One in four people live in multidimensional poverty: GED report

Infographic: TBS

Despite marked progress in poverty reduction, nearly one in four people in Bangladesh – 24.05% of the population – are still living in multidimensional poverty, affecting various aspects of their lives such as education, health, and key areas of living standards.

Bandarban experienced the highest (65.36%) and Jhenaidah the lowest (8.66%) poverty incidence among all districts, according to the country's first-ever National Multidimensional Poverty Index.

Among the divisions, Sylhet records the highest rate of multidimensional poverty at 37.70%, while Khulna division has the lowest at 15.22%, based on 2019 results, says the index released today by the General Economics Division (GED) of the Bangladesh Planning Commission.

However, the proportion of poor fell from 42.65% to 24% between 2013 and 2019 despite population growth, says the index report that compared two cluster surveys. During the period, multidimensionally poor population declined by nearly 25.7 million to around 39.77 million, it finds.

The index captures deprivations across key areas such as education, health, and living standards, offering a more holistic view of poverty than traditional income-based metrics.

The data reveals stark urban-rural disparities, with 26.96% of rural residents identified as multidimensional poor compared to just 13.48% in urban areas.

According to the 2019 results, the intensity of multidimensional poverty – the average share of deprivations among the poor – stands at 44.17%, resulting in a national value of 0.106. This means that poor people in Bangladesh experience about 10.6% of all possible deprivations.

Children are the most affected group, with 28.64% of those aged up to 9 and 28.83% of those aged 10-17 living in multidimensional poverty, compared to 21.44% of adults. Given that over 35% of Bangladesh's population are children, this represents a major policy concern. Deprivations in child school attendance, years of schooling, nutrition, and housing contribute most significantly to the overall index.

The report reveals 21.34% of the population are both multidimensional poor and deprived in housing, while more than 20% are deprived in internet access and sanitation. The highest weighted contribution to the index comes from educational indicators.

Significant improvements were observed across key indicators such as electricity, sanitation, housing, and asset ownership. Both rural and urban areas saw strong progress, with rural areas recording a larger reduction (0.105 points) than urban areas (0.061 points). 

When broken down by age, the index reveals a 28.87% poverty rate among children under 18 in 2019, compared to 21.45% among adults. However, the incidence among children has fallen dramatically from 50.2% in 2012/13 to 28.87% in 2019, lifting around 13 million children out of multidimensional poverty – a promising sign of progress.

The report was released at a seminar held in Dhaka, attended by Professor Dr Anisuzzaman Chowdhury, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, as the chief guest.

Dr Monzur Hossain, Member (Secretary), GED, presided over the session. Renowned economists Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, Executive Chairman of PPRC, and Dr AK Enamul Haque, Director General of BIDS, were the distinguished discussants.

Also present were Aleya Akhter, Secretary, Statistics and Informatics Division (SID), Ministry of Planning, and Rana Flowers, Unicef Representative to Bangladesh, as special guests. Edwin Koekkoek, First Counsellor and Acting Head of Development Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union, attended as Guest of Honour.

The index has been developed in collaboration with the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), Unicef, Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), and other national and international partners.

In a written statement, Planning Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud emphasised that the Multidimensional Poverty Index approach allows for more targeted and effective development interventions. "By identifying the most disadvantaged groups, the MPI can help design impactful poverty eradication strategies aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 1 (No Poverty)," he stated.

Dr Anisuzzaman Chowdhury called for the integration of MPI into national policymaking and development planning, and stressed the need for further studies to understand regional disparities in poverty. He praised GED and its partners for their coordinated efforts.

Dr Monzur Hossain  said, In building a more equitable society, this publication will serve as a key reference for policymakers, researchers, development practitioners and academics who are working to combat poverty and improve the quality of life for all Bangladeshis.

The index offers a powerful tool for geographic targeting and calls for immediate government intervention in districts with the highest levels – such as Bandarban (65.36%), Cox's Bazar (47.70%), and Sunamganj (47.36%). These areas face critical levels of deprivation and need targeted support in sectors such as education, housing, and sanitation.

The report identifies education as the top priority for poverty reduction and stresses the need for initiatives to improve housing conditions, expand internet access, and enhance sanitation infrastructure.

To reduce urban-rural divide, it calls for digital infrastructure investments and digital literacy, universal access to health and education as well as increased public support for drinking water, sanitation, clean cooking fuels, and electricity access.