Archive · 8 Sep 2026
Bangladesh Children Struggle With Reading Despite Literacy Progress
A survey checked whether children in Bangladesh could really read and understand simple stories.
It found that about half of children aged seven to 14 did not meet the basic reading standard.
The results improved only slightly compared with 2019.
Class V students also performed slightly worse than they did six years earlier.
Many children could read most of the words but could not finish all the reading tasks.
Education experts said saying that someone can read and write is not enough to measure learning.
Children also need to understand what they read and use basic mathematics.
The survey suggests that being in school does not always mean children are learning enough.
Experts said Bangladesh needs to understand the problem clearly before setting improvement targets.
Only 50.2% of Bangladeshi children aged seven to 14 met the foundational reading benchmark in 2025.
The result was a marginal increase from 48.8% in 2019, despite higher official literacy figures.
Among Class V students, 62% met the reading criteria, down from 63.5% six years earlier.
The survey assessed 31,859 children across 64 districts and found that 61.6% could read at least 90% of the words.
Educationists said school attendance and reported literacy do not necessarily mean children are learning reading, comprehension and numeracy skills.
- Who
- Children aged seven to 14 in Bangladesh, along with education officials and researchers assessing their skills.
- What
- A 2025 survey found that nearly half of children failed to meet the foundational reading benchmark.
- When
- The findings were reported in 2025 and discussed as Bangladesh observed International Literacy Day on Tuesday.
- Where
- Bangladesh, across 64 districts.
- Why
- The findings highlight a gap between official literacy rates and children’s actual reading, comprehension and numeracy abilities.
- Foundational reading rate
- 50.2% of children aged seven to 14 met the benchmark in 2025.
- 2019 comparison
- 48.8% met the benchmark in 2019.
- Class V performance
- 62% of Class V students met the reading criteria in 2025, compared with 63.5% six years earlier.
- Survey coverage
- 31,859 children aged seven to 14 in 64 districts were assessed.
- Word-reading result
- 61.6% correctly read at least 90% of the words.
- Early-grade result
- 28.2% of children in Classes II and III met the foundational reading benchmark, compared with 24.6% in 2019.
- Mathematics finding
- A UNICEF-backed study found that 91% of Class V students were at the novice level in mathematics.