Total population | |
---|---|
c. 173 million | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Bangladesh | 168,957,745 (2015) |
Saudi Arabia | 1,309,004 (2013) |
UAE | 1,089,917 (2013) |
UK | 451,529 (2011) |
Malaysia | 352,005 (2013) |
Kuwait | 279,169 (2013) |
Qatar | 220,403 (2013) |
Singapore | 150,000 (2015) |
Oman | 148,314 (2013) |
Italy | 113,811 (2011) |
Bahrain | 100,444 (2013) |
Maldives | 47,951 (2013) |
Australia | 27,809 (2011) |
Canada | 24,600 (2006) |
USA | 12,099 (2016) |
Japan | 9,641 (2014) |
South Korea | 8,514 (2014) |
Mauritius | 11,000 |
Spain | 7,000 |
Russia | 392 |
Languages | |
Bengali, Chatgaya, Sylheti, Rangpuri and other dialects, English and others | |
Religion | |
Islam 86.6% (incl. Cultural Muslims) Hinduism 12% Buddhism 1% Christianity and others (such as Animists and non-religious) 0.4%. |
Bangladeshis (Bengali: বাংলাদেশী[baŋlad̪eʃi]) are a nation and the citizens of Bangladesh. The country is named after the historical region of Bengal, of which it constitutes the largest and eastern segment. Bangladeshi citizenship was formed in 1971, when the permanent residents of the former East Pakistan were transformed into citizens of a new republic. Bangladesh is the world's eighth most populous nation.
Bangladeshi identity is closely linked with language and geography. The country's lingua franca is Bengali, an eastern Indo-Aryan language of the Indo-European language family. The population of Bangladesh is concentrated in the fertile Bengal delta, which has been the center of urban and agrarian civilizations for millennia. The country's highlands, including the Chittagong Hill Tracts and the Sylhet Division, are home to various tribal minorities.
Bengali Muslims are the predominant ethnoreligious group of Bangladesh, with a majority adhering to Sunni Islam, alongside a Shia minority and the prevalence of Sufism. 8% of the population are Bengali Hindus. Non-Bengali Muslims make up the largest immigrant community; while the Tibeto-Burman Chakmas, who speak the Indo-Aryan Chakma language, are the second largest indigenous ethnic group after Bengalis. The Austroasiatic Santhals are the largest aboriginal community.