1 in 5 in BD to be elderly by 2050: Experts urge action
Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh is ageing rapidly, with experts warning that by 2050 one in every five citizens-around 36 million people-will be aged 60 or above, highlighting the urgent need to prepare for the country’s demographic shift.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB), in collaboration with the AYAT Education Foundation, has released Bangladesh’s first Country Diagnostic Study on Long-Term Care (LTC) for Older People.
The study was unveiled at the National Dissemination Programme on Long-Term Care held on Tuesday in a city hotel.
The report provides the first comprehensive assessment of the country’s long-term care system, mapping existing services, identifying policy and institutional gaps, and proposing strategic recommendations to build a sustainable and inclusive framework for the ageing population.
Dr Mohammad Abu Yusuf, Secretary of the Ministry of Social Welfare, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to policy reform, saying long-term care is increasingly viewed as part of Bangladesh’s broader social protection strategy.
“Public-private collaboration will be key to implementing a national framework that works,” he said, adding that awareness and mindset change are essential.
He also highlighted challenges in the health sector, noting that while life expectancy has risen, healthy life expectancy is declining.
“Life expectancy has increased but our healthy life expectancy is decreasing, which we need to address,” he said, stressing the need for innovative funding and implementable health models.
Akira Matsunaga, Deputy Country Director of ADB, described Bangladesh as standing at a demographic turning point.
“Building a resilient and inclusive long-term care system will not only support ageing populations but also create new opportunities in the care economy,” he said.
The programme included a high-level policy dialogue and a panel discussion on “Innovative Financing Mechanisms towards a Sustainable Long-Term Care System in Bangladesh”, bringing together policymakers, development partners, private sector representatives, and academics.
Experts stressed that with citizens aged 60 and above projected to comprise over 20 percent of the population by 2050, swift action is needed to develop a people-centred, gender-responsive, and climate-resilient long-term care system.
The study notes that life expectancy in Bangladesh has reached 73.1 years overall, with 71.6 years for men and 74.6 years for women. However, healthy life expectancy at age 60 declined from 15.5 years in 2015 to 14.8 years in 2021, indicating that many older people spend more years with chronic illnesses or functional limitations.
It also highlights social challenges, such as older women are disproportionately widowed and both women and rural residents having lower education levels.
The report underscores the multifaceted needs of older people, including health, functional limitations, and social vulnerabilities, as well as the disproportionate caregiving burden on women within families.
Experts called for a coordinated, government-led approach that integrates health, social, and community-based services, and professionalises the caregiving workforce to ensure that older people in Bangladesh can age with dignity, independence, and security.