Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Bangladesh

Bangladesh: Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 62.6% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
62.6%
Change on year
down 3.6%
World rank
12th
of 72 countries
All-time high
65.0%
in 2018
All-time low
37.2%
in 2006
Years of data
11
1994–2019

Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Bangladesh, 1994–2019

02040601994200620191994: 46 % of children under 6 months1997: 45.2 % of children under 6 months2000: 46 % of children under 6 months2004: 38.9 % of children under 6 months2006: 37.2 % of children under 6 months2007: 42.9 % of children under 6 months2011: 64.1 % of children under 6 months2013: 55.9 % of children under 6 months2014: 55.3 % of children under 6 months2018: 65 % of children under 6 months2019: 62.6 % of children under 6 months

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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 9 Togo 64.3% compare
  2. 10 Eswatini 63.8% compare
  3. 11 Sao Tome and Principe 63.1% compare
  4. 13 Nepal 62.1% compare
  5. 14 Kenya 61.4% compare
  6. 15 Malawi 59.4% compare

See the full ranking of 72 places →

More reference data data for Bangladesh

All data for Bangladesh →

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

Indicator
Exclusive breastfeeding rate
Unit
% of children under 6 months
Source
Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
72 places, 509 data points, 1986–2020
Last refreshed

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.