People and Life

Bangladesh is the most densely populated country in the world (when small countries and city states such as Singapore or Vatican are excluded). About 75 % of the population live in villages in rural areas, the rest in cities and towns. However, this ratio is changing rapidly and a huge increase in the number of urban dwellers has been observed in recent years.

The overwhelming majority of Bangladeshis (98 %) are of the Bengali ethno‑linguistic group. The most prominent minority are Urdu-speaking Biharis, who emigrated from the state of Bihar and other parts of northern India. Other minority ethnic groups speak Tibeto-Burman languages and include the tribes of Chakma, Marmas, Tippera or Mros. The tribal population is concentrated in the Chittagong Hill Tracts along the southeast border and around Mymensingh, Sylhet a Rajshahi.