Editing Dhaka (section)

== Demographics ==
{{See also|Demographics of Bangladesh}}
{{Historical populations
|align=right
|footnote=for Dhaka Agglomeration:{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}
|1951|335,760
|1961|507,921
|1971|1,373,718
|1981|3,265,663
|1991|6,620,697
|2001|10,284,947
|2011|14,730,537
|2022|22,478,116
}}

=== Population ===
The city, in combination with localities forming the wider metropolitan area, is home to over 22&nbsp;million {{as of|2022|lc=on}}. The population is growing by an estimated 3.3% per year,{{citation needed|date=April 2025}} one of the highest rates among Asian cities.<ref name="EDemo1" /> The continuing growth reflects ongoing migration from rural areas to the Dhaka urban region, which accounted for 60% of the city's growth in the 1960s and 1970s. More recently, the city's population has also grown with the expansion of city boundaries, a process that added more than a million people to the city in the 1980s.<ref name="EDemo1" /> According to the ''[[Far Eastern Economic Review]]'', Dhaka will be home to 25&nbsp;million people by the end of 2025.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pepe Escobar |author-link=Pepe Escobar |date=20 May 2006 |title=The accumulation of the wretched |url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/HE20Aa01.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101031210457/http://atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/HE20Aa01.html |archive-date=31 October 2010 |access-date=8 May 2010 |work=[[Asia Times]] |type=Book review}}</ref>

This rapid population growth makes it difficult for the city government to provide the necessary infrastructure in a timely manner, e.g. for water supply, electricity and waste management.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last1=Brouwer |first1=Roy |last2=Sharmin |first2=Dilruba F. |last3=Elliott |first3=Susan |last4=Liu |first4=Jennifer |last5=Khan |first5=Mizan R. |date=2023 |title=Costs and benefits of improving water and sanitation in slums and non-slum neighborhoods in Dhaka, a fast-growing mega-city |journal=Ecological Economics |language=en |volume=207 |pages=107763 |bibcode=2023EcoEc.20707763B |doi=10.1016/j.ecolecon.2023.107763 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

==== Slums ====
{{See also|Squatting in Bangladesh}}
[[File:Karail03.jpg|thumb|The Karail slum in [[Mohakhali]]]]
About 30% of Dhaka's population lives in [[slum]]s (or unplanned urban settlements), as of 2016.<ref name=":1" /> Estimates from 2011 and 2015 found that there are about "3 to 5 thousand slums and squatter settlements scattered all over the city".<ref name=":1" /> It is often the new arrivals, people [[Rural-urban migration|migrating from rural areas]], who end up living in slums. People only have very limited access to water, [[sanitation]] and other services in those slum areas.

Slums may be found in the outskirts and in less-visible areas such as alleyways.<ref name="Gruebner Sachs Nockert Frings pp. 1–7">{{Cite journal |last1=Gruebner |first1=Oliver |last2=Sachs |first2=Jonathan |last3=Nockert |first3=Anika |last4=Frings |first4=Michael |last5=Khan |first5=Md. Mobarak Hossain |last6=Lakes |first6=Tobia |last7=Hostert |first7=Patrick |date=25 June 2014 |title=Mapping the Slums of Dhaka from 2006 to 2010 |journal=Dataset Papers in Science |publisher=Hindawi Limited |volume=2014 |pages=1–7 |doi=10.1155/2014/172182 |issn=2314-8497 |doi-access=free}}</ref> As of 2021, the largest slum is in [[Kamrangirchar Thana|Kamrangirchar]], where about 600,000 people live in slum conditions.<ref name=":2" />

===Ethnicity===
The city population is composed of people from virtually every region of Bangladesh. The long-standing inhabitants of the old city are known as Dhakaite and have a distinctive Bengali dialect and culture. Dhaka is also home to a large number of [[Stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh|Bihari refugees]], who are descendants of migrant [[Muslims]] from eastern India during 1947 and settled down in East Pakistan. The correct population of [[Biharis]] living in the city is ambiguous, but it is estimated that there are at least 300,000 Urdu-speakers in all of Bangladesh, mostly residing in old Dhaka and in refugee camps in Dhaka, although official figures estimate only 40,000.<ref name="fe">{{Cite news |title=Govt ready to offer nationality to Urdu-speaking people: Moni |url=http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=110539 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111104171314/http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=110539 |archive-date=4 November 2011 |access-date=12 April 2011 |work=The Financial Express |location=Dhaka}}</ref><ref name="dw">{{Cite web |title=Socio-economic Problems of the Urdu Speaking Residents at Mohammadpur |url=http://www.dwatch-bd.org/ggtp/Research%20Reports/research3.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612081936/http://www.dwatch-bd.org/ggtp/Research%20Reports/research3.pdf |archive-date=12 June 2011 |access-date=12 April 2011 |publisher=Democracy Watch}}</ref><ref name="ju">{{Cite web |last=Tasmia Persoob |title=The Forgotten Community: Camp Based Urdu Speaking People in Bangladesh |url=http://akira-foundation.org/Documents/fellow%20product%20%28Tasmia%29.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322152732/http://akira-foundation.org/Documents/fellow%20product%20%28Tasmia%29.pdf |archive-date=22 March 2012 |access-date=12 April 2011 |publisher=Jahangirnagar University}}</ref> Between 15,000 and 20,000 of the [[Rohingya people|Rohingya]], [[Santals|Santal]], [[Khasi people|Khasi]], [[Garo (tribe)|Garo]], [[Chakma people|Chakma]] and [[Mandi State|Mandi]] tribal peoples reside in the city.<ref>{{Cite news |title=::Our Cities::15th Anniversary Special |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/suppliments/2006/15thanniv/ourcities/ourcities06.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070302043551/http://www.thedailystar.net/suppliments/2006/15thanniv/ourcities/ourcities06.htm |archive-date=2 March 2007 |access-date=8 May 2010 |work=The Daily Star}}</ref>

===Language===
{{Pie chart
|caption=Language in Dhaka (2011)
|label1=[[Bengali language|Bengali]] |value1=98 |color1=Blue
|label2=[[Urdu]]|value2=1 |color2=Green
|label3=Others|value3=1 |color3=Orange}}
Most residents of Dhaka speak [[Bengali language|Bengali]], the national language. Other than Standard Bengali which is used in business and education, most prominent [[Bengali dialects]] spoken in the city include an ''Urban East Bengal Colloquial'' dialect,<ref>Khaleda Beena (2000). ''Modern Textbook in Bengali as Foreign Language.'' Bengaliska Magasinet ; Dhaka : Rabeya Publishers ; Göteborg : Internationella Kojan. p. 105.</ref>
and [[Dhakaiya Kutti]] spoken in Old Dhaka.<ref>[https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/sa8i3en9g9 Once a hallmark of heritage, Old Dhaka's distinct dialects are slowly fading away] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241109133649/https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/sa8i3en9g9 |date=9 November 2024 }} bdnews24.com. 21 Feb 2024. Retrieved on 9 November 2024.</ref> [[Bangladeshi English|English]] is spoken by a large segment of the population, especially for business purposes. The city has both Bengali and English newspapers. [[Urdu]], including [[Dhakaiya Urdu]], is spoken by members of several non-Bengali communities, including the [[Bihari people|Biharis]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sanghamitra Saha |title=A Linguist Visits Bangladesh: A Travelogue |publisher=International School of Dravidian Linguistics |year=2001 |isbn=978-81-85692-30-2 |page=8}}</ref>

===Literacy===
The literacy rate in Dhaka is also increasing quickly. It was estimated at 69.2% in 2001. The literacy rate had gone up to 74.6% by 2011<ref name="District Statistics 2011, Dhaka" /> which is significantly higher than the national average of 72%.<ref name="bangladesh1">{{Cite web |title=Statistical Yearbook of Bangladesh 2012, Page 35 |url=http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/SubjectMatterDataIndex/YB-2012.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150807103320/http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/SubjectMatterDataIndex/YB-2012.pdf |archive-date=7 August 2015 |access-date=14 May 2015 |publisher=Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics}}</ref>

===Religion===
{{bar box
|title = Religion in Dhaka City (2011)<ref name="census2011" />
|titlebar=#Fcd116
|left1=Religion
|right1=Percent
|float = right
|bars =
{{bar percent|[[Islam in Bangladesh|Islam]]|green|95.72}}
{{bar percent|[[Hinduism in Bangladesh|Hinduism]]|darkorange|3.60}}
{{bar percent|[[Christianity in Bangladesh|Christianity]]|blue|0.55}}
{{bar percent|Other or not stated|gray|0.13}}
}}

[[Islam in Bangladesh|Islam]] is the dominant religion of the city, with 19.3 million of the city's population being Muslim, and a majority belonging to the [[Sunni]] sect. There is also a small [[Shia]] sect, and an [[Ahmadi]]ya community. [[Hinduism in Bangladesh|Hinduism]] is the second-largest religion numbering around 1.47 million adherents. Smaller segments represent 1% and practise [[Christianity in Bangladesh|Christianity]] and [[Buddhism in Bangladesh|Buddhism]]. In the city proper, over 8.5 million of the 8.9 million residents are Muslims, while 320,000 are Hindu and nearly 50,000 Christian.<ref name="Dhaka - Banglapedia">{{Cite web |title=Dhaka |url=https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Dhaka |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624200253/https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Dhaka |archive-date=24 June 2021 |access-date=17 June 2021 |website=Banglapedia}}</ref><ref name="census2011">{{Cite web |last=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Population Census 2011: Dhaka Table C-13 |url=http://www.bbs.gov.bd/Census2011/Dhaka/Dhaka/Dhaka_C13.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20141113213203/http://www.bbs.gov.bd/Census2011/Dhaka/Dhaka/Dhaka_C13.pdf |archive-date=13 November 2014 |access-date=11 July 2014 |website=Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics}}</ref>

<div style="overflow-x:auto; border: 1px solid #AAA; padding-left: 0.5em; padding-right: 0.5em">
{| class="wikitable collapsible sortable"
|+ Religious groups in Dhaka City (1872−2011){{efn|1872–1941: Data for the entirety of the town of Dhaka, which included Dhaka Municipality.|name="DhakaCity1872to1941"}}
! rowspan="2" |[[Religion in India|Religious]]<br />group
! colspan="2" |1872<ref name="Census1872">{{Cite book |last=Beverley |first=H. |title=Report of the census of Bengal, 1872 |year=1872 |page=333 |jstor=saoa.crl.25057646 |jstor-access=free}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1881<ref name="Census1881">{{Cite web |year=1881 |title=Report on the census of Bengal, 1881. |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25057660 |access-date=29 September 2024 |page=608 |jstor=saoa.crl.25057660 |last1=(India) |first1=Bengal |volume=2 |publisher=Calcutta, 1883. |archive-date=18 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718031701/https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25057660 |url-status=live }}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1891<ref name="Census1891">{{Cite book |last=Baines |first=Jervoise Athelstane |title=Census of India, 1891. General tables for British provinces and feudatory states. |year=1891 |volume=1 |page=68 |jstor=saoa.crl.25318666 |jstor-access=free}}</ref><ref name="Census1891B">{{Cite web |year=1891 |title=Census of India 1891. The lower provinces of Bengal and their feudatories. [4], The Administrative Tables. |volume=4 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25318680 |access-date=29 September 2024 |page=25 |jstor=saoa.crl.25318680}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1901<ref name="Census1901">{{Cite book |title=Census of India 1901. |year=1901 |volume=1A, India. Pt. 2, Tables |page=44 |jstor=saoa.crl.25352838 |jstor-access=free}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1911<ref name="Census1911">{{Cite book |last=Edward Albert Gait |title=Census of India, 1911. |publisher=Supt. Govt. Print., India, 1913 |year=1911 |volume=1., Pt. 2, Tables |location=Calcutta |page=23 |jstor=saoa.crl.25393779 |jstor-access=free}}</ref><ref name="Census1911B">{{Cite book |title=Census of India 1911 |year=1911 |volume=5. Pt. 2, Bengal : tables |page=18 |jstor=saoa.crl.25393766 |jstor-access=free}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1921<ref name="Census1921">{{Cite book |title=Census of India 1921 |year=1921 |volume=1, India. Pt. 2, Tables |page=25 |jstor=saoa.crl.25394121 |jstor-access=free}}</ref><ref name="Census1921B">{{Cite book |title=Census of India 1921 |year=1921 |volume=5, Bengal. Pt. 2, Tables |page=18 |jstor=saoa.crl.25394125 |jstor-access=free}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1931<ref name="Census1931">{{Cite book |title=Census of India 1931 |year=1931 |volume=1, India. Pt. 2, Imperial tables |jstor=saoa.crl.25793234 |jstor-access=free}}</ref><ref name="Census1931B">{{Cite book |title=Census of India 1931 |year=1931 |volume=5, Bengal & Sikkim. Pt. 2, Imperial and provincial tables |page=16 |jstor=saoa.crl.25797126 |jstor-access=free}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1941<ref name="Census1941">{{Cite book |title=Census of India, 1941 |year=1941 |volume=4, Bengal (Tables) |page=26 |jstor=saoa.crl.28215987 |jstor-access=free}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |2011<ref name="census2011" />
|-
![[Population|{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}]]
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
|-
| [[Hinduism]] [[File:Om.svg|15px]]
| 34,433
| {{Percentage | 34433 | 69212 | 2 }}
| 39,635
| {{Percentage | 39635 | 79076 | 2 }}
| 41,566
| {{Percentage | 41566 | 82321 | 2 }}
| 48,668
| {{Percentage | 48668 | 90542 | 2 }}
| 60,235
| {{Percentage | 60235 | 108551 | 2 }}
| 69,330
| {{Percentage | 69330 | 119450 | 2 }}
| 80,024
| {{Percentage | 80024 | 138518 | 2 }}
| 129,233
| {{Percentage | 129233 | 213218 | 2 }}
| 566,368
| {{Percentage | 566368 | 12043977 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Islam]] [[File:Star and Crescent.svg|15px]]
| 34,275
| {{Percentage | 34275 | 69212 | 2 }}
| 38,918
| {{Percentage | 38918 | 79076 | 2 }}
| 40,183
| {{Percentage | 40183 | 82321 | 2 }}
| 41,361
| {{Percentage | 41361 | 90542 | 2 }}
| 47,295
| {{Percentage | 47295 | 108551 | 2 }}
| 49,325
| {{Percentage | 49325 | 119450 | 2 }}
| 57,764
| {{Percentage | 57764 | 138518 | 2 }}
| 82,683
| {{Percentage | 82683 | 213218 | 2 }}
| 11,400,096
| {{Percentage | 11400096 | 12043977 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Christianity]] [[File:Christian cross.svg|15px]]
| 479
| {{Percentage | 479 | 69212 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| 467
| {{Percentage | 467 | 82321 | 2 }}
| 484
| {{Percentage | 484 | 90542 | 2 }}
| 898
| {{Percentage | 898 | 108551 | 2 }}
| 710
| {{Percentage | 710 | 119450 | 2 }}
| 683
| {{Percentage | 683 | 138518 | 2 }}
| 349
| {{Percentage | 349 | 213218 | 2 }}
| 62,064
| {{Percentage | 62064 | 12043977 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Buddhism]] [[File:Dharma_Wheel_(2).svg|15px]]
| 4
| {{Percentage | 4 | 69212 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| 76
| {{Percentage | 76 | 82321 | 2 }}
| 28
| {{Percentage | 28 | 90542 | 2 }}
| 85
| {{Percentage | 85 | 108551 | 2 }}
| 12
| {{Percentage | 12 | 119450 | 2 }}
| 26
| {{Percentage | 26 | 138518 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| 13,267
| {{Percentage | 13267 | 12043977 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Jainism]] [[File:Jain_Prateek_Chihna.svg|15px]]
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| 13
| {{Percentage | 13 | 82321 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 90542 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 108551 | 2 }}
| 5
| {{Percentage | 5 | 119450 | 2 }}
| 5
| {{Percentage | 5 | 138518 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 213218 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
|-
| Tribal
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| 9
| {{Percentage | 9 | 82321 | 2 }}
| 1
| {{Percentage | 1 | 90542 | 2 }}
| 13
| {{Percentage | 13 | 108551 | 2 }}
| 1
| {{Percentage | 1 | 119450 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 138518 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
|-
| [[Sikhism]] [[File:Khanda.svg|15px]]
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| 1
| {{Percentage | 1 | 82321 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 90542 | 2 }}
| 16
| {{Percentage | 16 | 108551 | 2 }}
| 67
| {{Percentage | 67 | 119450 | 2 }}
| 16
| {{Percentage | 16 | 138518 | 2 }}
| 53
| {{Percentage | 53 | 213218 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
|-
| [[Judaism]] [[File:Star_of_David.svg|15px]]
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| 1
| {{Percentage | 1 | 82321 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 90542 | 2 }}
| 8
| {{Percentage | 8 | 108551 | 2 }}
| 4
| {{Percentage | 4 | 119450 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 138518 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
|-
| [[Zoroastrianism]] [[File:Faravahar.svg|15px]]
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 82321 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 90542 | 2 }}
| 1
| {{Percentage | 1 | 108551 | 2 }}
| 6
| {{Percentage | 6 | 119450 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 138518 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
|-
| Others
| 21
| {{Percentage | 21 | 69212 | 2 }}
| 528
| {{Percentage | 528 | 79076 | 2 }}
| 5
| {{Percentage | 5 | 82321 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 90542 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 108551 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 119450 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 138518 | 2 }}
| 890
| {{Percentage | 890 | 213218 | 2 }}
| 2,182
| {{Percentage | 2182 | 12043977 | 2 }}
|-
! Total population
! 69,212
! {{Percentage | 69212 | 69212 | 2 }}
! 79,076
! {{Percentage | 79076 | 79076 | 2 }}
! 82,321
! {{Percentage | 82321 | 82321 | 2 }}
! 90,542
! {{Percentage | 90542 | 90542 | 2 }}
! 108,551
! {{Percentage | 108551 | 108551 | 2 }}
! 119,450
! {{Percentage | 119450 | 119450 | 2 }}
! 138,518
! {{Percentage | 138518 | 138518 | 2 }}
! 213,218
! {{Percentage | 213218 | 213218 | 2 }}
! 12,043,977
! {{Percentage | 12043977 | 12043977 | 2 }}
|}
</div>