Life expectancy in Bangladesh rises by two months to 72.8 years, women have more than average

The life expectancy of people in Bangladesh has increased by two months in a year to 72.8 years in 2020, with women having more than the average, according to the national statistics agency.

Men’s life expectancy has increased by a month to 71.2 years, far behind that of women’s – 74.5 years. Women’s life expectancy in 2019 was 74.2 years.

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics published the Report on Bangladesh Sample Vital Statistics 2020 on Monday after surveying over 1.28 million people in 2,012 areas across the country.

Bangladesh’s population stood at 169.1 million on Jan 1, 2021, up from 168.2 million on Jun 30, 2020, Project Director AKM Ashraful Haque said during the publication.

According to the latest data, the population includes nearly 84.2 million male and 84.03 million female.    

The intercensal population growth rate was 1.3. 

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The gross birth rate remained unchanged at 18.1 per thousand.

The mortality rate rose to 5.1 per thousand from 4.9 amid the coronavirus pandemic. Child mortality remained unchanged at 21 per thousand.

Maternal deaths improved to 1.63 per thousand from 1.65.

The average age for marriage also remained unchanged at 24 years two months.

The literacy rate among people above seven years old rose to 75.2 percent from 63.6 percent in 2015. The rate is 75.6 percent among people above 15 years old.  

As much as 96.2 percent of families have electricity, up from 93.5 percent in the previous year.

“We are not afraid of the population. Because the people are our resources. We have people, just like the Arabs have oil,” Planning Minister MA Mannan said at the event.