ECONOMIC SOLVENCY

Progress marginal

4.6pc households solvent in 11yrs, finds BBS

The number of households that have attained economic solvency in the past 11 years has risen by only 4.6 per cent, according to a survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). There has been very marginal progress in economic solvency during this period, the BBS noted.
The BBS released the survey report on Sample Vital Registration System (SVRS)-2013 this month.
“While 17 per cent of households were reported to be economically solvent in 2003, the proportion had increased to 21.6 per cent by 2013,” the report observed.
The survey, however, did not show any significant rural-urban difference in economic solvency, with rural areas accounting for 28 per cent and urban areas recording 22 per cent.
Only around 20 per cent of rural households and 26 per cent in urban areas were reported to be economically solvent, while about 12 per cent households in rural areas and 14 per cent in urban areas were found to be rich, with some savings.
Almost one-third of the households have been able to maintain an income-expenditure balance. Permanent insolvency is more prevalent (13.3 per cent) among rural households than their urban counterparts (3.8 per cent). Rangpur suffers most (20.3 per cent) from permanent insolvency, while Dhaka and Barisal the least (less than 8 per cent).
The report also revealed that the average household size had also experienced a moderate decline over the past 12 years in line with fertility trends in Bangladesh. According to SVRS figures, the average size of the household in 2002 was 4.9 persons, which had dipped to 4.4 in 2013.
There appears a sharp rise in the proportion of households comprising four members from 22.9 per cent in 2002 to 27.1 in 2013, and a corresponding decrease in the proportion of households other than this size.
The houses in Bangladesh were predominantly made of corrugated iron sheets (CIS) or wood. Overall, a little more than half the households are made of either tin or wood. Urban households are half (28.8 per cent) as likely as rural households (57.4 per cent) to make use of CIS or wood.
Nearly 35 per cent of urban households and only 6.5 per cent in rural areas have pucca buildings. Semi-pucca living structures are also found in about 20 per cent of households, of which about 16 per cent were found to be in rural areas and 30 per cent in urban areas.
The use of tin and wood as building materials is pronounced in Barisal division, with 84.7 per cent living structures being wooden or made up of tin, followed by Rangpur (56.7 per cent), Dhaka (56.2 per cent) and Chittagong (55.6 per cent). The use of tin and wood for building houses is the least in Rajshahi division (36.4 per cent). Semi-pucca structures are more common in Sylhet (29.4 per cent) and Khulna division (27.7pc).
The BBS found that the overall dependency ratio is 58.1 per cent, meaning that about 58 inactive persons are dependent on 100 economically active persons. More people (61 per cent) in the rural areas are dependent on the work force as compared to urban areas (50pc).
The dependency ratio varies from as low as 50 per cent in Khulna division to as high as 58 per cent in Sylhet division. The dependency ratio, as per the 2011 sample census, was 68.4 per cent, while the Education Household Survey in 2014 had reported this ratio to be 61.1pc.

ECONOMIC SOLVENCY

Progress marginal

4.6pc households solvent in 11yrs, finds BBS

The number of households that have attained economic solvency in the past 11 years has risen by only 4.6 per cent, according to a survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). There has been very marginal progress in economic solvency during this period, the BBS noted. The BBS released the survey report on Sample Vital Registration System (SVRS)-2013 this month. While 17 per cent of households were reported to be economically solvent in 2003, the proportion had increased to 21.6 per cent by 2013, the report observed. The survey, however, did not show any significant rural-urban difference in economic solvency, with rural areas accounting for 28 per cent and urban areas recording 22 per cent. Only around 20 per cent of rural households and 26 per cent in urban areas were reported to be economically solvent, while about 12 per cent households in rural areas and 14 per cent in urban areas were found to be rich, with some savings. Almost one-third of the households have been able to maintain an income-expenditure balance. Permanent insolvency is more prevalent (13.3 per cent) among rural households than their urban counterparts (3.8 per cent). Rangpur suffers most (20.3 per cent) from permanent insolvency, while Dhaka and Barisal the least (less than 8 per cent). The report also revealed that the average household size had also experienced a moderate decline over the past 12 years in line with fertility trends in Bangladesh. According to SVRS figures, the average size of the household in 2002 was 4.9 persons, which had dipped to 4.4 in 2013. There appears a sharp rise in the proportion of households comprising four members from 22.9 per cent in 2002 to 27.1 in 2013, and a corresponding decrease in the proportion of households other than this size. The houses in Bangladesh were predominantly made of corrugated iron sheets (CIS) or wood. Overall, a little more than half the households are made of either tin or wood. Urban households are half (28.8 per cent) as likely as rural households (57.4 per cent) to make use of CIS or wood. Nearly 35 per cent of urban households and only 6.5 per cent in rural areas have pucca buildings. Semi-pucca living structures are also found in about 20 per cent of households, of which about 16 per cent were found to be in rural areas and 30 per cent in urban areas. The use of tin and wood as building materials is pronounced in Barisal division, with 84.7 per cent living structures being wooden or made up of tin, followed by Rangpur (56.7 per cent), Dhaka (56.2 per cent) and Chittagong (55.6 per cent). The use of tin and wood for building houses is the least in Rajshahi division (36.4 per cent). Semi-pucca structures are more common in Sylhet (29.4 per cent) and Khulna division (27.7pc). The BBS found that the overall dependency ratio is 58.1 per cent, meaning that about 58 inactive persons are dependent on 100 economically active persons. More people (61 per cent) in the rural areas are dependent on the work force as compared to urban areas (50pc). The dependency ratio varies from as low as 50 per cent in Khulna division to as high as 58 per cent in Sylhet division. The dependency ratio, as per the 2011 sample census, was 68.4 per cent, while the Education Household Survey in 2014 had reported this ratio to be 61.1pc.