98.4% of mothers, children in Bangladesh lack health insurance: BBS
The latest BBS MICS survey found that fewer than 2% of mothers and children in Bangladesh are covered by health insurance, highlighting the country's limited financial protection against healthcare costs.
Highlights:
- 98.4% of mothers and children have no health insurance
- Only 0.8% of women and 0.4% of children are insured
- Patients still pay nearly 79% of healthcare costs out of pocket
- Health budget rises to Tk69,409 crore for FY2026-27
Nearly all mothers and children in Bangladesh remain outside the health insurance system, with 98.4% lacking any form of health insurance coverage, according to the latest Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) published by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
The survey found that only 0.8% of women aged 15 to 49 are covered by health insurance. Coverage is even lower among children, with just 0.4% of those aged 5 to 17 and 0.4% of children under five enrolled in any health insurance scheme.
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The findings suggest that separate health insurance coverage for mothers and children through commercial insurers or institutional schemes is virtually non-existent in Bangladesh.
Despite the global push for universal health coverage, the country's health insurance system for mothers and children remains severely underdeveloped.
Earlier findings from the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) also showed that Bangladeshi households bear the highest out-of-pocket healthcare expenses in South Asia. Currently, patients pay around 79.3% of total healthcare expenditure from their own pockets, far exceeding the 30-35% ceiling recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Experts say commercial insurance companies are generally reluctant to provide coverage for pregnant women and children because of the high treatment risks associated with childbirth, including caesarean deliveries, intensive care and neonatal intensive care services. As a result, insurance premiums remain unaffordable for most middle- and low-income families.
The government has increased the health sector allocation for FY2026-27 to Tk69,409 crore, equivalent to 1.01% of GDP and 7.4% of the national budget, marking the highest allocation for the sector in a decade.
The budget prioritises primary healthcare, disease prevention, maternal and child health, nutrition, immunisation and screening for non-communicable diseases.
However, health experts, economists and physicians caution that increasing the allocation alone will not be enough. They say reducing out-of-pocket spending, curbing corruption, improving administrative efficiency and ensuring effective implementation will be critical to strengthening Bangladesh's healthcare system.
