Demographic Dividend - Population

Population has been a major concern over the years. While Malthus (Sharma, 2004) established that uncontrolled increase of population will lead to poverty, Dale Allen Pfeiffer (2006) predicts a human ‘die-off’ arguing for world’s population of about two billion in order to be able to rely solely on the energy provided by sun. To adapt to the predicted challenge of population growth, ideas like transhumanism (Haag, 2013) is discoursed even. Recently, Dan Brown (2013) wrote his famous fiction ‘Inferno’ on the ground of debate regarding consequences of and ways of controlling uncontrolled population growth. However, demographic dividend is a new twisting addition to the debate that urges better utilization of age-structure of population can act as a dividend and bring socio-economic benefits.

Increase in the working age population due to declining population growth contributing as a window of opportunity is known as demographic dividend (Durr-e-Nayab, 2006). It indicates chances of increasing economic growth per capita and levels of well-being of population (Saad, 2011) arising during a stage of demographic transition when dependency ratio drops significantly with the growth in share of working-age population relative to dependent-age population (Matin, 2012).

Most of the developed countries in Asia, Europe and America have already enjoyed demographic dividend (Wongboonsin, 2007) benefitting from it. The benefits include high economic performance gained from more productive workforce, increased standard for living, and high income for consumption and high savings & investment which can be applicable for Bangladesh as well. Specifically, Mason (2002) pointed out that one-third of the economic growth in South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore during 1960-1990 can be accredited to this. As it poses unique prospect for future (Saad, 2011), Bangladesh will benefit from this in multifaceted ways if properly nurtured. Increased labor supply, savings, human capital (Rob, 2014) etc. will contribute to the socio-economic development of the country. Given 31.5% people living below poverty line (HIES, 2010) with vision to become middle income country by 2021 (Perspective Plan of Bangladesh, 2012) and unprecedented opportunities of having 64.03% urban population within the age-group 15-59 (BBS, August 2014, p. 43), Bangladesh needs to utilize the benefits, as it will not only generate a chance of second dividend, but also guard against latent demographic burden.

With total population of 2,840,498 (BBS, June 2012), Brahmanbaria possesses number of demographic advantages. It ranks 18th in urban population of Bangladesh (BBS, August 2014, p. xi). Of these huge population, only 4.9% people are above 65 years old and 52.9% people are in the working age group of 15-64 years old (BBS, June 2012, pp. Chapter-4) creating scope for demographic dividend.

We have also found out that of the male and female aged 3-14 years, majority is attending school (53% and 58% for male & female respectively) (BBS, June 2012, p. Chapter 07).