BBS releases new poverty map 2022
The Paltan Thana area in the capital has emerged as the least poverty spot in the country with only one per cent population in the central area in Dhaka live below the poverty line of $2.25 per day, equivalent to TK 262.
The Sadar upazila in Madaripur, some 143 kilometer south of the capital, is the highest poverty-prone area as 63.2 per cent of its 72,243 people are poor, maintaining a day with less than Tk 262.
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics came up with new updates on the poverty situation while releasing the 鈥楶overty Map of Bangladesh, 2022鈥� in a function in the capital on Thursday.
Based on small area estimation for the first time, BSS found that Paltan with a population of 43,063 people has the lowest number of poor people among 590 thanas and upzailas in the country.
It is ahead of 14 other least poor thanas out of 50 in the capital.
They are Uttara Pashchim (1.1 per cent poor), Bimanbandar (1.4 per cent), Dhanmondi (1.5 per cent) New Market (1.7 per cent), Shahbagh (1.9 per cent),聽 Gandaria (2.4聽 per cent), Uttara Purba (2.7 per cent), Sher-e Bangla Nagar (2.7 per cent), Surtapur (2.8 per cent)聽 Cantonment (2.9), Kotwali (2.9),聽 Gulshan (3.2 per cent), Wari (3.3 per cent) and Kalabagan (3.4 per cent).
Dhaka district is, however, having an overall poverty rate of 19.6 per cent, while the national poverty rate stands at 19.2 per cent under the small area estimation, slightly higher than 18.7 per cent the BSS earlier calculated on the basis of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2022.
The new poverty map also highlighted the significant gap between affluent and impoverished regions, shedding light on ongoing challenges in the country鈥檚 fight against poverty.
Rural areas experience a higher poverty rate at 20.3 per cent while urban poverty is at 16.5 per cent.
Madaripur district, meanwhile, has the highest poverty rate, with 54.4 per cent of its population living below the poverty line, three times higher than the national average.
Noakhali has the least poor people, with a poverty rate of just 6.1 per cent, three times less the national average among 64 districts.
The new poverty map has also revealed a new dynamic in the division-level poverty in the country as Barishal held the highest percentage of poor people among all divisions, replacing Rangpur at the top.聽
In 2016, Barishal held the fifth rank in poverty while Rangpur held the top rank with 47.23 per cent of its population recorded as poor.
Within six years, in 2022, Rangpur reduced its poverty rate significantly to 25 per cent.
Barishal鈥檚 poverty rate, however, was remained almost unchanged to 26.6 per cent from 26.49 percent, according to the Poverty Map 2022.
Aided by World Bank and World Food Programme tern BBS new poverty map aims at providing a clearer picture of the country鈥檚 socioeconomic conditions, helping policymakers and development agencies implement targeted poverty reduction initiatives.
Outside the capital, two thanas in Chattaogram Double Mooring and Panchlaish have the lowest poverty rates at 1.1 per cent and 1.6 per cent respectively.
This was the fifth update of the country鈥檚 poverty map launched in 2000.