Published: July 9, 2025, 12:23 AM
An alarming 77% of women in Bangladesh cannot make independent decisions about whether or when to have children—far above the global average of 63%, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)`s State of World Population Report 2025.
Titled "The Real Fertility Crisis: The Pursuit of Reproductive Agency in a Changing World," the report emphasizes that the real issue is not population numbers but a lack of reproductive autonomy.
“This is a crisis of agency,” said Catherine Breen Kamkong, UNFPA Representative in Bangladesh, at the report`s launch in Dhaka. “We need to shift the conversation from numbers to rights, choices, and dignity.”
Only 23% of Bangladeshi women have achieved their desired number of children, compared to a global average of 37%. The report attributes this gap to limited access to education and healthcare, financial hardship, and deep-rooted social pressures.
Key findings include: 11% of women cannot independently decide whether to use contraception, 16% were pressured into having a child, 15% were pressured to use contraception even when they wanted children, 10% couldn’t access essential healthcare, 33% said they could not refuse sexual intercourse.
Unintended pregnancies remain prevalent, with one in three women having experienced one. Early marriage, lack of sexual education, and restricted access to contraception fuel Bangladesh’s high adolescent birth rate.
Kamkong called on the government to drastically increase investment in the health sector - from 0.7% to 5% of GDP, and from 2% to 15% of the national budget. “This is essential for strengthening reproductive health services, supporting midwives, and ensuring a reliable supply of contraceptives and lifesaving medicines,” she said.
Despite the troubling data, the report highlights encouraging signs: growing awareness among youth, a preference for smaller families, and increasing focus on education and financial security.
Bangladesh’s 2025 population stands at 175.7 million, with half being women and two-thirds (115 million) in the working-age group - indicating a strong demographic dividend. However, the country is also ageing, with 7% (12 million) aged 65 and over.
While Bangladesh was not one of the 14 focus countries surveyed directly, the report drew from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2022.
Globally, the report outlines a "fertility paradox": while countries like South Korea grapple with ultra-low fertility rates (0.8 children per woman), nations like Niger face extremely high rates (5.8). Bangladesh, with a replacement-level fertility rate of 2.1, still struggles with adolescent pregnancies and gaps in reproductive healthcare.
Ultimately, the report calls for global action to ensure reproductive rights and decision-making power for all, regardless of geography or income level.
