Written by The Banking Post
The private education sector in Bangladesh saw a notable increase in its contribution to the economy in 2023, even though employment growth within the sector remained modest, according to a new report by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
The sector’s gross output rose by 7.65 per cent year-on-year, reaching Tk 85,357 crore in 2023. However, employment grew by only 2.5 per cent during the same period.
The data, released after a 15-year gap since the last comprehensive survey in 2007, highlights the evolving landscape of private education in Bangladesh. The survey was conducted with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to bridge longstanding data gaps.
According to the BBS, 11.45 lakh educators were employed in 2023, of whom 7.16 lakh were male and 4.30 lakh were female, meaning women accounted for 38 per cent of total teaching staff.
Meanwhile, the number of students enrolled in private educational institutions rose to 2.93 crore, an increase of 13 lakh compared to the previous year. Of these, 1.53 crore were female and 1.40 crore were male, indicating a slightly higher female enrolment for two consecutive years.
The trend was particularly pronounced in medical, dental, nursing, and midwifery colleges, where female students consistently outnumbered males. The report attributes this to greater societal acceptance of women in healthcare roles and their aptitude for emotionally demanding professions.
In total, 98,980 private educational institutions were operating in the country as of 2023. Among them:
- 23,637 were individually owned,
- 10,862 operated under partnerships,
- 49,618 managed by boards of directors or managing committees,
- and 5,782 governed by trustee boards or foundations.
In addition, 6,587 coaching centres were also active.
Despite the sector’s growing output, the labour share of gross value added declined from 38.9 per cent in 2022 to 37.8 per cent in 2023, suggesting that a larger portion of economic gains is being captured by institutional owners rather than workers.
This shift may widen income inequality, the BBS report notes, potentially dampening consumer spending and posing long-term risks to economic stability.
The education sector’s total contribution to GDP stood at around 3 per cent in 2023, underlining its continued importance to the national economy, even as concerns mount over equitable distribution of growth benefits.
