DHAKA, Feb 6, 2023 (BSS) - The country's total population stood at 16,98,28,911 according to the latest report on Post Enumeration Check (PEC) of the 6th Population and Housing Census, 2022.

The PEC report on the census was published today by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) and the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) at a dissemination seminar held at the NEC Conference Room in the city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.

State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam spoke on the occasion as the guest of honour while Planning Division Secretary Satyajit Karmakar, Statistics and Informatics Division Secretary Dr Shahnaz Arefin and the Director General of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) Md Matiar Rahman spoke as special guests.

BIDS Director General Dr Binayak Sen chaired the event which was attended by policymakers, economists and concerned stakeholders.

According to the preliminary report of the census released in July last year, Bangladesh's total population was 165,158,616.

While making a power-point presentation, Mohammad Yunus of BIDS showed that the net coverage error in the last census was 2.75 percentage points which was 3.97 in 2011 in the 5th census and 4.98 percent in the 4th census in 2001.

He said the net coverage error rate is 1.23 percentage points lower than that found in the census held in 2011. It is also lower in the rural areas compared to urban areas.

Speaking on the occasion, State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam said that the nation wants to get updated data from the BBS while the last Population Census was conducted by the BBS digitally through scientific method in line with the international procedures.

"The data from the BBS is now more reliable and credible and their relentless efforts will continue," hoped Dr Alam.

Planning Secretary Satyajit Karmakar said that the net coverage error of 2.75 percentage points is at a very tolerate level and it also indicates the enhanced capacity of BBS since it is 1.23 percentage points lower compared to the previous census held in 2011.

"If we get pure statistics, then we'll be able to make more accurate planning and thus we'll be able to make a prosperous and smart developed Bangladesh," he added.

The Planning Secretary also noted that with the latest population figure, it would be possible to determine the vital statistics like GDP, per capita income more accurately.

Statistics and Informatics Division Secretary Dr Shahnaz Arefin said that the BBS has been trying to deliver pure statistics before the nation to build a developed Bangladesh.

Director General of BBS Md Matiar Rahman informed that they would be able to give details on the census in their website within a week.

BIDS Director General Dr Binayak Sen said that the lower net coverage error of 2.75 percentage points indicates the enhanced capacity of BBS.

Project Director of the Population and Housing Census Project Md Dilder Hossain also spoke.

For the first time in the country, the work of population census was conducted in June last year.

The country's population was 144,043,697 in 2011, according to the previous census in 2011.

The country's first Population and Housing Census was held in 1974
followed by the 2nd census in 1981, the 3rd one in 1991, the 4th
census in 2001 while the 5th one in 2011.

As per the latest census report, the growth of population in
Bangladesh has declined.

The rate was 2.84 percent in 1981, 2.01 percent in 1991, 1.58 percent
in 2001, 1.86 percent in 2011 and 1.22 percent in 2022.

Among the eight divisions of the country, Dhaka has the highest
population growth rate at 1.74 percent and Barisal the lowest at 0.79
percent.

On 15 June 2022, the 6th census and house enumeration activities started
simultaneously across the country. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
launched the week-long census at a ceremony at her official residence
Gonobhaban in the capital.

The census was scheduled to end on June 21, but due to floods in the
northeastern districts, the census continued till June 28.

The BBS conducted the census after more than 11 years.

Under the census operations, demographic and socio-economic data like
number of households and their nature, ownership of homes, main source
of drinking water, toilet facilities, power facilities, main source of
fire for cooking, economic operations, inward remittance, age of
household members, gender, marital status, religion, obstacles,
education, work, training, mobile phone and internet usage,
bank/mobile banking accounts, small ethnic groups, nationality and
various district-wise information have been collected.