In 1800, the population of the area of modern-day Bangladesh was estimated to be just over 19 million, a figure which would rise steadily throughout the 19th century, reaching over 26 million by 1900. At the time, Bangladesh was the eastern part of the Bengal region in the British Raj, and had the most-concentrated Muslim population in the subcontinent's east. At the turn of the 20th century, the British colonial administration believed that east Bengal was economically lagging behind the west, and Bengal was partitioned in 1905 as a means of improving the region's development. East Bengal then became the only Muslim-majority state in the eastern Raj, which led to socioeconomic tensions between the Hindu upper classes and the general population.
Bengal Famine
During the Second World War, over 2.5 million men from across the British Raj enlisted in the British Army and their involvement was fundamental to the war effort. The war, however, had devastating consequences for the Bengal region, as the famine of 1943-1944 resulted in the deaths of up to three million people (with over two thirds thought to have been in the east) due to starvation and malnutrition-related disease. As the population boomed in the 1930s, East Bengal's mismanaged and underdeveloped agricultural sector could not sustain this growth; by 1942, food shortages spread across the region, millions began migrating in search of food and work, and colonial mismanagement exacerbated this further. On the brink of famine in early-1943, authorities in India called for aid and permission to redirect their own resources from the war effort to combat the famine, however these were mostly rejected by authorities in London. While the exact extent of each of these factors on causing the famine remains a topic of debate, the general consensus is that the British War Cabinet's refusal to send food or aid was the most decisive. Food shortages did not dissipate until late 1943, however famine deaths persisted for another year.
Partition to independence
Following the war, the movement for Indian independence reached its final stages as the process of British decolonization began. Unrest between the Raj's Muslim and Hindu populations led to the creation of two separate states in1947; the Muslim-majority regions became East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and West Pakistan (now Pakistan), separated by the Hindu-majority India. Although East Pakistan's population was larger, power lay with the military in the west, and authorities grew increasingly suppressive and neglectful of the eastern province in the following years. This reached a tipping point when authorities failed to respond adequately to the Bhola cyclone in 1970, which claimed over half a million lives in the Bengal region, and again when they failed to respect the results of the 1970 election, in which the Bengal party Awami League won the majority of seats. Bangladeshi independence was claimed the following March, leading to a brutal war between East and West Pakistan that claimed between 1.5 and three million deaths in just nine months. The war also saw over half of the country displaced, widespread atrocities, and the systematic rape of hundreds of thousands of women. As the war spilled over into India, their forces joined on the side of Bangladesh, and Pakistan was defeated two weeks later. An additional famine in 1974 claimed the lives of several hundred thousand people, meaning that the early 1970s was one of the most devastating periods in the country's history.
Independent Bangladesh
In the first decades of independence, Bangladesh's political hierarchy was particularly unstable and two of its presidents were assassinated in military coups. Since transitioning to parliamentary democracy in the 1990s, things have become comparatively stable, although political turmoil, violence, and corruption are persistent challenges. As Bangladesh continues to modernize and industrialize, living standards have increased and individual wealth has risen. Service industries have emerged to facilitate the demands of Bangladesh's developing economy, while manufacturing industries, particularly textiles, remain strong. Declining fertility rates have seen natural population growth fall in recent years, although the influx of Myanmar's Rohingya population due to the displacement crisis has seen upwards of one million refugees arrive in the country since 2017. In 2020, it is estimated that Bangladesh has a population of approximately 165 million people.
Population of Bangladesh from 1800 to 2020
(in millions)
Characteristic
Population in millions
2020
164.69
2019
163.05
2018
161.38
2017
159.69
2016
157.98
2015
156.26
2014
154.52
2013
152.76
2012
151.01
2011
149.27
2010
147.58
2009
145.92
2008
144.3
2007
142.66
2006
140.92
2005
139.04
2004
136.99
2003
134.79
2002
132.48
2001
130.09
2000
127.66
1999
125.19
1998
122.68
1997
120.16
1996
117.65
1995
115.17
1994
112.74
1993
110.35
1992
107.98
1991
105.6
1990
103.17
1989
100.7
1988
98.19
1987
95.67
1986
93.19
1985
90.76
1984
88.42
1983
86.14
1982
83.93
1981
81.77
1980
79.64
1979
77.53
1978
75.45
1977
73.46
1976
71.65
1975
70.07
1974
68.74
1973
67.64
1972
66.63
1971
65.53
1970
64.23
1969
62.68
1968
60.92
1967
59.03
1966
57.16
1965
55.39
1964
53.74
1963
52.2
1962
50.75
1961
49.36
1960
48.01
1959
46.7
1958
45.43
1957
44.23
1956
43.11
1955
42.09
1954
41.15
1953
40.29
1952
39.49
1951
38.71
1950
37.89
1949
37.4
1948
37
1947
36.7
1946
36.4
1945
36.1
1944
35.8
1943
35.5
1942
35.2
1941
34.9
1940
34.4
1939
33.9
1938
33.3
1937
32.7
1936
32
1935
31.4
1934
30.8
1933
30.2
1932
29.6
1931
29.1
1930
28.7
1929
28.4
1928
28.2
1927
28.1
1926
28
1925
27.9
1924
27.7
1923
27.6
1922
27.5
1921
27.4
1920
27.3
1919
27.2
1918
27.1
1917
27
1916
27
1915
26.9
1914
26.9
1913
26.9
1912
26.9
1911
26.8
1910
26.8
1909
26.7
1908
26.6
1907
26.6
1906
26.5
1905
26.4
1904
26.3
1903
26.2
1902
26.1
1901
26
1900
26
1899
25.9
1898
25.8
1897
25.7
1896
25.6
1895
25.5
1894
25.4
1893
25.4
1892
25.3
1891
25.2
1890
25.1
1889
25
1888
24.9
1887
24.9
1886
24.8
1885
24.7
1884
24.6
1883
24.5
1882
24.4
1881
24.4
1880
24.3
1879
24.2
1878
24.1
1877
24
1876
23.9
1875
23.8
1874
23.8
1873
23.7
1872
23.6
1871
23.5
1870
23.5
1869
23.4
1868
23.4
1867
23.3
1866
23.3
1865
23.3
1864
23.2
1863
23.2
1862
23.1
1861
23.1
1860
23.1
1859
23
1858
23
1857
23
1856
22.9
1855
22.9
1854
22.9
1853
22.8
1852
22.8
1851
22.7
1850
22.7
1849
22.6
1848
22.5
1847
22.4
1846
22.3
1845
22.2
1844
22.1
1843
22
1842
22
1841
21.9
1840
21.8
1839
21.7
1838
21.6
1837
21.5
1836
21.4
1835
21.3
1834
21.2
1833
21.1
1832
21
1831
21
1830
20.9
1829
20.8
1828
20.7
1827
20.6
1826
20.5
1825
20.4
1824
20.3
1823
20.3
1822
20.2
1821
20.1
1820
20.1
1819
20
1818
20
1817
19.9
1816
19.9
1815
19.8
1814
19.8
1813
19.7
1812
19.7
1811
19.6
1810
19.6
1809
19.5
1808
19.5
1807
19.5
1806
19.4
1805
19.4
1804
19.3
1803
19.3
1802
19.3
1801
19.2
1800
19.2
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Data from UN used for period between 1950-2020. Data from Gapminder used for period between 1800-1949.
The sources do not give their methodology, but appear to use estimates from extended periods of time to calculate gradual annual figures, therefore the impact of major events (such as the Bengal Famine or Liberation War) may appear smaller when represented on the graph.
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Gapminder, & UN DESA. (August 31, 2019). Population of Bangladesh from 1800 to 2020 (in millions) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 07, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1066829/population-bangladesh-historical/
Gapminder, und UN DESA. "Population of Bangladesh from 1800 to 2020 (in millions)." Chart. August 31, 2019. Statista. Accessed December 07, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1066829/population-bangladesh-historical/
Gapminder, UN DESA. (2019). Population of Bangladesh from 1800 to 2020 (in millions). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 07, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1066829/population-bangladesh-historical/
Gapminder, and UN DESA. "Population of Bangladesh from 1800 to 2020 (in Millions)." Statista, Statista Inc., 31 Aug 2019, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1066829/population-bangladesh-historical/
Gapminder & UN DESA, Population of Bangladesh from 1800 to 2020 (in millions) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1066829/population-bangladesh-historical/ (last visited December 07, 2024)
Population of Bangladesh from 1800 to 2020 (in millions) [Graph], Gapminder, & UN DESA, August 31, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1066829/population-bangladesh-historical/