Life expectancy better here than global average

The average life expectancy of both men and women in Bangladesh is now higher than the global average, according to a report of the UNFPA.

While the global average life expectancy for men is 71 years, in Bangladesh it is 74 years. For women, the global average is 76 years whereas in Bangladesh it is 77 years.

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Bangladesh's population is estimated at 175.7 million of which half are women, two-thirds (115 million) in the working-age group (aged 15-64), which presents a window of opportunity to harness the demographic dividend, said the State of World Population (SWOP) 2025, of the United Nations Population Fund.

UNFPA Representative in Bangladesh Catherine Breen Kamkong officially launched the annual report at a press event held at the UN Building in the city's Gulshan yesterday.

She said 7 percent (12 million) of the population is aged 65 and above, signalling the onset of population ageing.

Adolescents make up 19 percent of Bangladesh's population, approximately 33 million, while the broader youth cohort aged 10-24 accounts for 28 percent, nearing 50 million, Catherine added.

This year's theme of the publication is "The Real Fertility Crisis – The Pursuit of Reproductive Agency in a Changing World.

The real crisis is not about numbers; it is a crisis of reproductive agency.

"Around the world, and here in Bangladesh, people especially women and young people are unable to realise their reproductive intentions due to systemic, economic and social barriers," said the UNFPA representative.

Catherine noted that while fertility rates have dropped to 0.8 children per woman in countries like South Korea and remain high in nations such as Niger at 5.8, Bangladesh, with a Total Fertility Rate of 2.1, continues to face systemic barriers preventing people from having the number of children they desire.

She urged the government to increase health spending from 0.7 percent to 5 percent of GDP and 15 percent of the national budget to improve maternal care, ensure contraceptive availability, and retain skilled health workers.

Economic instability, high healthcare costs, and unaffordable childcare are forcing many families to delay or forgo parenthood, she said.

Social and gender norms continue to pressure girls into early marriage and motherhood while burdening women with unpaid care work, while high rates of gender-based violence, as shown in a recent UNFPA-supported survey, further undermine women's ability to make informed reproductive decisions, while climate change and frequent disasters are leaving young people uncertain about parenthood, she pointed out.

"These factors result in people being forced into parenthood or excluded from it—not by choice, but by constraint. What they need is empowerment and enabling conditions, not judgement," she said.

The report advocates for comprehensive sexuality education, affordable housing, paid parental leave, and the recognition of women's unpaid caregiving work—a step Bangladesh has begun by pledging to include unpaid work in GDP calculations.

Catherine emphasised that these principles align with Bangladesh's efforts to harness its demographic dividend through health, education, and youth investments, including the upcoming updated Population and Youth Policies.

Mohammed Shahidul Islam, Chief of the Demographic Data and Intelligence Unit of UNFPA, highlighted that the proportion of people aged 65 and above in Bangladesh has risen to 7 percent of the population.

"As this trend continues, the country will face challenges including a shrinking labour force and rising costs for elderly care and social protection," he said.

Dr Abu Sayed Mohammad Hasan, SRHR Specialist at UNFPA, presented the report findings.