Everything you need to know about mobile, internet, social media, and e-commerce use in Bangladesh in 2012. For more reports, including the latest global trends and individual data for more than 230 countries around the world, visit http://datareportal.com

1. we are social
BANGLADESH
SOCIAL, DIGITAL
AND MOBILE IN
NOVEMBER 2012

3. 161,084,000
29,415,693
3,282,600
101,574,000
TOTAL POPULATION
INTERNET USERS
USERS ON TOP SOCIAL NETWORK
MOBILE SUBSCRIBERS
BANGLADESH
OCT
2012
URBAN
INTERNET PENETRATION
SOCIAL NETWORKING PENETRATION
MOBILE PENETRATION
RURAL
28%
18%
63%
72%
2%
COMPILED BY @WEARESOCIALSG. FOR MORE SOCIAL MEDIA ANALYSIS AND INSIGHTS, VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WEARESOCIAL.SG. SOURCES: POPULATION: BASED ON US CENSUS BUREAU (ACCESSED SEP 2012);
URBANISATION: UN (2011); INTERNET: BANGLADESH TELECOMMUNICATION REGULATORY COMMISSION (JUL 2012); SOCIAL NETWORKS: FACEBOOK (OCT 2012); MOBILE: BUSINESS MONITOR INTERNATIONAL (Q4 2012)
3

4. 161,084,000
CURRENT POPULATION OF BANGLADESH:
SOURCE: THE US CENSUS BUREAU (OCT 2012) 4

5. BANGLADESH HAS THE EIGHTH
LARGEST POPULATION IN THE WORLD
SOURCE: BASED ON DATA FROM THE US CENSUS BUREAU (NOV 2012) 5
(! )!

6. 2,500,000
PEOPLE IN 2013
BANGLADESH’S POPULATION
WILL GROW BY MORE THAN
SOURCE: BASED ON DATA FROM THE US CENSUS BUREAU (NOV 2012) 6

7. 12.5 SECONDS
THAT’S ONE CHILD BORN EVERY
SOURCE: BASED ON DATA FROM THE US CENSUS BUREAU (NOV 2012) 7

8. 60%
OF BANGLADESH’S POPULATION
IS UNDER THE AGE OF 30
SOURCE: BASED ON DATA FROM THE US CENSUS BUREAU (OCT 2012) 8

9. 24
MEDIAN AGE OF
BANGLADESH’S POPULATION:
SOURCE: THE US CENSUS BUREAU (NOV 2012) 9

10. 34%
OF BANGLADESH’S POPULATION
IS BELOW THE AGE OF 15
SOURCE: BASED ON DATA FROM THE US CENSUS BUREAU (OCT 2012) 10

11. 72%
OF BANGLADESH’S POPULATION
LIVES IN RURAL AREAS
SOURCES: BASED ON DATA FROM THE US CENSUS BUREAU (OCT 2012); AND THE UN DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS (2011) 11

12. US$2
THE AVERAGE DAILY INCOME
IN BANGLADESH IS BARELY
SOURCE: WORLD BANK (ACCESSED NOV 2012) 12

13. 56%
ADULT LITERACY RATE
IN BANGLADESH:
SOURCE: UNESCO, AS CITED IN INFOASAID (MAY 2012) 13

14. 20%
OF BANGLADESH’S POPULATION HAS
NO ACCESS TO ANY MEDIA WHATSOEVER
SOURCE: NIELSEN MEDIA AND DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEY 2011, AS CITED IN INFOASAID (MAY 2012) 14

15. 32,000,000 PEOPLE IN BANGLADESH
HAVE NO ACCESS TO MEDIA – MORE
THAN THE POPULATION OF MALAYSIA
SOURCES: BASED ON NIELSEN MEDIA AND DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEY 2011, AS CITED IN INFOASAID (MAY 2012), AND DATA FROM THE US CENSUS BUREAU (NOV 2012) 15
(! )!

16. 29,415,693
NUMBER OF INTERNET USERS IN BANGLADESH
SOURCE: BANGLADESH TELECOMMUNICATION REGULATORY COMMISSION (JUL 2012) 16

17. 18%
INTERNET PENETRATION
IN BANGLADESH:
SOURCES: BASED ON DATA FROM INTERNETWORLDSTATS (ACCESSED SEP 2012), AND THE US CENSUS BUREAU (NOV 2012) 17

18. IN CONTRAST: MEDIA
ACCESS IN BANGLADESH
SOURCES: BASED ON DATA FROM NIELSEN MEDIA AND DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEY 2011; THE US CENSUS BUREAU (NOV 2012); AND THE BANGLADESH TELECOMMUNICATION REGULATORY COMMISSION (JUL 2012) 18
NO MEDIA
ACCESS AT ALL
INTERNET
USERS
20% 18%

19. 94%
OF BANGLADESH’S
INTERNET SUBSCRIPTIONS
MOBILE ACCOUNTS FOR
SOURCE: BANGLADESH TELECOMMUNICATION REGULATORY COMMISSION (JUL 2012) 19

20. 5,000,000
PEOPLE USE THE INTERNET
EACH DAY IN BANGLADESH
SOURCE: FINANCIAL TECH SPOTLIGHT (MAR 2012) 20

21. TIMES OF PEAK INTERNET
USAGE IN BANGLADESH:
SOURCE: G&R AD NETWORK, AS CITED IN THE DAILY STAR (JUL 2012) 21
MORNINGS MONDAYS
MON!

22. AVERAGE INTERNET CONNECTION
SPEED IN BANGLADESH:
1.2 MBPS
SOURCE: NETINDEX (ACCESSED NOV 2012) 22

23. 10 TIMES
SLOWER THAN THE
GLOBAL AVERAGE
ON AVERAGE, BANGLADESH’S
INTERNET CONNECTIONS ARE
SOURCE: NET INDEX (SEP 2012) 23

24. 900
CYBERCAFÉS IN BANGLADESH
ESTIMATES SUGGEST
THERE ARE AROUND
SOURCE: THE FINANCIAL EXPRESS (FEB 2012) 24

25. IN PERSPECTIVE: THE COST OF
INTERNET ACCESS IN BANGLADESH
SOURCE: BASED ON DATA FROM THE CIA, AS CITED IN TEENTECHUSE (2012) 25
1 HOUR IN A
CYBERCAFÉ
AVERAGE DAILY
INCOME
$1.40 $2.00

26. 4
WEBSITES EACH DAY
BANGLADESHI NETIZENS
VISIT AN AVERAGE OF
SOURCE: G&R AD NETWORK, AS CITED IN THE DAILY STAR (JUL 2012) 26

27. 10,000
PEOPLE REGULARLY VISIT ONLINE
RETAIL STORES IN BANGLADESH
SOURCE: FINANCIAL TECH SPOTLIGHT (MAR 2012) 27

28. 0.006%
OF BANGLADESH’S POPULATION REGULARLY
VISITS ONLINE RETAIL STORES
SOURCE: BASED ON DATA FROM FINANCIAL TECH SPOTLIGHT (MAR 2012) 28

29. MOST POPULAR SOCIAL
MEDIA IN BANGLADESH:
SOURCE: REZWANUL BLOGSPOT (2012) 29
FACEBOOK BLOGS

30. 3,282,600
SOCIAL MEDIA USERS IN BANGLADESH:
SOURCE: FACEBOOK AD PLANNER (NOV 2012) 30

31. 2%
SOCIAL MEDIA PENETRATION
IN BANGLADESH IS JUST
SOURCES: BASED ON DATA FROM FACEBOOK AD PLANNER (NOV 2012), AND THE US CENSUS BUREAU (NOV 2012) 31

32. 34%
FACEBOOK GROWTH IN
BANGLADESH OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS:
SOURCE: SOCIALBAKERS (NOV 2012) 32

33. NEW FACEBOOK USERS IN
BANGLADESH IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS:
871,420
SOURCE: SOCIALBAKERS (NOV 2012) 33

34. FACEBOOK ADDS 1 NEW USER IN
BANGLADESH EVERY 20 SECONDS
SOURCES: BASED ON DATA FROM THE US CENSUS BUREAU (NOV 2012) 34
(! )!

35. SOURCE: FACEBOOK AD MANAGER (ACCESSED SEP 2012) 35
FACEBOOK IN BANGLADESH
OCT
2012
MALE:
78%
FEMALE:
22%
18-24:
49%
13-17:
13%
25-34:
29%
35-44:
6%
45-54:
2%
55-64:
1%
65+:
1%

36. 200,000
BLOGGERS IN BANGLADESH
THERE ARE AN ESTIMATED
SOURCE: ANIR CHOWDHURY, POLICY ADVISOR OF THE UNDP-SUPPORTED ACCESS TO INFORMATION PROGRAM (2011) 36

37. 70,000
MEMBERS OF BANGLADESH’S সামেহায়'ারইন +গ
(‘SOMEWHEREIN’) BLOGGING PLATFORM:
SOURCE: INFORMATIONBANGLADESH.COM (FEB 2012) 37

38. 17%
OF BANGLADESH’S MOBILE INTERNET USERS ACCESS
SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES ON THEIR PHONES
SOURCE: ERICSSON, AS CITED IN THE DAILY STAR (MAY 2012) 38

39. 101,574,000
MOBILE PHONE SUBSCRIPTIONS IN BANGLADESH:
SOURCE: BASED ON DATA FROM BUSINESS MONITOR INTERNATIONAL (Q4 2012) 39

40. 63%
MOBILE PENETRATION IN BANGLADESH:
SOURCES: BASED ON DATA FROM BUSINESS MONITOR INTERNATIONAL (Q4 2012), AND THE US CENSUS BUREAU (NOV 2012) 40

41. 50,000
NEW MOBILE SUBSCRIPTIONS EVERY DAY
IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 2012
BANGLADESH ADDED MORE THAN
SOURCE: BASED ON DATA FROM BUSINESS MONITOR INTERNATIONAL (Q4 2012) 41

42. THAT’S ONE NEW MOBILE
SUBSCRIPTION EVERY 2 SECONDS
SOURCE: BASED ON DATA FROM BUSINESS MONITOR INTERNATIONAL (Q4 2012) 42
(! )!

43. US$ 13.50
MOBILE HANDSETS ARE AVAILABLE
IN BANGLADESH FOR AS LITTLE AS
SOURCE: THE DAILY STAR (MAY 2012) 43

44. 33%
OF BANGLADESH’S MOBILE USERS
HAVE MORE THAN ONE HANDSET
SOURCE: ERICSSON, AS CITED IN THE DAILY STAR (MAY 2012) 44

45. NUMBER OF SIM CARDS USED BY
BANGLADESH’S MOBILE SUBSCRIBERS
SOURCE: ERICSSON, AS CITED IN THE DAILY STAR (MAY 2012) 45
1 SIM CARD 3+ SIM CARDS
81% 4%
2 SIM CARDS
15%

46. 5%
OF BANGLADESHI MOBILE
USERS SHARE A PHONE
SOURCE: ERICSSON, AS CITED IN THE DAILY STAR (MAY 2012) 46

47. 27,786,046
MOBILE INTERNET USERS IN BANGLADESH:
SOURCE: BANGLADESH TELECOMMUNICATION REGULATORY COMMISSION (JUL 2012) 47

48. 17%
MOBILE INTERNET
PENETRATION IN BANGLADESH:
SOURCES: BASED ON DATA FROM THE BANGLADESH TELECOMMUNICATION REGULATORY COMMISSION (JUL 2012), AND THE US CENSUS BUREAU (NOV 2012) 48

49. HOWEVER, AWARENESS OF MOBILE INTERNET
REMAINS RELATIVELY LOW IN BANGLADESH
SOURCE: ERICSSON, AS CITED IN THE DAILY STAR (MAY 2012) 49
AMONGST URBAN
SUBSCRIBERS
AMONGST RURAL
SUBSCRIBERS
58% 39%

50. 3G NETWORK
IN OCTOBER 2012
BANGLADESH LAUNCHED ITS FIRST
SOURCE: CELLULAR-NEWS.COM (OCT 2012) 50

51. 0.2%
OF BANGLADESH’S POPULATION
3G NETWORKS ARE CURRENTLY
AVAILABLE TO LESS THAN
SOURCE: BASED ON DATA CITED IN THE FINANCIAL EXPRESS (JUL 2012) 51

52. 1 IN 3
BANGLADESHI MOBILE SUBSCRIBERS
SENT JUST 1 SMS PER MONTH IN 2011
52SOURCE: NIELSEN MEDIA AND DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEY 2011, AS CITED IN INFOASAID ORGANIZATION (MAY 2012)

53. THAT’S 400 TIMES FEWER THAN
THE FILIPINO AVERAGE, MAINLY
BECAUSE BENGALI CHARACTERS ARE
NOT SUPPORTED ON MOST HANDSETS
SOURCE: NIELSEN MEDIA AND DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEY 2011, AS CITED IN INFOASAID ORGANIZATION (MAY 2012) 53
(! )!

54. DEVICES RADIO LISTENERS USE TO ACCESS
RADIO PROGRAMMING IN BANGLADESH
SOURCE: NIELSEN MEDIA AND DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEY 2011, AS CITED IN INFOASAID ORGANIZATION (MAY 2012) 54
MOBILE PHONE RADIO SET
73% 34%

55. WE ARE SOCIAL IS A GLOBAL CONVERSATION AGENCY.
WE HELP BRANDS TO LISTEN TO, UNDERSTAND,
AND ENGAGE IN CONVERSATIONS IN SOCIAL MEDIA.
WE’RE ALREADY HELPING MANY OF THE WORLD’S
TOP BRANDS, INCLUDING UNILEVER, ADIDAS, INTEL,
DIAGEO, NESTLÉ, HEINZ, AND LOUIS VUITTON.
IF YOU’D LIKE TO CHAT ABOUT US HELPING YOU
TOO, CALL SIMON KEMP ON +65 9146 5356, OR
EMAIL US AT SAYHELLO@WEARESOCIAL.SG.
FIND OUT MORE AT WEARESOCIAL.SG.

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