Bangladesh youth employment crisis rooted in poor education, report finds
Synopsis
Bangladesh's youth bulge — 4.7 crore people aged 15–29 — is turning into a liability rather than a dividend. With education spending at just 2% of GDP, the lowest in Asia-Pacific, and tertiary-educated unemployment tripling to 27.8% in a decade, the country's fastest-growing demographic is its most structurally abandoned. Over half of young Bangladeshis now want to emigrate.
Key Takeaways
Bangladesh spends less than 2 per cent of GDP on education — the lowest in the Asia-Pacific region and well below UNESCO's recommended 4–6 per cent .
Only 49 per cent of children aged 7–14 have basic reading and numeracy skills.
Tertiary-educated unemployment surged from 9.7 per cent in 2013 to 27.8 per cent in 2022 .
Nearly 40 per cent of those aged 15–24 are classified as NEET — almost twice the global average .
Around 55 per cent of young Bangladeshis want to migrate; the overseas Bangladeshi population rose 71.5 per cent between 1990 and 2024 .
51 per cent of Bangladeshi women are married before age 18 , the highest child marriage rate in Asia .
A damning new report has traced Bangladesh's deepening youth employment crisis directly to an underfunded, skills-starved education system that fails students long before they enter the labour market. Published by The Daily Star, Bangladesh's leading English-language newspaper, the report lays out a structural contradiction at the heart of one of South Asia's fastest-growing economies.
Education Spending Far Below Global Standards
Public spending on education in Bangladesh has remained below 2 per cent of GDP — the lowest in the Asia-Pacific region and far short of UNESCO's recommended 4–6 per cent. The consequences are measurable: only 49 per cent of children aged 7–14 possess basic reading and numeracy skills, according to the report. This foundational deficit, analysts note, compounds across every subsequent stage of a young person's life.
The report further found that Bangladesh's education system prioritises memorisation over critical thinking, and maintains weak linkages with industry. As a result, many Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) graduates leave school with learning outcomes comparable to international Grade 7 standards — ill-equipped for the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
A Youth Bulge Without Enough Opportunities
Bangladesh is now home to more than 17.5 crore people. Roughly one in four is between 15 and 29 years of age — a cohort of around 4.7 crore, larger than the population of many countries. The median age stands at approximately 27, against a global median of roughly 31, and close to 20 lakh young Bangladeshis reach working age every year.
The report noted that many young people prioritise sitting government job examinations until they reach the eligibility cutoff age of 32, after which they pivot to the private sector or simply leave the country. This dynamic, the report argued, sits at the centre of this year's World Population Day theme — 'Realising the hopes and aspirations of young people — today and for the future' — which it described as 'an unanswered question' for Bangladesh.
Tertiary-Educated Unemployment Triples in a Decade
The skills mismatch has produced a striking paradox. Tertiary-educated unemployment rose from 9.7 per cent in 2013 to 27.8 per cent in 2022, even as overall unemployment remained in the low single digits. Nearly one in five young people is classified as NEET — not in employment, education, or training — with the rate climbing to almost 40 per cent among those aged 15 to 24, nearly twice the global average.
This, the report argued, reflects 'a labour market built on contradiction' — one that generates aggregate growth while leaving its youngest and most educated cohort behind.
Migration as the Default Exit
For a significant section of Bangladesh's youth, the preferred response is not resistance but departure. Around 55 per cent of young Bangladeshis reportedly want to migrate, citing fairer opportunities and a more predictable future abroad. The stock of Bangladeshis living overseas rose by 71.5 per cent between 1990 and 2024 — from 50.8 lakh to 87 lakh — now representing approximately 5 per cent of the total population.
Notably, the report flagged a generational shift in who is migrating: young women are increasingly choosing migration over early marriage or low-paid informal work, a marked departure from a generation ago when migration was largely a male phenomenon.
Gender and Geography Deepen the Crisis
Bangladesh continues to record the highest child marriage rate in Asia, with 51 per cent of women married before the age of 18, while also carrying one of the world's highest adolescent pregnancy rates outside Sub-Saharan Africa. Urban female labour force participation declined from 31 per cent in 2016 to 25 per cent in 2023.
The report also highlighted that young people remain largely excluded from policy decision-making — leaving those most affected by these structural failures with the least influence over the policies designed to address them. Without urgent reform on education spending, industry collaboration, and inclusive governance, the report suggests, Bangladesh's demographic dividend risks becoming a demographic liability.
Point of View
With 4.7 crore people in peak working years. Instead, a decade of chronic underspending on education has converted that potential into structural unemployment and mass emigration intent. The tripling of tertiary-educated joblessness to 27.8% is the clearest signal that the problem is not a shortage of graduates but a system producing graduates the economy cannot absorb. Until Dhaka links education reform to verifiable industry outcomes — and raises spending toward UNESCO norms — the demographic dividend will keep paying out elsewhere.
NationPress
18 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Bangladesh facing a youth employment crisis?
Bangladesh's youth employment crisis is rooted in an underfunded education system that spends less than 2 per cent of GDP on education — the lowest in Asia-Pacific — producing graduates without job-ready skills. Only 49 per cent of children aged 7–14 have basic literacy and numeracy, and many HSC graduates leave school with learning levels comparable to international Grade 7 standards.
How bad is youth unemployment in Bangladesh?
Tertiary-educated unemployment in Bangladesh rose sharply from 9.7 per cent in 2013 to 27.8 per cent in 2022. Nearly one in five young people is NEET (not in employment, education, or training), with the rate reaching almost 40 per cent among those aged 15 to 24 — nearly twice the global average.
How many young Bangladeshis want to migrate abroad?
Around 55 per cent of young Bangladeshis reportedly want to migrate, citing fairer opportunities and a more predictable future. The number of Bangladeshis living abroad rose 71.5 per cent between 1990 and 2024, from 50.8 lakh to 87 lakh, now accounting for about 5 per cent of the total population.
What is the state of child marriage and female employment in Bangladesh?
Bangladesh records the highest child marriage rate in Asia, with 51 per cent of women married before age 18. Urban female labour force participation fell from 31 per cent in 2016 to 25 per cent in 2023, though more young women are now choosing migration over early marriage — a significant generational shift.
What does UNESCO recommend for education spending, and how does Bangladesh compare?
UNESCO recommends countries spend between 4 and 6 per cent of GDP on education. Bangladesh's public education spending has remained below 2 per cent of GDP, making it the lowest spender in the Asia-Pacific region and a significant outlier against global benchmarks.
