Bangladesh

Incheon Strategy goal 1: Reduce poverty and enhance work and employment prospects

Indicator 1.1 Population living below the poverty line
1.1.2 Multidimensional poverty
Country Multidimensional poverty headcount for adults (%)
Persons with functional difficulties Persons without functional difficulties
Male Female Total Male Female Total
Bangladesh 65.1 88.2 78.3 41.6 80.7 61.4
Data source:

Disability Data Initiative 2021, “Results tables, Multidimensional analysis”, web page. Available at https://disabilitydata.ace.fordham.edu/result-tables/ (accessed on 3 April 2022): Afghanistan, Living Conditions Survey, 2016; Bangladesh, Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES), 2016; Cambodia, DHS, 2014; Indonesia, Population and Housing Census, 2010; Kiribati, Population and Housing Census, 2015; Maldives, DHS, 2009; Myanmar, Population and Housing Census, 2014; Pakistan, DHS, 2017; Papua New Guinea, Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES), 2009; Philippines, Population and Housing Census, 2010; Tajikistan, Survey of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene, 2016; Timor-Leste, DHS, 2016; Tonga, Census, 2016; Vanuatu, Population and Housing Census, 2009; Viet Nam, Population and Housing Census, 2009.

Indicator 1.2 Employment of persons with disabilities
1.2.3 Adults in informal work
Country Percentage of adults in informal work (%)
Persons with functional difficulties Persons without functional difficulties
Male Female Total Male Female Total
Bangladesh 77.4 60.6 74.3 68.2 48.4 65.5
Data source:

Disability Data Initiative 2021, “Results tables, Work indicators”, web page. Available at https://disabilitydata.ace.fordham.edu/result-tables/ (accessed on 3 April 2022): Afghanistan, Living Conditions Survey, 2016; Bangladesh, Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES), 2016; Cambodia, DHS, 2014; Indonesia, Population and Housing Census, 2010; Maldives, DHS, 2009; Myanmar, Population and Housing Census, 2014; Pakistan, DHS, 2017; Papua New Guinea, Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES), 2009; Philippines, Population and Housing Census, 2010; Timor-Leste, DHS, 2016; Tonga, Census, 2016; Vanuatu, Population and Housing Census, 2009; Viet Nam, Population and Housing Census, 2009.

Indicator 1.3 Vocational training and employment services
1.3.1 Vocational training
  • The country/territory mentioned the availability of vocational training programmes for persons with disabilities.
Data source:

Responses to the ESCAP government survey.

1.3.2 Employment support
  • The country/territory mentioned the availability of employment support programmes for persons with disabilities.
Data source:

Responses to the ESCAP government survey.

Incheon Strategy goal 2: Promote participation in political processes and in decision-making

Indicator 2.2 Representation in national coordination mechanism on disability
Country and territory Number of members of national coordination mechanism on disability Percentage of members with disabilities (%)
Persons with disabilities Persons without disabilities Total population
Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
Bangladesh 1.0 0.0 1.0 21.0 6.0 27.0 22.0 6.0 28.0 4.5 0.0 3.6
Country and territory Number of members, by type of disability
Physical Visual Hearing Psychosocial Multiple Others Authorized representative**
Bangladesh 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Notes:

** Authorized representatives refer to members of organizations of or for persons with disabilities, including children with disabilities, persons with autism, persons with intellectual disabilities and persons with psychosocial disabilities, among other disability groups.

Data source:

Responses to the ESCAP government survey: Bangladesh, National Coordination Committee; Brunei Darussalam, Special Committee on Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly; Cambodia, Disability Action Council; Fiji, National Council for Persons with Disabilities; French Polynesia, Disability Council; Hong Kong, China, Rehabilitation Advisory Committee. Note: Among the 32 members, 5 are ex-officio members and 27 are non-official members (including 14 male and 13 female members). Non-official members are appointed in their personal capacity on the basis of the merits of the candidates, taking into account their ability, expertise, experience, integrity and commitment to public service and with due regard to the functions and nature of business of the Committee; India, Central Advisory Board on Disability; Indonesia, National Coordination Team on Disability; Japan, Commission on Policy for Persons with Disabilities; Kyrgyzstan, Council for Persons with Disabilities; Lao People’s Democratic Republic, National Committee for Persons with Disabilities; Malaysia, National Council for Persons with Disabilities; Maldives, National Disability Council. Note: Three positions are currently open. One of the open positions is reserved for a person with a disability. Depending on who fills the other two openings, the overall number of members with disabilities could be higher; Mongolia, National Steering Committee to Protect the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; Pakistan, National Committee for Implementation of UNCRPD, Incheon Strategy and Other International Commitments Pertaining to Disabilities; Philippines, National Council on Disability Affairs Board; Republic of Korea, Policy Coordination Committee for Persons with Disabilities; Russian Federation, Commission under the President of the Russian Federation for Persons with Disabilities; Singapore, Enabling Masterplan 2030 Steering Committee; Thailand, National Committee for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities; Tonga, National Disability Taskforce; Türkiye, Monitoring and Evaluation Board on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; Vanuatu, National Disability Committee.

Indicator 2.3 Representation in national machinery for gender equality and women’s empowerment
Country and territory Number of members who represent the cause of women and girls with disabilities Percentage of members with disabilities (%) Disability inclusion as one of the aims of the machinery
Persons with disabilities Persons without disabilities Total
Bangladesh 1.0 53.0 54.0 1.9 Yes
Notes:

Some countries and territories provided the number of members who represent the cause of women in general, including women and girls with disabilities. Members do not specifically represent the cause of women and girls with disabilities.

Data source:

Responses to the ESCAP government survey: Bangladesh, National Council for Women and Child Development; Fiji, National Women’s Machinery; Hong Kong, China, Women’s Commission. Note: Among the 24 members of the Women’s Commission, 3 are ex-officio members and 21 are non-official members (including 3 male and 18 female members). The appointment of members to the Commission is on the basis of the merits of the candidates, taking into account their ability, expertise, experience, integrity and commitment to public service and with due regard to the functions and nature of business of the Commission. There is no specific seat designated for representing the cause of women and girls with disabilities; Japan, Gender Equality Bureau, Cabinet Office, Council for Gender Equality and Headquarters for the Promotion of Gender Equality. Note: The Gender Equality Bureau, Cabinet Office has around 50 full-time employees; Lao People’s Democratic Republic, National Commission for the Advancement of Women and Mothers-Children; Mongolia, National Committee of Gender Equality; Pakistan, National Commission on the Status of Women. Note: The Commission is working under the Ministry of Human Rights to monitor the situation of women’s rights in the country. It comprises 1 Chairperson and 12 members; Philippines, Philippine Commission on Women; Republic of Korea, Gender Equality Council; Singapore, Office for Women’s Development, Inter-Ministry Committee on CEDAW.

Indicator 2.4 Accessible polling stations
  • The country/territory mentioned the availability of laws concerning the accessibility of polling stations.
Data source:

Responses to the ESCAP government survey.

Incheon Strategy goal 3: Enhance access to the physical environment, public transportation, knowledge, information and communication

Indicator 3.1 Accessible built environment
3.1.2 Schools with adapted infrastructure and materials
Country and territory Percentage of schools with access to adapted infrastructure and materials for students with disabilities, by education level (%)
Primary Lower secondary Upper secondary
Bangladesh 20.4 20.4 22.0
Data source:

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, “Statistics, SDG Indicators Database”, database. Available at https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/dataportal/database (accessed on 22 April 2022): UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Afghanistan, 2019; Bangladesh, 2020; Cook Islands, 2020; Hong Kong, China, 2020; India, 2020; Kazakhstan, 2018; Macao, China, 2020; Malaysia, 2020; Maldives, 2017; Marshall Islands, 2016; Myanmar, 2018; Nauru, 2019; Niue, 2020; Palau, 2020; Philippines, 2020; Samoa, 2020; Singapore, 2019; Tonga, 2020; Turkmenistan, 2020; Tuvalu, 2020; Uzbekistan, 2020 (primary and lower secondary), 2017 (upper secondary); Viet Nam, 2020; Central Asia, 2020 (primary and lower secondary), 2019 (upper secondary); South-Eastern Asia, 2019; Southern Asia, 2020.

Indicators 3.3 and 3.4 Accessible information and communications technology
3.3(4).2 Use of information and communications technology
Country Percentage of women aged 18–49 years who used ICT (%)
Used a computer at least once a week during the last 3 months Own a mobile phone Used a mobile phone at least once a week during the last 3 months Used Internet at least once a week during the last 3 months
Women with functional difficulties Women without functional difficulties Women with functional difficulties Women without functional difficulties Women with functional difficulties Women without functional difficulties Women with functional difficulties Women without functional difficulties
Bangladesh 0.5 1.3 62.8 76.2 86.2 93.3 5.6 11.6
Data source:

UNICEF, “Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys”, database. Available at: https://mics.unicef.org/ (accessed on 2 May 2022): Bangladesh, 2019; Kiribati, 2018-19; Kyrgyzstan, 2018; Mongolia, 2018; Nepal, 2019; Samoa, 2019-2020; Tonga, 2019; Turkmenistan, 2019.

3.3(4).3 Information and communications technology skills
Country Percentage of women aged 18–49 years who performed at least one of the nine listed computer related activities* in the last 3 months (%) Percentage of men aged 18–49 years who performed at least one of the nine listed computer related activities in the last 3 months (%)
Women with functional difficulties Women without functional difficulties Men with functional difficulties Men without functional difficulties
Bangladesh 0.6 1.3 - -
Notes:

* Activities include: 1) copied or moved a file or folder; 2) used a copy and paste tool to duplicate or move information within a document; 3) sent e-mail with attached file, such as a document, picture or video; 4) used a basic arithmetic formula in a spreadsheet; 5) connected and installed a new device, such as a modem, camera or printer; 6) found, downloaded, installed and configured software; 7) created an electronic presentation with presentation software, including text, images, sound, video or charts; 8) transferred a file between a computer and other device; and 9) wrote a computer program in any programming language.

Data source:

UNICEF, “Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys”, database. Available at: https://mics.unicef.org/ (accessed on 2 May 2022): Bangladesh, 2019; Kiribati, 2018-19; Kyrgyzstan, 2018; Mongolia, 2018; Nepal, 2019; Samoa, 2019-2020; Tonga, 2019; Turkmenistan, 2019.

3.3(4).5 Digital Accessibility Rights Evaluation Index
Country and territory DARE Index - laws and regulations
Marrakesh Treaty ratification/ accession (2.5 points) CRPD ratification (UN Treaty) (2.5 points) General law protecting the rights of persons with disabilities (5 points) Definition of ICT accessibility (5 points) Definition of reasonable accommodation (5 points) Universal service obligation includes persons with disabilities (5 points)
Bangladesh 0.0 2.5 5.0 0.0 5.0 0.0
Notes:

Points were calculated as 0 (item is not present in the country or territory) and 2.5/5 (item is present in the country or territory).

Country and territory DARE Index – capacity to implement
Government agency for persons with disabilities (5 points) Government agency for accessible ICTs (5 points) Process to involve OPDs in ICT accessibility policy making (5 points) Country refers to international ICT accessibility standards (5 points) ICT accessibility courses available at universities (5 points)
Bangladesh 5.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Notes:

Points were calculated as 0 (item is not present in the country or territory) and 5 (item is present in the country or territory).

Country and territory DARE Index - policy and programme outcomes by areas of ICT accessibility and level of implementation
Web (5 points) TV and multimedia (5 points) Mobile telephone (5 points) E-books and digital contents (5 points) Internet availability and usage among persons with disabilities (5 points) Inclusive ICTs for all in education (5 points) Enabling ICTs for all in employment (5 points) E-government and smart cities for all (5 points) Enabling assistive technologies and ICTs for independent living (5 points) Procurement of accessible public goods and services for all citizens (5 points)
Bangladesh 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Notes:

Points were calculated on a scale of 0 to 5, where 0 represents no policy or programme, 1 represents no implementation of policy or programme, 2 represents implementation at a minimum level, 3 represents implementation at a partial level, 4 represents implementation at a substantial level and 5 represents full implementation.

Country and territory DARE Index – total scores
Laws and regulations (25 points) Country capacity to implement (25 points) Policy and programme outcomes by areas of ICT accessibility and level of implementation (50 points) Total (100 points)
Bangladesh 12.5 5.0 5.0 22.5
Notes:

For detailed methodology, please see G3ict, “Methodology”, web page. Available at https://g3ict.org/digital-accessibility-rights-evaluation-index/methodology (accessed on 18 April 2022).

Data source:

G3ict, “Country dashboard”, web page. Available at https://g3ict.org/country-profile (accessed on 18 April 2022): All data refer to the year 2020, except for Micronesia (Federated States of), Palau and Viet Nam (2018).

Incheon Strategy goal 4: Strengthen social protection

Indicator 4.1 Health services
4.1.1 Health care and rehabilitation programmes
  • The country/territory mentioned the availability of health care and/or rehabilitation programmes in their most recent State party’s reports to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Data source:
  • ESCAP mapping of State party’s reports to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The reports can be found at OHCHR, “UN Treaty Body Database”, database. Available at https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/TBSearch.aspx?Lang=en&TreatyID=4 (accessed on 2 May 2022).
  • For more information, please see WHO, Brief Model Disability Survey: 2019 Results for India, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Tajikistan (Geneva, 2021) and WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific, Rehabilitation and Disability in the Western Pacific (Manila, 2017).
Indicator 4.2 Social protection SDG 1.a.2 SDG 1.3.1
4.2.1 Coverage of disability social protection benefits
Country and territory Percentage of persons with severe disabilities collecting disability social protection benefits (%)
Bangladesh 18.3
Data source:

ILO, “Statistics on social protection, SDG indicator 1.3.1 - Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems”, database. Available at https://ilostat.ilo.org/topics/social-protection/ (accessed on 3 April 2022): All data refer to the year 2020, except for French Polynesia (2016), Kyrgyzstan (2019) and New Zealand (2019).

4.2.2 Social protection expenditure
Country Total social protection expenditure, 2015 ($ million) Social protection expenditure on disability programmes, 2015 ($ million) Social protection expenditure as a share of aggregate GDP, 2015 (%)
Total social protection expenditure Disability programmes
Bangladesh 2,394.2 34.1 1.2 (*)
Notes:

* Negligible value.

Data source:

ADB, The Social Protection Indicator for Asia: Assessing Progress (Manila, 2019) and ADB, The Social Protection Indicator for the Pacific: Assessing Progress (Manila, 2019): ADB estimates based on Social Protection Indicator country reports, 2017.

Incheon Strategy goal 5: Expand early intervention and education of children with disabilities

Indicator 5.1 Early childhood intervention
Country Percentage of children aged 36?59 months attending early childhood education (%)
Children with functional difficulties Children without functional difficulties
Bangladesh 12.5 19.1
Data source:

UNICEF, “Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys”, database. Available at: https://mics.unicef.org/ (accessed on 2 May 2022): Bangladesh, 2019; Kiribati, 2018–19; Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 2017; Mongolia, 2018; Nepal, 2019; Samoa, 2019-2020; Tonga, 2019.

Indicators 5.2 and 5.3 School attendance SDG 4.1.2
5.2(3).1 School attendance
Country Percentage of children aged 7–14 years attending school (%)
Children with functional difficulties Children without functional difficulties
Bangladesh 81.7 91.0
Data source:

UNICEF, “Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys”, database. Available at: https://mics.unicef.org/ (accessed on 2 May 2022): Bangladesh, 2019; Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, 2017; Georgia, 2018; Kiribati, 2018–19; Kyrgyzstan, 2018; Mongolia, 2018; Nepal, 2019; Samoa, 2019–20; Tonga, 2019; Turkmenistan, 2019; Viet Nam, 2020–21.

Country Adjusted net attendance rate (ANAR) for children with functional difficulties divided by the ANAR for children without functional difficulties
Pre-primary Primary Lower-secondary Upper-secondary
Bangladesh 1.0 0.9 0.9 0.8
Data source:

UNICEF, Seen, Counted, Included: Using Data to Shed Light on the Well-being of Children with Disabilities (New York, 2022).

5.2(3).2 School completion
Country Percentage of adults aged 15 to 29 years who have completed primary school (%) Percentage of adults aged 15 to 24 years who have completed secondary school or higher (%) Percentage of adults aged 25 to 44 years who have completed secondary school or higher (%)
Persons with functional difficulties Persons without functional difficulties Persons with functional difficulties Persons without functional difficulties Persons with functional difficulties Persons without functional difficulties
Bangladesh 41.8 48.5 29.1 39.3 19.1 22.7
Data source:

Disability Data Initiative 2021, “Results tables, education indicators”, web page. Available at https://disabilitydata.ace.fordham.edu/result-tables/ (accessed on 21 April 2022): Afghanistan, Living Conditions Survey, 2016; Bangladesh, Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES), 2016; Cambodia, DHS, 2014; Indonesia, Population and Housing Census, 2010; Kiribati, Population and Housing Census, 2015; Maldives, DHS, 2009; Myanmar, Population and Housing Census, 2014; Pakistan, DHS, 2017; Papua New Guinea, Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES), 2009; Philippines, Population and Housing Census, 2010; Tajikistan, Survey of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene, 2016; Timor-Leste, DHS, 2016; Tonga, Census, 2016; Vanuatu, Population and Housing Census, 2009; Viet Nam, Population and Housing Census, 2009.

Incheon Strategy goal 6: Ensure gender equality and women’s empowerment

Indicator 6.1 Gender action plans
  • The country/territory mentioned having national action plans on gender equality and empowerment of women and girls with disabilities, gender-related laws or plans that mention the needs of persons with disabilities or disability-related laws that specifically mention the needs of women.
Data source:

Responses to the ESCAP government survey and ESCAP mapping of State party’s reports to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The reports can be found at OHCHR, “UN Treaty Body Database”, database. Available at https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/TBSearch.aspx?Lang=en&TreatyID=4 (accessed on 2 May 2022).

Indicator 6.3 Sexual and reproductive health SDG 3.7.1 SDG 5.6.1
6.3.1 Satisfaction of family planning needs with modern methods
Country Currently married or in-union women aged 18-49 years with need for family planning Percentage of demand for family planning satisfied with modern methods (%)
Women with functional difficulties Women without functional difficulties
Bangladesh 71.4 77.7
Data source:

UNICEF, “Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys”, database. Available at: https://mics.unicef.org/ (accessed on 2 May 2022): Bangladesh, 2019; Georgia, 2018; Kiribati, 2018–19; Kyrgyzstan, 2018; Mongolia, 2018; Nepal, 2019.

Indicators 6.4 and 6.5 Violence against women and girls with disabilities
6.4(5).2 Child marriage
Country Percentage of women aged 20-49 years who first married or entered a marital union before age 15 (%) Percentage of women aged 20-49 years who first married or entered a marital union before age 18 (%)
Women with functional difficulties Women without functional difficulties Women with functional difficulties Women without functional difficulties
Bangladesh 31.6 22.3 68.2 59.7
Data source:

UNICEF, “Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys”, database. Available at: https://mics.unicef.org/ (accessed on 2 May 2022): Bangladesh, 2019; Georgia, 2018; Kiribati, 2018–19; Kyrgyzstan, 2018; Mongolia, 2018; Nepal, 2019; Samoa, 2019–20; Tonga, 2019; Turkmenistan, 2019.

Incheon Strategy goal 7: Ensure disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction and management

Indicator 7.1 Disaster risk reduction frameworks SDG 1.5.3 SDG 11.b.1 SDG 13.1.2
7.1.1 Inclusive disaster risk reduction frameworks
  • The country/territory had disaster risk reduction frameworks that explicitly mention persons with disabilities.
Data source:

Responses to the ESCAP government survey and UN-Women, “WRD Policy Tracker”, web page. Available at https://wrd.unwomen.org/policy-tracker#map-table (accessed on 29 April 2022).

7.1.2 Alignment with the Sendai Framework
Country Score of adoption and implementation of national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework
Bangladesh 0.0
Data source:

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, “Statistics, SDG Indicators Database”, database. Available at https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/dataportal/database (accessed on 29 April 2022): United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (2022). Afghanistan, 2019; Armenia, 2020; Australia, 2020; Azerbaijan, 2017; Bangladesh, 2021; Bhutan, 2018; Cambodia, 2019; China, 2020; Fiji, 2020; Georgia, 2020; India, 2020; Indonesia, 2020; Japan, 2020; Kazakhstan, 2020; Kiribati, 2020; Kyrgyzstan, 2019; Malaysia, 2020; Maldives, 2017; Marshall Islands, 2020; Federated States of Micronesia, 2020; Mongolia, 2020; Myanmar, 2017; Nauru, 2020; Nepal, 2019; New Zealand, 2020; Pakistan, 2020; Palau, 2020; Papua New Guinea, 2020; Philippines, 2020; Republic of Korea, 2020; Russian Federation, 2020; Samoa, 2020; Solomon Islands, 2021; Sri Lanka, 2020; Tajikistan, 2020; Thailand, 2020; Tonga, 2020; Türkiye, 2017; Turkmenistan, 2019; Tuvalu, 2020; Uzbekistan, 2020; Vanuatu, 2020.

Incheon Strategy goal 8: Improve the reliability and comparability of disability data

Indicator 8.1 Disability prevalence
Country and territory Number of persons with disabilities Total population Disability prevalence (%) Gender gap (female-male)
Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
Bangladesh 1,520,390.0 953,305.0 2,473,695.0 84,789,000.0 83,097,000.0 167,886,000.0 1.8 1.1 1.5 -0.7
Data source:

Responses to the ESCAP government survey and government-reported data available online (accessed on 22-25 May 2022): Afghanistan, CRPD/C/AFG/1, 2020. Note: data sourced from Afghanistan Living Conditions Survey 2017; American Samoa, United States Census Bureau, Population Census, 2010, https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/2010/dec/american-samoa.html; Armenia, CRPD/C/ARM/2-3, 2020 and Statistical Yearbook of Armenia, 2020, https://armstat.am/en/?nid=586&year=2020. Note: Registered persons with disabilities as of 1 January 2020, including 1st disability group, 2nd disability group, 3rd disability group and children with disabilities, total de jure population at the beginning of 2020; Australia, Australia Bureau of Statistics, Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings, 2018, https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/disability/disability-ageing-and-carers-australia-summary-findings/2018. Note: Persons with disabilities are defined as those experiencing any limitation, restriction or impairment which restricts everyday activities and has lasted, or is likely to last, for at least six months; Azerbaijan, ESCAP, Building Disability-Inclusive Societies in Asia and the Pacific, 2018. Note: Data estimated by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population, 2011; Bangladesh, response to the ESCAP government survey, Department of Social Service, Ministry of Social Welfare, Disability Information Survey Program. Note: Total population data (2022) were sourced by ESCAP from the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, World Population Prospects 2019, https://population.un.org/wpp/DataQuery/; Bhutan, response to the ESCAP government survey, Population & Housing Census of Bhutan, 2017. Note: Washington Group questions on functioning were used; Brunei Darussalam, ESCAP, Building Disability-Inclusive Societies in Asia and the Pacific, 2018. Note: Data sourced from Population Census 2011, Early Intervention Medical Report and Walk-in Welfare and Disability Registration; Cambodia, response to the ESCAP government survey, data source not specified; China, response to the ESCAP government survey, Second National Disability Sample Survey, 2006. Note: The survey used its own standard for disability classification; Cook Islands, response to the ESCAP government survey, Cook Islands Population Census, 2016, http://www.mfem.gov.ck/images/documents/Statistics_Docs/5.Census-Surveys/6.Population-and-Dwelling_2016/2016_CENSUS_REPORT-FINAL.pdf. Note: Persons with disabilities refer to the population aged 10 and above with difficulty in seeing, hearing, walking, using hands, learning, communication or self-care, lasting 6 months or more; Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, CRPD/C/PRK/1, Annex, 2018. Note: Data sourced from Central Bureau of Statistics, 2017; Fiji, Response to the ESCAP government survey, Fiji Bureau of Statistics, Draft Fiji Disability Monograph, 2017. Note: Population aged 5 and above. The number of persons with disabilities was calculated based on the "a lot of difficulty" cut-off; French Polynesia, ESCAP, Building Disability-Inclusive Societies in Asia and the Pacific, 2018. Note: Data reported by the Ministry of Health, 2005; Georgia, National Statistics Office of Georgia, General Population Census Results-Disability, 2014, https://www.geostat.ge/en/modules/categories/742/disability. Note: Persons with disabilities include disability I group, II group, III group and children with disabilities. Some people refused to reveal information on their disability status, and some people's disability status were not stated; Guam, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Disability and Health Data System (DHDS) Data, 2020, https://dhds.cdc.gov/SP?LocationId=66&CategoryId=DISEST&ShowFootnotes=true&showMode=&IndicatorIds=STATTYPE,AGEIND,SEXIND,RACEIND,VETIND&pnl0=Chart,false,YR5,CAT1,BO1,,,,AGEADJPREV&pnl1=Chart,false,YR5,DISSTAT,,,,,PREV&pnl2=Chart,false,YR5,DISSTAT,,,,,AGEADJPREV&pnl3=Chart,false,YR5,DISSTAT,,,,,AGEADJPREV&pnl4=Chart,false,YR5,DISSTAT,,,,,AGEADJPREV. Note: Weighted population aged 18 and above. Questions on whether a person had difficulty in functioning domains were asked. Respondents were defined as having any disability if they answered “Yes” to one or more of these questions; Hong Kong, China, response to the ESCAP government survey, Census and Statistics Department, Survey on Persons with Disabilities and Chronic Diseases, 2020 and Census and Statistics Department, General Household Survey and Survey of Institutional Residents with Disabilities and Selected Health Conditions, 2020. Note: Persons with disabilities were defined as those who (a) had perceived themselves as having one or more of the following four conditions (the level of difficulty should fulfil “a lot of difficulty” or “cannot do at all”) which had lasted, or were likely to last, for a period of six months or more at the time of enumeration: (1) restriction in body movement; (2) seeing difficulty; (3) hearing difficulty; (4) communication difficulty; or (b) had been diagnosed by related professionals as having one or more of the following four conditions: (5) mental illness/mood disorder; (6) autism spectrum disorder; (7) specific learning difficulties, and (8) attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The Census and Statistics Department has only collected information regarding the type(s) of disabilities the interviewee has disclosed, instead of confirming whether a person is not experiencing any kind of disability; India, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Annual Report 2021?2022, https://disabilityaffairs.gov.in/content/page/annual-report.php. Note: Data sourced from Census, 2011 and Office of the Registrar & Census Commissioner, India, Ministry of Home Affairs, https://censusindia.gov.in/census.website; Indonesia, response to the ESCAP government survey, Intercensal Population Survey, 2015. Note: Population aged 2 years and above; Islamic Republic of Iran, ESCAP, Building Disability-Inclusive Societies in Asia and the Pacific, 2018. Note: Data sourced from Population Census, 2011; Japan, response to the ESCAP government survey, data reported by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 2016. Note: Total number of persons with disabilities refers to the sum of persons with physical, intellectual and psychosocial disabilities; Kazakhstan, CRPD/C/KAZ/1, 2017; Kiribati, National Statistics Office of Kiribati, Pacific Community’s Statistics for Development Division and UNICEF, Kiribati Disability Monograph from the 2015 Population and Housing Census, 2017, https://sdd.spc.int/digital_library/kiribati-disability-monograph-2015-population-and-housing-census. Note: Population aged 5 years and above. Persons with disabilities are defined as those with severe and "cannot do at all" functional limitation in at least one functioning domain; Kyrgyzstan, response to the ESCAP government survey, data sourced from the Medical-Social Expert Commission and the National Statistics Committee, 2021; Lao People’s Democratic Republic, response to the ESCAP government survey, Population and Housing Census, 2015. Note: Population aged 5 years and above; Macao, China, Statistics and Census Service, Government of Macao Special Administrative Region, Population Census, 2011, https://www.dsec.gov.mo/en-US/Statistic?id=103; Malaysia, National Institutes of Health and Ministry of Health, National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019: Non-communicable Diseases, Healthcare Demand and Health Literacy, 2020, https://iku.gov.my/nhms-2019. Note: Population aged 18 years and above. Overall disability was defined as having a lot of difficulty in two functioning domains or cannot do at all in one domain; Maldives, response to the ESCAP government survey, Household Income and Expenditure Survey, 2019. Note: Population aged 5 years and above; Marshall Islands, response to the ESCAP government survey, Republic of the Marshall Islands Census, 2011; Federated States of Micronesia, Division of Statistics, FSM Office of Statistics, Budget, Overseas Development Assistance and Compact Management, Summary Analysis of Key Indicators from the FSM 2010 Census of Population and Housing, https://www.fsmstatistics.fm/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2010-Summary-Analysis-Key-Indicators.pdf and ESCAP, Building Disability-Inclusive Societies in Asia and the Pacific, 2018. Note: A person with a disability is defined as someone with difficulty of bodily functions and related health problems, which may prevent him or her from doing daily activities; Mongolia, response to the ESCAP government survey, Multi-Indicator Cluster Survey, 2021 and Yearly Data of Total Population, ??-3, 2020; Myanmar, Department of Population, Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population and UNFPA, The 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census, Thematic Report on Disability, Census Report Volume 4-K, 2017, https://myanmar.unfpa.org/en/publications/thematic-report-disability. Note: Persons with disabilities refer to those with mild or higher levels of difficulty in at least one functioning domain; Nauru, Pacific Community’s Statistics for Development Division, Disability in Nauru, Nauru Mini-census, 2019, https://spccfpstore1.blob.core.windows.net/digitallibrary-docs/files/1b/1b7a09b0a07a3fc98eac83c72ee64d80.pdf?sv=2015-12-11&sr=b&sig=RxiTTq%2BMDUHSX4jvRd3VRBDjP2rUTxzOxuKSRoZcGJU%3D&se=2023-01-01T03%3A19%3A19Z&sp=r&rscc=public%2C%20max-age%3D864000%2C%20max-stale%3D86400&rsct=application%2Fpdf&rscd=inline%3B%20filename%3D%22Nauru_2020_Mini_Census_FS_Disability.pdf%22. Note: Population aged 5 years and above. Persons with disabilities are defined as those who have a lot of difficulty or cannot do at all in at least one functioning domain; Nepal, Central Bureau of Statistics, Population Monograph of Nepal, Volume II (Social Demography), 2014, https://cbs.gov.np/wp-content/upLoads/2018/12/Population-Monograph-V02.pdf. Note: Data sourced from National Population Census 2011. A question on what type of disability a person had was asked; New Caledonia, ESCAP, Building Disability-Inclusive Societies in Asia and the Pacific, 2018. Note: Data sourced from the Study on Persons with Disabilities, 2013; New Zealand, Stats NZ Tatauranga Aotearoa, Disability survey, 2013, https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/disability-survey-2013. Note: Disability is defined as long-term limitation (resulting from impairment) in a person’s ability to carry out daily activities; Niue, Statistics Niue, Economic Planning Development & Statistics, Premiers Department, Niue Census of Population and Households 2011, Book of Tables, https://spccfpstore1.blob.core.windows.net/digitallibrary-docs/files/6d/6d3c12da277214c74b3ae2fb5f2cb6fe.pdf?sv=2015-12-11&sr=b&sig=BMQgwRqc09dI%2Fuz1%2FiwPfiFZ%2Fdfuk8m0V39WADJ7Tcg%3D&se=2022-11-22T03%3A58%3A21Z&sp=r&rscc=public%2C%20max-age%3D864000%2C%20max-stale%3D86400&rsct=application%2Fpdf&rscd=inline%3B%20filename%3D%22Niue_2011_Cenus_Population_Profile_Book_of_Tables1.pdf%22. Note: Residential population; Northern Mariana Islands, United States Census Bureau, Population Census 2010, https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/2010/dec/cnmi.html; Pakistan, response to the ESCAP government survey, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement Survey, 2019?20. Note: Prevalence of moderate disability; Palau, UNICEF Pacific, Office of Planning & Statistics and Pacific Community, 2017 Palau Disability Report: An analysis of 2015 Census of Population, Housing and Agriculture, 2017, https://sdd.spc.int/digital_library/palau-2017-disability-report. Note: Population aged 5 years and above. Persons with disabilities are classified as anyone with at least one domain that is coded as “Yes, lots of difficulty” or “cannot do it at all”; Papua New Guinea, Disability Data Initiative 2021, Papua New Guinea Household Income and Expenditure Survey, 2009, https://disabilitydata.ace.fordham.edu/country-briefs/pg. Note: Population aged 15 years and above. Persons with disabilities refer to those with at least a lot of difficulty in one or more functioning domains; Philippines, response to the ESCAP government survey, Census of Population and Housing, 2010. Note: Data refer to household population. Questions on difficulty in various functioning domains were asked; Republic of Korea, response to the ESCAP government survey, Status of Registered Population with Disabilities 2020, 2021 and sampling results of Population and Housing Census 2020, 2021; Russian Federation, CRPD/C/RUS/1, 2014; Samoa, Samoa Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development, Pacific Community and UNICEF Pacific, 2018 Samoa Disability Report: An analysis of 2016 Census of Population and Housing, 2018, https://sdd.spc.int/digital_library/samoa-2018-disability-monograph. Note: Population aged 5 years and above. Persons with disabilities are defined as those coded as "a lot of difficulty" or "cannot do at all" in at least one functioning domain; Singapore, response to the ESCAP government survey, Department of Statistics, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore Census of Population, 2020. Note: Population aged 5 years and above. A person with a disability refers to an individual who reported "a lot of difficulty" or "unable to perform" in at least one basic activity; Solomon Islands, ESCAP, Building Disability-Inclusive Societies in Asia and the Pacific, 2018. Note: Data sourced from Population Census 2009; Sri Lanka, Department of Census & Statistics, Ministry of Policy Planning and Economic Affairs, Census of Population and Housing 2012, 2015, http://www.statistics.gov.lk/pophousat/cph2011/pages/activities/reports/finalreport/finalreporte.pdf. Notes: Population aged 5 years and above; Tajikistan, Disability Data Initiative 2021, Survey of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), 2016, https://disabilitydata.ace.fordham.edu/country-briefs/tj. Note: Population aged 15 years and above. Persons with disabilities refer to those with at least a lot of difficulty in one or more functioning domains; Thailand, response to the ESCAP government survey, National Statistical Office, Disability Survey, 2017. Notes: ICF standard was used; Timor-Leste, General Directorate of Statistics, Ministry of Planning and Finance and Ministry of Health, Timor-Leste Demographic and Health Survey 2016, 2018, https://timor-leste.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/Timor_Leste_2016_Final_Report.pdf. Note: De facto household population aged 15 years and above. Persons with disabilities refer to those with a lot of difficulty or cannot do at all in at least one functioning domain; Tonga, Tonga Statistics Department, Disability in Tonga: Analysis of the Situation of People with Disability Based on the 2016 Population and Housing Census, 2019, https://sdd.spc.int/digital_library/disability-tonga-analysis-situation-people-disability-based-2016-population-and. Note: Population aged 5 years and above. Persons with disabilities were defined as those with a lot of difficulty or cannot do at all in one or more functioning domains; Türkiye, response to the ESCAP government survey, Turkish Statistical Institute, Türkiye Population and Housing Census, 2011. Note: Population aged 3 years and above. Persons with disabilities were defined as those who declared that they had great difficulty in performing the relevant activity or that they could not do this activity at all; Turkmenistan, CRPD/C/TKM/1, 2011. Note: Only persons receiving disability benefits were included in the count of persons with disabilities. Total population data (2011) were sourced by ESCAP from United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, World Population Prospects 2019, https://population.un.org/wpp/DataQuery/; Tuvalu, Central Statistics Division, Tuvalu Population & Housing Mini-Census 2017 Report, 2017, https://stats.gov.tv/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?juwpfisadmin=false&action=wpfd&task=file.download&wpfd_category_id=85&wpfd_file_id=906&token=&preview=1. Note: Population aged 5 year and above. Persons with disabilities refer to those who responded as having “a lot of difficulty” or “cannot do at all” in any of the functioning domains; Uzbekistan, response to the ESCAP government survey, data source not specified. Note: Population aged over 16 years; Vanuatu, response to the ESCAP government survey, Census, 2020; Viet Nam, General Statistics Office, The National Survey on People with Disabilities 2016 (VDS2016), Final Report, 2018, https://www.gso.gov.vn/en/data-and-statistics/2019/03/vietnam-national-survey-on-people-with-disabilities-2016/. Note: Population aged 2 years and above. Survey data and data from the general administrative review were added up.

Country and territory Population aged under 65*
Number of persons with disabilities Total population
Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
Bangladesh 1,362,539.0 870,218.0 2,232,757.0 80,173,000.0 78,554,000.0 158,727,000.0 1.7 1.1 1.4
Country and territory Population aged 65 and above*
Number of persons with disabilities Total population
Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
Bangladesh 157,851.0 83,087.0 240,938.0 4,612,000.0 4,544,000.0 9,157,000.0 3.4 1.8 2.6
Data source:

Responses to the ESCAP government survey: Bangladesh, Department of Social Service, Ministry of Social Welfare, Disability Information Survey Program. Note: Total population data (2022) were sourced by ESCAP from United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, World Population Prospects 2019, https://population.un.org/wpp/DataQuery/ (accessed on 25 May 2022). Discrepancies between total population and the sum of persons aged under 65 years and 65 years and above are due to rounding; Bhutan, Population & Housing Census of Bhutan, 2017; Cambodia, data source not specified; Fiji, Fiji Bureau of Statistics, Draft Fiji Disability Monograph, 2017. Note: Population aged 5 years and above; Hong Kong, China, Census and Statistics Department, Survey on Persons with Disabilities and Chronic Diseases, 2020 and Census and Statistics Department, General Household Survey and Survey of Institutional Residents with Disabilities and Selected Health Conditions, 2020. Note: Total number of persons refers to the land-based population. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Hence, there may be a slight discrepancy between the sum of individual items and the total due to rounding; Indonesia, Intercensal Population Survey, 2015. Note: Population aged 2 years and above; Japan, Data reported by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 2016. Note: Total number of persons with disabilities refers to the sum of persons with physical, intellectual and psychosocial disabilities. Discrepancies between total population and the sum of persons aged under 65 years and 65 years and above are due to 1) rounding, 2) a few people's ages not stated; Kyrgyzstan, Data sourced from the Medical-Social Expert Commission and the National Statistics Committee, 2021; Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Population and Housing Census, 2015. Note: Population aged 5 years and above; Maldives, Household Income and Expenditure Survey, 2019. Note: Population aged 5 years and above; Mongolia, Multi-Indicator Cluster Survey, 2021 and Yearly Data of Total Population, ??-3, 2020; Philippines, Census of Population and Housing, 2010. Note: Data refer to household population; Republic of Korea, Status of Registered Population with Disabilities 2020, 2021 and Sampling Results of Population and Housing Census 2020, 2021; Singapore, Department of Statistics, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore Census of Population, 2020. Note: Population aged 5 years and above; Thailand, National Statistical Office, Disability Survey, 2017; Türkiye, Turkish Statistical Institute, Türkiye Population and Housing Census, 2011. Note: Population aged 3 years and above. Number of persons with diverse disabilities are rounded to the nearest thousand. Discrepancies between total population and the sum of male and female population are due to rounding. Disability prevalence for the 2 age groups (under 65 years and 65 years and above) was the calculation of ESCAP based on the number of persons with disabilities and disability prevalence disaggregated by 15 age groups.

Incheon Strategy goal 9: Accelerate the ratification and implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and harmonization of national legislation with the Convention

Indicator 9.1 Ratification of and accession to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Country and territory Signature of CRPD Ratification of or accession to CRPD Signature of the Optional Protocol Ratification of or accession to the Optional Protocol
Bangladesh 07-May-2009 07-Nov-2030 - 08-May-2012
Data source:

UN Treaty Collection, “Status of treaties, chap. IV.15, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities”, web page. Available at https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-15&chapter=4&clang=_en (accessed on 31 July 2022).

Indicator 9.2 National anti-discrimination legislation
  • The country/territory mentioned the availability of national anti-discrimination legislation to uphold the rights of persons with disabilities.
Data source:

Responses to the ESCAP government survey.

Incheon Strategy goal 10: Advance subregional, regional and interregional cooperation

Indicators 10.8 to 10.10 United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks
  • The United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks (in English) for the country/territory mentioned disability.
Data source:

ESCAP mapping of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks. The frameworks can be found at United Nations Sustainable Development Group, “The Cooperation Framework”, web page. Available at https://unsdg.un.org/2030-agenda/cooperation-framework (accessed on 31 May 2022).