Demographics

Demographics
See also: Education in Bangladesh

Main article: Demographics of Bangladesh
Recent (2005-2007) estimates of Bangladesh's population range from 142 to 159 million, making it the 7th most populous nation in the world. With a land area of 144,000 square kilometers, ranked 94th, the population density is remarkable. A striking comparison is offered by the fact that Russia's population is slightly smaller even though Russia has a land area of 17.5 million square kilometers, at least 120 times bigger than Bangladesh. Indeed Bangladesh has the highest population density in the world, excluding a handful of city-states.[51] Bangladesh's population growth was among the highest in the world in the 1960s and 1970s, when the count grew from 50 to 90 million, but with the promotion of birth control in the 1980s, the growth rate slowed. The total fertility rate is now 3.1 children per woman, compared with 6.2 thirty years ago.[citation needed] The population is relatively young, with the 0–25 age group comprising 60%, while 3% are 65 or older. Life expectancy is 63 years for both males and females.[52]

The majority ethnic group of Bangladesh are the Bengali people, comprising 98% of the population.[53] The remainder are mostly Bihari migrants and indigenous tribal groups. There are thirteen tribal groups located in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the most populous of the tribes are the Chakmas. The region has been a source for ethnic tension since the inception of Bangladesh.[54] The largest tribal groups outside the Hill Tracts are the Santhals and the Garos (Achiks). There are also Kaibartta, Mundas, Oraons, and Zomi ethnic groups. Human trafficking has been a lingering problem in Bangladesh[55] and illegal immigration has remained a cause of friction with Burma[56] and India..[57]

The official and most widely used language in Bangladesh, as in West Bengal, is Bangla or Bengali,[58] an Indo-Aryan language of Sanskrit origin with its own script. English is used as second language among the middle and upper classes[59] and in higher education. Since a President Order in 1987, Bangla is used for all official correspondence except those that are to foreign recipients.[59]

Health and education levels have recently improved as poverty levels have decreased. Most Bangladeshis are rural, living on subsistence farming. Health problems abound, ranging from surface water contamination, to arsenic contamination of groundwater,[60] and diseases including malaria, leptospirosis and dengue. The literacy rate in Bangladesh is approximately 41%.[61] There is gender disparity, though, as literacy rates are 50% among men and 31% among women, according to a 2004 UNICEF estimate.[62] Literacy has gone up due to many programmes introduced in the country. Among the most successful ones are the Food for education (FFE) programme introduced in 1993,[63] and a stipend programme for women at the primary and secondary levels.[64]