Dhaka has ranked the second most populous city in the world, with a population of 36.6 million, a new United Nations report shows that Indonesia's capital Jakarta has become the world's largest city with 41.9 million people while Bangladesh's Dhaka ranks second.
United Nations report shows that Bangladesh has 4 cities with more than a million people, 32 cities with between 100,000 and 1 million people, and 68 cities with between 10,000 and 100,000 people. The largest city in Bangladesh is Dhaka, with a population of 36,602,901 people.
Dhaka's rise has been driven largely by an influx of people fleeing rural areas due to flooding, erosion and other climate-change impacts, as well as those seeking better opportunities, said the report.
Dhaka's 2025 population is now estimated at 36,602,901. With a density of 29,234 people per square kilometer, the current metro area population of Dhaka is 22,478,116, as of 2022. In 1950, the population of Dhaka was 335,760. Dhaka has grown by 717,200 in the last year, which represents a 3 per cent annual change. These population estimates and projections come from the latest revision of the UN World Urbanization Prospects.
"Bangladesh is the 2nd most populous country. Dhaka, the capital, has 10.3 million residents, is one of the largest cities in the world. The 2nd most populous city, Chattogram, trails far behind but still has a respectable population of almost 4 million. Khulna, with 1.3 million residents, is the third and final city in Bangladesh that has a population that exceeds one million," the report said.
There are also 27 cities that have populations between 100,000 and 1,000,000, and 68 cities that have a population of at least 10,000. There are also smaller towns and villages that contribute to the country's massive population.
"The urbanized areas of Bangladesh are expanding, and 34 per cent of the total population lives in urban areas.
The rest live in rural cities and towns. While this may seem like a large amount, the growth and expansion is evident when comparing this data to the numbers from 1960, which showed that 95 per cent of the population lived in rural areas," the report said.
In 1950, the population of Chattogram was 288,853. Chattogram has grown by 139,880 in the last year, which represents a 2.54% annual change.
Rajshahi's 2025 population is now estimated at 1,007,020. In 1950, the population of Rajshahi was 38,970. Rajshahi has grown by 23,313 in the last year, which represents a 2.37% annual change.
Khulna's 2025 population is now estimated at 980,200. In 1950, the population of Khulna was 61,259. Khulna has grown by 14,717 in the last year, which represents a 1.52% annual change Barishal's 2025 population is now estimated at 565,243. In 1950, the population of Barishal was 71,139.
Barishal has grown by 16,212 in the last year, which represents a 2.95% annual change.
Rangpur's 2025 population is now estimated at 456,821. In 1950, the population of Rangpur was 34,131. Rangpur has grown by 11,144 in the last year, which represents a 2.5% annual change.
Mymensingh's 2025 population is now estimated at 509,237. In 1950, the population of Mymensingh was 65,043.
Mymensingh has grown by 11,675 in the last year, which represents a 2.35% annual change.
Sylhet's 2025 population is now estimated at 1,032,980. In 1950, the population of Sylhet was 67,438. Sylhet has grown by 33,606 in the last year, which represents a 3.36% annual change.
Bogura's 2025 population is now estimated at 981,223. In 1950, the population of Bogura was 33,781. Bogura has grown by 36,346 in the last year, which represents a 3.85 per cent annual change.
Bangladesh's population structure shows a slightly lower male to female ratio of 0.97 to 1, with a median male age of 26.10 years old and a median female age of 27.10 years old. The highest concentration of adults under 75 years old is in the 18 and 19 year-old age groups, while the lowest concentration is in the 74 and 73 year-old age groups.
