The dividend is not automatic—it requires a healthy, educated, and productively employed workforce.

With over 60 percent of its population under the age of 35, the country holds immense promise in the form of a demographic dividend.

Bangladesh risks missing the full benefits of its demographic dividend.

Today, Bangladesh stands at the edge of a demographic paradox.

The major challenge lies in prioritisation of the policies and the lack of consistent follow-up mechanisms.

The present leadership must prioritise the development of these two assets of Bangladesh for a sustainable and prosperous future.

The proportion of working-age people declined to 65.08 percent in 2023 from 66.58 percent in 2021, according to a survey of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). A year before, the proportion was 65.67 percent.

Government must be serious about decreasing women NEET

As per the Labour Force Survey 2022, the number of unemployed graduates doubled in five years.

BBS survey again highlights the plight of unemployed youth

The country has an unprecedented upsurge of young people in its demography.

Quality education is a requirement for “Smart Bangladesh,” and it will be an irremediable loss if the country fails to educate its young generation in order to reap the benefits of a demographic dividend that will slip away in the 2030s.

To fully benefit from its demographic dividend, Bangladesh needs to prioritise improvement in education, healthcare and job opportunities for the youth, while ensuring social welfare and healthcare for the growing elderly population.

Education abroad does not always come with golden opportunities

We need a strategy to deal with youth unemployment and improve women's inclusion into the economy

For Bangladesh, the window of achieving demographic dividend will close around 2040.

Government must address rising unemployment as a matter of priority

Sakib Khan's family has six members. The parents and two sons, aged between 20 and 55 years, earn a livelihood, while the two daughters aged below 15 attend school.

As people's economic behaviour varies at different stages of life, changes in a country's age structure can have substantial effects on its economic performance.