Rise in fertility rate concerning

The rise in the country's fertility rate, as revealed in the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2025, should serve as a wake-up call for policymakers. After decades of remarkable progress, bringing the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) down from 6.3 in 1975 to 2.3 by 2012, the rate has now increased to 2.4. This reversing trend is worrying. Experts warn that without effective family planning and population policies, it could negatively impact the country's economy, education, health, and overall development.

The survey shows that contraceptive use among married women has fallen from 62.7 percent in 2019 to 58.2 percent, while access to modern methods has also declined, with 73.5 percent of women's needs met, compared to 77.4 percent in 2019. Moreover, the rise in fertility occurs alongside some other worrying social indicators. For instance, child marriage, though reduced to some degree over time, still remains alarmingly high. Reportedly, the rate of child marriage among girls under 18 in Bangladesh is still 56 percent, which is unacceptable. Moreover, the number of adolescent girls aged 15-19 who have already had children has risen sharply, from 83 percent in 2019 to 92 percent. Teenage childbearing is clearly one of the major contributors to the rising fertility rate.

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The uneven scale of reproductive responsibility

The survey also highlights some meaningful progress in health and nutrition. For example, institutional deliveries have risen to 71 percent, and skilled birth attendance has reached 77 percent, marking significant improvements in maternal health. The under-five mortality rate has fallen from 40 to 33 per 1,000 live births, while infant mortality has improved from 34 to 29 per 1,000. These gains show that well-designed interventions can deliver results, giving hope that renewed efforts in family planning can reverse the current trend as well.

We, therefore, urge the government to revise its family planning programmes and policies and take coordinated action across ministries. It must immediately strengthen its family planning services, including ensuring an uninterrupted contraceptive supply, rebuilding outreach networks, and restoring strong community-level engagement. Preventing child marriage must also be prioritised, with necessary support systems and incentives to keep adolescent girls in school. Awareness campaigns targeting young couples, especially in poverty-affected areas, are equally essential. Without such urgent interventions, the decades of progress made in population control and management risk being undone.