Female headed households in Bangladesh

Bangladesh: Female headed households was 15.8% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
15.8%
World rank
26th
of 34 countries
All-time high
15.8%
in 2018
All-time low
8.7%
in 1994
Years of data
8
1994–2018

Female headed households in Bangladesh, 1994–2018

0510151994200620181994: 8.7 % of households with a female head1997: 9.3 % of households with a female head2000: 8.7 % of households with a female head2004: 10.1 % of households with a female head2007: 12.8 % of households with a female head2011: 11 % of households with a female head2014: 12.5 % of households with a female head2018: 15.8 % of households with a female head

Source: DHS API, Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program. Measured in % of households with a female head.

Analysis

Bangladesh recorded 15.8% for female headed households in 2018. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.

That represents a change of up 23.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, female headed households in Bangladesh peaked at 15.8% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 8.7%, in 1994.

Bangladesh ranks 26th of 34 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Female headed households in Bangladesh, year by year

Annual values for Female headed households (% of households with a female head) in Bangladesh, 1994 to 2018.
Year % of households with a female head Change
1994 8.7%
1997 9.3% +6.9%
2000 8.7% -6.5%
2004 10.1% +16.1%
2007 12.8% +26.7%
2011 11.0% -14.1%
2014 12.5% +13.6%
2018 15.8% +26.4%

Bangladesh compared with similar countries

  • Bangladesh's 15.8% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 26.0%, 61% of the median. (17 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 9.0% 8.7% 9.3% 2
2000s 10.5% 8.7% 12.8% 3
2010s 13.1% 11.0% 15.8% 3

Countries ranked near Bangladesh

  1. 23 Cote d'Ivoire 19.4% compare
  2. 24 India 17.5% compare
  3. 25 Guinea 17.1% compare
  4. 27 Nigeria 14.9% compare
  5. 27 Turkey 14.9% compare
  6. 29 Indonesia 14.8% compare

See the full ranking of 34 places →

More health data for Bangladesh

All data for Bangladesh →

Frequently asked questions

What is female headed households in Bangladesh?
Female headed households in Bangladesh was 15.8% in 2018, according to DHS API, Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program.
What is the highest female headed households recorded in Bangladesh?
The highest recorded value was 15.8% in 2018.
What is the lowest female headed households recorded in Bangladesh?
The lowest recorded value was 8.7% in 1994.
How does Bangladesh rank for female headed households?
Bangladesh ranks 26th out of 34 countries with data for 2018.
Is female headed households rising or falling in Bangladesh?
Over the last ten years it is up 23.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
The figures come from DHS API, Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program, published as part of Female headed households (% of households with a female head). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Female headed households in Bangladesh. Statizoid, drawing on DHS API, Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/female-headed-households-percent-of-households-with-a-female-head/bangladesh/

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About this data

Indicator
Female headed households (% of households with a female head)
Unit
% of households with a female head
Source
DHS API, Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
34 places, 236 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed

Female headed households refers to the percentage of households that are headed by females.