Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 62.6% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Bangladesh, 1994–2019
Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children under 6 months.
Analysis
Bangladesh recorded 62.6% for exclusive breastfeeding rate in 2019.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.6% on the previous year and up 45.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exclusive breastfeeding rate in Bangladesh peaked at 65.0% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 37.2%, in 2006.
That places Bangladesh 12th out of 72 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | % of children under 6 months | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 46.0% | — |
| 1997 | 45.2% | -1.7% |
| 2000 | 46.0% | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 38.9% | -15.4% |
| 2006 | 37.2% | -4.3% |
| 2007 | 42.9% | +15.3% |
| 2011 | 64.1% | +49.3% |
| 2013 | 55.9% | -12.8% |
| 2014 | 55.3% | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 65.0% | +17.5% |
| 2019 | 62.6% | -3.6% |
Bangladesh compared with similar countries
- Bangladesh's 62.6% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 46.7%, 1.3× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 45.6% | 45.2% | 46.0% | 2 |
| 2000s | 41.3% | 37.2% | 46.0% | 4 |
| 2010s | 60.6% | 55.3% | 65.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More reference data data for Bangladesh
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.46 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 9.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 24.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 24.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 8.25 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 2.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 37.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 105.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 14.25 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exclusive breastfeeding rate in Bangladesh?
- Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Bangladesh was 62.6% in 2019, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 65.0% in 2018.
- What is the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.2% in 2006.
- How does Bangladesh rank for exclusive breastfeeding rate?
- Bangladesh ranks 12th out of 72 countries with data for 2019.
- Is exclusive breastfeeding rate rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is up 45.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
- The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Exclusive breastfeeding rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The share of infants less than six months old who were fed only with breast milk in the past 24 hours. WHO and UNICEF recommend that children be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life – meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water.