02 August 2011, New York. This June the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics released the preliminary report from its 2010 Household Income and Expenditure Survey. The report indicates that in the period from 2005 to 2010, 13 million people have been lifted out of poverty and that the overall poverty level has fallen by 8.5 percentage points.
"Bangladesh is truly an amazing story of human progress, despite the obstacles," said Dr. Lincoln Chen, Chair of the BRAC USA Board of Directors and President of the China Medical Board of New York. "Surely the large NGOs like BRAC deserve much credit."
Additional survey findings pointed to significant increases in a number of important poverty indicators. Individuals per capita, per day intake of food has increased by 5.5 percent, from 947.8 grams in 2005 at the national level, to 999.9 grams in 2010. Quality of life has improved as well. The survey found significant increases in access to safe drinking water and electricity. A phenomenal increase was observed in the use of mobile phones, with an increase from 11.29 percent in 2005, to 63.74 percent in 2010.
Average monthly household income has increased by 59.38 percent at the national level, 58.27 percent in rural areas, and 57.48 percent in urban areas. A large increase was also seen in average monthly household expenditures, with an increase of 82.59 percent at the national level, 80.71 percent in rural areas, and 82.01 percent in urban areas, compared to 2005.
The report also referenced significant improvements in education, with increases in the literacy rate of 7-year-olds increasing from 57.91 percent at national levels, compared to 51.9 percent in 2005. The proportion of people benefiting from at least one public safety net program has increased as well. In 2010, 24.57 percent of households reported having received a benefit during the past year from at least one type of program, compared to only 13.03 percent in 2005.
BBS Director General Shahjan Ali Molla said the survey was conducted in 12,240 households, including 4,400 in urban areas, and 7,840 in rural areas across the country from Feb. 1, 2010 to Jan. 31, 2011.
