by collecting data from 14,400 households across the country.
In the last five years, the report said, the country's poverty rate has decreased by about 5.6 per cent to 18.7 per cent. Barishal Division has the highest poverty rate in the country. However, income disparity is now extreme in cities compared to villages.
The headcount rates (HCR) of Barishal in 2022 were the highest among eight divisions using both upper and lower poverty lines. The HCR in Barishal in 2022 was 26.9 per cent, using the upper poverty line, and 11.8 per cent, using the lower poverty line.
Meanwhile, among the divisions, Khulna has the lowest HCR, 14.8 per cent, using the upper poverty line, and Dhaka has the lowest HCR, 2.8 per cent, using the lower poverty line.
A household’s average monthly income increased in nominal terms to Tk 32,422 in 2022, from Tk 15,988 in 2016 and Tk 11,479 in 2010. The monthly expenditure increased nominally to Tk 31,500 in 2022 from Tk 15,715 in 2016 and Tk 11,200 in 2010, according to HIES.
It says that the headcount rate in 2022, using the upper poverty line, is 18.7 per cent at the national level, 20.5 per cent in rural areas, and 14.7 per cent in urban areas. The official HCR in 2016, using the upper poverty line, was 24.3 per cent at the national level, 26.4 per cent in rural areas, and 18.9 per cent in urban areas.
Living standards
Besides, extreme poverty declined in 2022. The HCR rate in 2022, using the lower poverty line, is 5.6 per cent nationally, 6.5 per cent in rural areas, and 3.8 per cent in urban areas. The official HCR in 2016, using the lower poverty line, was 12.9 per cent at the national level, 14.9 per cent in rural areas, and 7.6 per cent in urban areas.
BBS says household living standards and socio-economic status have improved. The latest data shows that household-level access to electricity rose to 99.3 per cent in 2022 from 75.9 per cent in 2016 and 55.3 per cent in 2010.
Similarly, 92.3 per cent of households have access to improved toilet facilities and 96.1 per cent have access to improved sources of drinking water.
Bangladesh’s literacy rate (7 years and over) also rose significantly to 74.0 per cent in 2022 from 65.6 per cent in 2016 and 57.9 per cent in 2010.
Consumption patterns
BBS says that consumption patterns among people have changed over time and non-food expenditures are increasing gradually.
The percentage of food consumption expenditure was 45.8 per cent and non-food consumption expenditure was 54.2 per cent in 2022, compared to 47.7 per cent for food and 52.3 per cent for non-food in 2016.
The average rice consumption per person per day was 328.9 grams in 2022 — which was 367.2 grams in 2016, 416.0 grams in 2010, 439.6 grams in 2005 and 458.5 grams in 2000. On the other hand, vegetable and meat consumption has increased gradually.
The average protein intake was 72.5 grams per person per day in 2022, which was 63.8 grams in 2016, 66.26 grams in 2010, 62.52 grams in 2005 and 62.50 grams in 2000.
Income inequality
Meanwhile, income inequality has dispersed in 2022. The income Gini coefficient was 0.499 at the national level, 0.446 in rural areas and 0.539 in urban areas in 2022, which were 0.482 at the national level, 0.454 in rural areas and 0.498 in urban areas in 2016, and 0.458 at the national level, 0.431 in rural areas and 0.452 in urban areas in 2010 —indicating a gradual rise of the concentration of income in higher income groups.
HIES 2022 data suggests that the female (Aged 15+) labour forces are more engaged in the non-agriculture sector in the urban areas than their male counterparts.
Among the females employed in the urban areas, approximately 98.90 per cent are involved in the non-agriculture sector and 1.10 per cent in the agriculture sector. Meanwhile, 94.85 per cent of males are involved in the non-agriculture sector and 5.15 per cent in the agriculture sector in urban areas.
According to HIES 2022 data, approximately 21.11 per cent of the population has experienced moderate or severe food insecurity nationally. At the same time, the rate was 22.36 per cent in rural areas and 18.37 per cent in urban areas in 2022.
On the other hand, 1.13 per cent of the population has experienced severe food insecurity in Bangladesh, which shows that the country is on track to achieving SDG Goal 2 — ‘Zero Hunger’ — by 2030.
