According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) report on Sample Vital Registration System (SVRS) 2022, 40.67 percent or 12.9 million youth aged 15 to 24 in Bangladesh are inactive. Of them, 18.59 percent are men and 61.71 percent are women, and they are not engaged in studies or jobs or have not received any training.
According to the BBS Population and Housing Census 2022, there are currently 31.6 million people aged 15 to 24, which is a little more than 19 percent of the total population.
Economists and labor market experts say child marriage is a major reason for girls becoming inactive. Furthermore, both men and women are becoming increasingly inactive due to lack of necessary skills, quality education and decent jobs, as well as social conditions.
This report appeared in the print and online editions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Hasanul Banna