Bangladesh has a population of approximately 175 million people in 2025, making it the eighth most populous country in the world. Packed into a delta region roughly the size of the U.S. state of Iowa, this South Asian nation is also one of the most densely settled places on Earth, with more than 1,100 people sharing every square kilometre.
How Many People Live in Bangladesh?
At around 175,000,000 residents, Bangladesh sits behind only India, China, the United States, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria and Brazil in total population. To put that figure in perspective, Bangladesh holds slightly more people than Russia and Japan combined, yet occupies a land area of only about 148,000 km². Roughly one in every forty-five people alive today is Bangladeshi.
What makes the number remarkable is the geography. Bangladesh occupies the world's largest river delta, formed where the Ganges (Padma), Brahmaputra (Jamuna) and Meghna rivers converge before emptying into the Bay of Bengal. This fertile but flood-prone lowland supports an extraordinary concentration of people, farms and cities. You can learn more in our bangladesh country guide.
Population Density: Among the World's Highest
With about 1,180 people per square kilometre, Bangladesh has one of the highest population densities of any sizeable country on the planet. Only small city-states and microstates such as Singapore, Monaco or Bahrain are more crowded. For comparison, neighbouring India averages around 480 people per km², and the global average is roughly 60.
This density shapes daily life dramatically. Farmland is intensively cultivated, often producing three rice harvests a year, while cities expand vertically and outward at a rapid pace. The pressure on land, water and infrastructure is constant, and seasonal monsoon flooding regularly displaces large numbers of people across the low-lying terrain.
Growth and the Demographic Transition
The population is currently growing at roughly 1.0% per year, a moderate pace that conceals one of the most striking demographic success stories in the developing world. In the 1970s, Bangladesh's growth rate exceeded 2.8% and the average woman had nearly seven children. Today the total fertility rate has fallen to about 2.0 births per woman, very close to the replacement level.
This rapid decline was driven by a vast grassroots network of community health workers and non-governmental organisations promoting family planning, girls' education and maternal health. As a result, demographers project that Bangladesh's population will plateau at roughly 200 million around the year 2060 before gradually stabilising or declining. The country is also entering a "demographic dividend" phase, with a large share of working-age adults relative to dependents.
Cities and Where People Live
Bangladesh is rapidly urbanising, though a majority of its people still live in rural areas. Its largest cities are:
- Dhaka — the capital and one of the most densely populated megacities on Earth, with more than 22 million people in its greater metropolitan area. Dhaka is the heart of the nation's economy and its booming ready-made garment industry.
- Chattogram (Chittagong) — the principal seaport and second-largest city, home to roughly 5 million residents and the main gateway for trade.
- Khulna — the third-largest city, with about 1.5 million people, serving as the gateway to the Sundarbans mangrove forest.
The garment sector centred on Dhaka and Chattogram employs around 4 million workers, many of them women, and makes Bangladesh the world's second-largest clothing exporter after China.
Who Are the People of Bangladesh?
Bangladesh is unusually homogeneous for such a large country. About 98% of the population is ethnic Bengali, and nearly everyone speaks Bangla (Bengali) as a first language. The remaining population includes a number of Indigenous groups, especially in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Around 90% of Bangladeshis are Muslim, predominantly Sunni, while Hindus make up roughly 9%, with smaller Buddhist and Christian communities. The country's identity is closely tied to the Bengali language, the cause for which it fought during its 1971 war of independence. Despite limited natural resources, Bangladesh has earned a reputation as a "development surprise" for its progress in reducing poverty and improving life expectancy and literacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bangladesh the most densely populated country in the world?
Among countries with large populations, Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated, at over 1,100 people per km². Only tiny city-states and microstates such as Singapore, Monaco and Bahrain have higher densities.
What is the population of Dhaka?
Dhaka, the capital, has more than 22 million people in its greater metropolitan area, making it one of the largest and most crowded megacities in the world.
Why is Bangladesh so populous?
Bangladesh sits on the immensely fertile delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers. Centuries of intensive agriculture and high historical birth rates allowed a very large population to develop on a relatively small area of well-watered land.
Is Bangladesh's population still growing?
Yes, but slowly. The growth rate is about 1.0% per year and falling. With fertility now near replacement level, the population is expected to peak at roughly 200 million around 2060 and then level off.
