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Bangladesh Population and Religion Percentage

Bangladesh, officially the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in Southern Asia. Bangladesh is the eighth-most populous country in the world and also one of the most densely populated countries. It’s the 92nd largest country in the world by land area.

According to the 2022 Bangladesh census, Bangladesh has a population of 169,828,921 people, of which 84,077,203 are male, 85,653,120 are female and 12,629 are of 3rd gender. As per the UN World Population Prospects report, the estimated population of Bangladesh in 2024 is 174,701,211 (17.47 Crores or 174 million)

Bangladesh expected population growth rate during 2022-2023 will be 1.02%. Its population is equivalent to 2.11% of the total world population. The total Land Area of Bangladesh is 130,168 sq. km (50,258 sq. mi) & the Population Density of Bangladesh is 1265 per Km2 (3405 people per mi2).

Bangladesh 2022 Census
Total Population169,828,921 (170 million)
Global Rank8th
Share of World Pop.2.11%
Land Area 130,168 sq. km (50,258 sq. mi)
Area Rank92
Density1305 person/sq.km
Fertility Rate2.05
Infant mortality rate25.6
Median Age27.6 Years
Life Expectancy73.57 years
Urban Population39.4  %

Source: UN World  Populations Prospects 

Religion in Bangladesh

Islam is the largest religion in Bangladesh and Sunni Islam is the largest religion practiced in the country. Hinduism is the second-largest religion in (61 out of 64) districts. But there is no Hindu majority district in Bangladesh. Other major religion includes Buddhism and Christianity.

Buddhism is the largest religion in (1 out of 64) districts and the second largest religion in (2 out of 64) districts. Christianity is a significant minority religion in all the districts of Bangladesh. Most of the Buddhist population of Bangladesh is concentrated in the Chittagong Division. A few people also follow religions like Sikhism, Bahai Faith, Sarnaism, and some other religions.

Bangladesh Religion Percentage

ReligionPercentage
Islam91.4%
Hinduism7.95%
Buddhism0.61%
Christianity0.30%
Others 0.12%
Islam in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is the fourth-largest Muslim-populated country.  The Muslim population in Bangladesh was over 150 million in 2021, which makes up 91.4% of the population in the country.

The overwhelming majority of Bangladeshi Muslims are Bengali Muslims at 88%, but a small segment of about 2% of them are Bihari Muslims. Most Muslims in Bangladesh are Sunnis, but there is a small Shia community. Estimation shows that over 1 million Rohingya Muslim refugees living in Bangladesh have come here during the period of (the 2016–17) crisis.

Hinduism in Bangladesh

Hinduism is the second-largest religious affiliation in Bangladesh, with around 13.1 million people identifying themselves as Hindus out of 169 million people and making up about 7.95%  of the total population as the second-largest minority. In terms of population, Bangladesh is the third-largest Hindu-populated country in the world, just after India and Nepal.

Bangladeshi Hindus are predominantly Bengali Hindus, but a distinct Hindu population also exists among the indigenous tribes like Garo, Khasi, Jaintia, Santhal, Bishnupriya Manipuri, and Tripuri, Munda, Oraon, Dhanuk, etc. Hindus are evenly distributed throughout all regions of Bangladesh, with significant concentrations in the northern, southwestern, and northeastern parts of the country.

Buddhism in Bangladesh

About 1 million people in Bangladesh adhere to the Theravada school of Buddhism. Buddhists form about 0.61% of the population of Bangladesh. Over 65% of the Buddhist population is concentrated in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region, where it is the predominant faith of the Rakhine, Chakma, Marma, Tanchangya, and other Jumma people, and the Barua. The remaining 35% are Bengali Buddhists. Buddhist communities are present in the urban centers of Bangladesh, particularly Chittagong and Dhaka.

Top Cities in Bangaldesh by Population
#CityPopulation
1Dhaka10,356,500
2Chittagong3,920,222
3Khulna1,342,339
4Rajshahi700,133
5Comilla389,411
6Shibganj378,701
7Natore369,138
8Rangpur343,122
9Tungi337,579
10Narsingdi281,080

read more about Top Cities by Population in India​

Population of Bangladesh 2024 | Religion in Bangladesh

Rajeev Rana

Rajeev Rana loves reading about history and demography and has been writing on these topics for five years. While not a certified expert, he has a deep understanding of demography in India. Rajeev contributes to several websites and has extensive knowledge of the Delhi NCR area.