Poverty rate decreases to 21.8pc in 2018: BBS

The country's poverty rate came down to 21.8 per cent while the extreme poverty rate to 11.3 per cent in 2018, according to the latest data of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), reports UNB.

The rates were calculated based on the findings of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES)-2016.

BBS director general Krishna Gayen said this while unveiling the final data of the survey at a press conference at the BBS Bhaban on Monday afternoon.

The HIES 2016 findings showed that the country's poverty rate decreased to 24.3 per cent in 2016 from 40 per cent in 2005 as per the upper poverty line.

The (extreme) poverty rate, as per the lower poverty line, came down to 12.9 per cent in 2016 from 25.1 per cent in 2005.

"According to the growth elasticity model, the poverty rate as per upper poverty line was 21.8 per cent while the poverty rate as per lower poverty line was 11.3 per cent in 2018," said the BBS director general.

Bangladesh will be able to attain the related SDG target by 2030 through eradicating poverty, she hoped.

In October 2017, the preliminary data of the HIES 2016 was published.