Bangladesh is experiencing a significant shift in its population demographics, with teenagers now leading the count. The country's highest concentration of population lies within the age group of 15-19 years, surpassing the previously leading age group of 10-14 years in 2016.
Simultaneously, there has been a decline in the percentage of the population in the lowest age group of 0-9 years. This reduction can be attributed to a decrease in the growth rate and a decline in the total fertility rate in recent years.
According to a preliminary report of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), 10.68 per cent of the total population falls within the 15-19 age group, compared to 9.76 per cent in 2016. Meanwhile, the percentage of children aged 10-14 years decreased from 11.58 per cent in 2016 to 9.68 per cent in 2022.
Conversely, the percentage of the population in the oldest age group, 65 years and above, is increasing. It rose from 2.04 per cent in 2016 to 2.64 per cent in 2022. This trend suggests an increase in life expectancy over time. Within the older age group, the percentage of males is higher at 2.86 per cent compared to 2.43 per cent for females, indicating a greater longevity among males.
The demographic dependency ratio, which measures the ratio of the population in the 0-14 year and 65 years and above age groups to the population in the 15-64 year age group, is estimated to be 52.28 in 2022 at the national level.
For males, it is 55.92, while for females, it is 48.79.
These figures represent a significant decrease compared to the national levels in 2016, which stood at 59.21, 62.34, and 56.23, respectively.
This decline in the dependency ratio in 2022 is a noteworthy finding highlighted in the Household Income and Expenditure Survey.
In rural areas, the demographic dependency ratio for both sexes is estimated at 54.73, with 58.73 for males and 50.90 for females in the Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2022.
This indicates a sharp decline from 62.66 for both sexes, 66.63 for males, and 58.93 for females in 2016. In urban areas, the demographic dependency ratio in 2022 stands at 47.19 for both sexes, 50.11 for males, and 44.33 for females, showing a decrease from 50.63, 51.79, and 49.54, respectively, in 2016.
