Effects of Socio-economic Development on Health Status and Human Well-being

Bangladesh is popularly described in the literature as a ‘test case for development’ in view of the complex nature of its socioeconomic and cultural problems, coupled with severe resource constraints. It ranks as one of the poorest countries in the world, with 78% of the population falling below the poverty line and it is also the most densely populated at 800 persons per square kilometre. The gross national product (GNP) is $220 US dollars per capita (World Bank 1994), while GNP per capita adjusted for purchasing power is about $880 US dollars (Hogendorn 1992). Over the last three decades, a doubling of the rural population has produced a substantial decline in real wages and a marked increase in the proportion of landless and destitute households (Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics 1991). Although 80% of the population is classified as rural, approximately a half of this total are landless (UNDP 1991). [Working Paper Number: 6]