Bangladesh has achieved a remarkable milestone in its development journey, bringing near-universal electricity access to its citizens. This electrification drive has been accompanied by one of the most significant declines in national poverty rates ever recorded. In 1991, a staggering 44.2% of Bangladesh’s population lived below the poverty line. By 2022, that figure had dropped to just 18.7%. This transformation has been nothing short of extraordinary, illustrating the profound link between access to electricity and economic progress.
Three decades ago, only 14% of Bangladesh’s population had access to electricity. This meant that the vast majority of the country lived in darkness, relying on kerosene lamps and other traditional sources of light that were both inefficient and hazardous. By 2021, however, the landscape had changed dramatically, with 99% of the population gaining access to electricity. This rapid expansion of the power grid has been a key factor in improving living standards, fostering economic growth, and enabling broader access to modern technology and education.
While this near-universal electrification is a significant achievement, the quality of access varies. According to data from Our World in Data, approximately half of Bangladeshi households fall into the lower-tier category of electricity access. This means they have sufficient power for basic needs such as home lighting and charging mobile phones for at least four hours per day. The other half enjoy higher-tier access, which includes the ability to run high-load appliances like refrigerators and fans for more than eight hours a day. This division highlights the ongoing need for infrastructural improvements to ensure reliable and consistent energy supply across all regions.
Bangladesh’s electrification success is even more impressive when considering the country’s extreme population density. With approximately 3,020 people per square mile, Bangladesh is the most densely populated large nation on Earth. In global rankings of population density, it is the twelfth overall, but the eleven countries ahead of it are all microstates—small territories whose combined land area does not even amount to half the size of Bangladesh’s smallest state.
To put this density into a global perspective, a rather exaggerated hypothetical scenario helps illustrate just how crowded Bangladesh is. If the country were to be spread out to match the population density of Mongolia, it would need to cover not just its current territory but also the entirety of Africa and Eurasia combined. This example underscores the immense challenge Bangladesh faces in accommodating its growing population while ensuring sustainable development and improved quality of life for its people.
The dramatic reduction in poverty alongside electrification highlights the broader implications for global human development. Reliable access to electricity has allowed Bangladeshis to engage in more productive economic activities, facilitated improvements in healthcare and education, and enabled the growth of small businesses. Children can now study after dark, families can store food safely, and entrepreneurs can expand their operations with modern technology.
Bangladesh’s progress serves as a powerful case study for other developing nations seeking to achieve similar transformations. With continued investments in infrastructure, renewable energy sources, and grid reliability, the country is poised to further solidify its standing as an emerging economic powerhouse. The lessons from its electrification journey can inspire and guide efforts to bring power to the millions worldwide who still live without it, demonstrating that access to electricity is not just a luxury but a fundamental pillar of human progress.
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