Older population rising in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is undergoing a significant demographic shift as the proportion of older people rose to 9.29% last year from 7.47% in 2011, according to the latest population census, indicating a fast-ageing population.

Dr Selim Raihan, executive director of the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (Sanem), has highlighted the natural increase in the older population and the concurrent decrease in the working-age population.

He said Bangladesh is currently benefiting from a demographic dividend, which is predicted to cease after 2035 as the number of older people continues to increase.

According to Selim Raihan, an economics professor at the University of Dhaka, it is crucial for the government to allocate additional funds for healthcare and social security to support the increasing number of elderly people in Bangladesh.

He also stressed the need for a plan to address the needs of the growing older population and called for a budget allocation to achieve this objective.

Sri Lanka has the highest number of ageing populations in South Asia, and currently has no demographic dividend, he mentioned.

Prof Raihan warned that if Bangladesh fails to capitalise on its demographic dividend in the next 15 years, the country will miss the opportunity for accelerated growth and development.

"It is essential for Bangladesh to prioritise policies that support the country's growing older populations, including healthcare, social welfare, and financial planning for retirement. Failure to do so could lead to significant economic and social challenges in the future," he told The Business Standard.

Prof Dr Md Aminul Haque of the Population Sciences Department of Dhaka University, emphasised that it is essential to take care of and manage the dependent group of the older population, and there are two types of management: social and health.

Although the elderly population is less than 10%, it is time to prepare for the future, he observed.

Prof Aminul highlighted that there is no setup for health services for the elderly at the district or union level, and the government must initiate this setup. He also stressed the need for every society to encourage people to provide senior citizen services.

He suggested involving skilled people above 60 years old in voluntary work, citing examples of former professors, secretaries, and school teachers, who need to be involved in various social activities to prevent them from being idle.

Implications of rise in older population

Social and healthcare services: The increase in the number of older people in Bangladesh will put a strain on the country's social and healthcare services. Older people have a higher demand for healthcare services, including frequent access to medical care, specialised housing, and transportation. 

Additionally, older people are more likely to suffer from visual impairment, hearing loss, and other age-related health conditions such as osteoporosis, arthritis, high blood pressure, diabetes, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's diseases.

Prof Raihan said to meet the growing demand for healthcare services, Bangladesh will need to increase its investment in healthcare infrastructure, train healthcare workers, and improve access to medical care. 

In addition, specialised housing and transportation services will need to be developed to cater to the unique needs of older people.

Social safety schemes and pensions: One of the major challenges facing older people in Bangladesh is the lack of social safety schemes and pensions. 

Currently, only a third of older people receive a pension, leaving the majority of them without economic security. The current social safety schemes in Bangladesh are still in their infancy and trial stage and do not cover most people.

To address this issue, Bangladesh needs to improve its social safety schemes and expand its pension coverage to include a larger proportion of older people. 

This will require significant investment in social welfare programs, including the expansion of social safety schemes and the provision of pensions to all older people.

Working age population is also on rise: Bangladesh's working-age population – between 15 and 59 years – also increased in the 2022 census compared to the previous one in 2011. 

BBS data show that the proportion of the working-age population rose to 61.86% in 2022, up from 57.89% in 2011, a development that indicates Bangladesh with a larger working-age population can boost its economic growth and productivity.

Prof Selim Raihan said to address these challenges, the government needs to implement policies that support job creation, education, and training programmes.

Prof Dr Md Aminul Haque said population growth continues to pose challenges, as a significant number of people here produce children before the age of 24.

This trend is not insignificant, and if it continues, the working-age population will increase for the next 10 years, he said, adding that the government has to take initiative to reduce teenage motherhood.