Key facts

Where UK bilateral aid goes - pie chart showing bilateral aid spending in Bangladesh (2008/09)

Facts about Bangladesh

Population: 143 million (Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), 2007).
Average life expectancy: 64 years (BBS, 2006). UK: 78 years (UN Statistics Division (UNSD), 2007).
Average per capita income: US$1,340 (purchasing power parity (PPP) rate) (World Bank (WB), 2007). UK: US$33,800 (purchasing power parity (PPP)) (World Development Indicators (WDI), 2007).
Gross national income (GNI): US$191.93 billion (PPP rate) (WB, 2006).
Average annual growth rate: 6.1% (WB, 2003-2007).
Percentage of people not meeting daily food needs: 40% live below international poverty line (Household Income and Expenditure Survey, 2005).
Women dying in childbirth: 320 per 100,000 (BBS, 2006). UK: 13 per 100,000 (UNSD, 2007).
Children dying before age 5: 65 per 1,000 (HNPSP, 2007). UK: 6 per 1,000 (UNSD, 2005).
Percentage of children receiving primary school education: 91.1% enrol in primary school; 50% complete it (BBS, 2007).
Percentage of people aged 15-49 living with HIV/AIDS: 0.1% (BBS, 2006). UK: 0.2% (UNICEF, 2005).
Percentage of people with access to safe, clean water: 80% (WHO/UNICEF, 2006)
Total UK aid received (2008/09): £135.7 million (Source: Statistics for International Development 2009)

Progress towards Millennium Development Goals

Bangladesh’s economic gains have been translated into progress towards the MDGs through state service provision and some innovative policies. It is on track to meet several of the MDGs, such as MDG 1 (eradicate extreme poverty and hunger) and MDG 4 (reduce child mortality). That said, the progress towards MDG 1 is fragile and the continuing issues of food security and global financial recession could knock it off course.

MDG 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Significant growth has been translated into poverty reduction of 1.8% a year, with the poverty rate in 2005 standing at 40% of the population. However, malnutrition remains a very serious problem, and reaching this MDG is still a major challenge.

MDG 2: Achieve universal primary education
A specific programme aimed at girls has seen (gross) primary school enrolment reach 91.1%. However, decreasing completion rates means that more focus is required on developing a child-friendly curriculum and materials and improved teaching methods.

MDG 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Bangladesh has achieved the target of equal numbers of boys and girls enrolled in primary and secondary schools.

MDG 4: Reduce child mortality
Bangladesh is on track to reach this target. The infant mortality rate declined from 88 deaths per 1,000 live births (2004) to 52 (2007).

MDG 5: Improve maternal health
While the rate of deaths of women shortly before, during and shortly after childbirth has declined from 574 per 100,000 live births (1990) to 320 (2007), it remains very high by global standards. At 18% (2007), the proportion of births carried out by skilled attendants is also very low.

MDG 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
The HIV prevalence rate among injecting drug users (IDUs) has risen significantly since 1998, with the risk that the initial outbreak, which has been concentrated in this group, could seed a generalised heterosexual epidemic. Continued support for the government-led health programme, plus successful HIV prevention work with high-risk groups, will help to mitigate the spread of HIV/AIDs.

MDG 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Unfortunately, reported figures regarding access to safe water differ between donors and the government of Bangladesh. However, we have concluded that Bangladesh is currently not on track to meet this MDG, as only 80% of the population has access to an improved drinking water source. This figure takes account of the contamination of drinking water by arsenic, which poses a health risk for 20-30 million people.

MDG 8: Develop a global partnership for development
One element of this MDG is access to communication technology. In 2006, out of every 100 people, Bangladesh had more than 13 mobile phone subscribers - double that of the year before.

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