The average life expectancy of people in Bangladesh rose further as it reached to 72.8 years.
The average life expectancy of female in the country found higher as it rose to 74.5 years compared to 71.2 years for male.
These were revealed at the publication ceremony of the "Report on Bangladesh Sample Vital Statistics-2020" held at the auditorium of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics in Dhaka on Monday.
According to the BBS, the average life expectancy of country's people was 72.6 years in 2019 which was 72.3 years in 2018, 72 years in 2017, 71.6 years in 2016.
Planning Minister MA Mannan spoke at the program as the chief guest while Director General of Directorate General of Health Services Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam spoke as special guest.
Statistics and Informatics Division Secretary Mohammad Yamin Chowdhury presided over the function while BBS Director General Mohammad Tajul Islam gave the address of welcome.
BBS Joint Director AKM Ashraful Haque, who is also the project director of Monitoring the Situation of Vital Statistics of Bangladesh, third phase, revealed the survey findings.
The report showed that the current number of population in the country is around 16.91 crore (January 1, 2021). The population of the country till June last year was 16.82 crore.
The average size of each household in the country is 4.3, about 98.3 per cent people are availing safe drinking water while around 81.5 per cent people have necessary toilet facilities.
The average growth rate of population in the country is 1.30 per cent in 2020 which was 1.32 per cent in 2019 while it was 1.33 per cent in 2018.
The density of population has also increased during this period as it was 1,140 persons for per square kilometer in 2020 which was 1,125 in the previous year.
The report findings also showed that the total fertility rate is 2.04 per cent, the maternal mortality rate per thousand is 1.63, the education rate of 15 years and above people is 75.6 per cent, 7 years and above people is 75.2 per cent, the education rate of female aged 7 years and above is 72.9 per cent, some 96.2 per cent people have power facilities, the number of internet users aged 15 years and above is 43.5 per cent, of which the male users are 52.7 per cent while the female users 34.3 per cent.
The report indicates that the trend of development in average life expectancy, health and education sectors has continued. Despite being a densely populated country, Bangladesh has attained notable successes in controlling population growth.
A mother in Bangladesh now gives birth to two children on average whereas 50 years ago, a mother gave birth to six children on average in the country.
Speaking on the occasion as the chief guest, Planning Minister Mannan said that the average life expectancy of people has increased in the country and it is an excellent news.
"There has been overall development in the country which has resulted in increase in average life expectancy of people. I'm very much delighted since the report has been published in the shortest possible time."
Mannan said Bangladesh is now not afraid of its population as population is its resources.
He opined that the population growth rate should remain at an expected level.
The minister also said there has been a revolutionary change in the country in recent times due to rise in literacy rate, availability of safe drinking water and power connection facilities.
Statistics and Informatics Division Secretary Yamin Chowdhury said that this a very regular and vital publication of the government while the BBS has been conducting such operations since 1980.
The number of sample families covered under the survey is 301,131 involving a population size of 12,85,013 where the number of members for per family is 4.3.
DGHS Director General Khurshid Alam said that a big consignment of Covid-19 vaccines is expected to arrive in the country in the first week of July from China which would help to a big extent to vaccinate people in the country.
He said although global politics is going on over vaccines and even many countries are yet to get vaccines, Bangladesh has availed vaccines and also started vaccinating people.
"But, we've sufficient face masks in the country and we'll have to wear those properly to check the infection rate of Covid-19."
