Bangladesh’s First National MPI

Child Poverty in Bangladesh: New National MPI Highlights Urgent Need for Action in Rural and Eastern Regions

Bangladesh’s first-ever National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) has uncovered harsh realities, especially for children and people living in the country's eastern divisions, according to a press release issued by UNICEF.

The report, developed by the General Economics Division (GED) with support from UNICEF, the European Union (EU), and other partners, provides a comprehensive picture of poverty that goes beyond income by analyzing overlapping deprivations in areas such as health, education, and living standards.

Unlike traditional poverty metrics that focus solely on income, the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) assesses how people experience poverty through multiple simultaneous deprivations. To be considered multidimensionally poor, a person must suffer from at least two or more deprivations, such as poor health, lack of education, inadequate nutrition, unsafe living conditions, or limited access to essential services.

The findings are stark: more than 39 million people in Bangladesh are living in multidimensional poverty. Of these, children are disproportionately affected, with 28.9% living in multidimensional poverty compared to 21.44% of adults—making children 35% more likely to be impacted by multidimensional poverty. This indicates deeply rooted, child-specific challenges that continue to undermine their rights, development, and future potential.

The biggest contributor to multidimensional poverty among children is school attendance, underscoring that education-related deprivations are the most critical drivers of child poverty in Bangladesh. While the country has made progress in reducing monetary poverty and stunting (chronic undernutrition), multidimensional child poverty remains a formidable challenge, especially in rural areas, where rates are significantly higher than in urban areas.

Regional disparities are also glaring. The MPI report identifies five districts—Bandarban, Cox’s Bazar, Sunamganj, Rangamati, and Bhola—where over 40% of the population lives in multidimensional poverty. Among these, Bandarban has the highest poverty rate at 65.36%, the highest among all 64 districts in the country.

At the divisional level, Sylhet records the highest rate at 37.70%. These findings point to a regional poverty cluster in the eastern parts of Bangladesh, especially in the Chattogram and Sylhet divisions, where child poverty is especially severe, while monetary poverty is more prevalent in the northern regions.

The report also highlights structural challenges such as high inflation, lack of coordination across sectors, and recent civil unrest, which are undermining efforts to invest in solutions to multidimensional poverty. These constraints are limiting Bangladesh’s ability to make necessary, targeted investments in areas such as housing, sanitation, internet access, and essential household assets—all critical components for improving children's lives.

UNICEF emphasizes that effective poverty reduction begins with reliable data. According to Rana Flowers, UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh, “When the multiple dimensions of poverty are addressed effectively, child poverty for current and future generations can be prevented.”

The MPI, built on the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) and to be repeated this year, will continue to serve as a baseline tool for policymakers to prioritize investments and social policies more equitably.

To effectively reduce multidimensional child poverty, UNICEF calls on Bangladesh’s Interim and future governments, along with development partners, to leverage the MPI data to inform equitable policy-making, targeted investments, and multi-sectoral interventions. Special attention must be given to poverty hotspots and rural areas, with a focus on critical sectors such as water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), electricity, clean cooking fuel, and quality education.

The MPI initiative is a result of strong collaboration among GED, UNICEF, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the EU, and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI).

It is also aligned with Bangladesh’s national development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reinforcing the country’s commitment to eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions.

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