Skills Development in Bangladesh

Abstract

The demographic dividend that has been created in Bangladesh has produced a large working-age population that will need adequate education to support a modernizing economy. A demographic dividend is a period in which a proportionally large working-age population results from the rapid fall in birth rates. In Bangladesh, this phenomenon has been occurring since the 1970s. The large working-age population implies that if decent employment opportunities are available, the country can be more productive collectively, as more people contribute to overall economic activity. In 1989, people aged 15–64 made up only 54% of Bangladesh’s population. By 2016, this share was estimated to be 66% and was forecast to continue to rise to 69% in 2022 through 2044 (United Nations 2015).