IndexIntroductionAdult literacy rateDependency rateAge at first marriageConclusion and recommendationsThis paper attempts to explore the situation of rural-urban differentials to find a clear framework in formulating new policies and programs addressing the overall socioeconomic development of Bangladesh. The data was mainly collected from the Report on Bangladesh Sample Vital Statistics (SVRS) of different years published by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). Despite government initiatives to reduce rural-urban disparity in the context of development, rural-urban inequality persists and challenges continue to evolve. The findings of this study should contribute to the creation of innovative and effective policies and programs that can improve the state of rural-urban differentials in Bangladesh. The findings of this study need to be used scientifically to develop appropriate programs that address the causes of rural-urban differentials in Bangladesh. Otherwise the goal of global development could remain unattainable. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Introduction Bangladesh is one of the densely populated countries in the world where most of the population still lives in rural areas. About 77% of Bangladesh's population lives in rural areas while 23% live in urban areas. The country has made notable progress in the socioeconomic and demographic sectors in recent decades. This progress has already been reflected in the achievement of several Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the commitment to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the specific time frame. The country has also made progress in the field of social indicators, despite one in three people living below the poverty line. It is assumed that along with some other variables, Bangladesh's development has slowed down due to rural-urban inequalities. Generally, in most cases, urban areas have seen high levels of growth and development while rural areas have seen little change. In Bangladesh, rural-urban disparity in per capita income, consumption, education, health facilities and physical infrastructure is an important development issue. However, to what extent the rural-urban divide has weakened and whether rural-urban inequality has decreased or increased are still hotly debated questions. Most compatriots consider rural life undesirable compared to urban life. Opportunities in various sectors such as education, healthcare, employment etc. they are greater in urban areas than in rural ones. Differences exist between urban and rural education, including differences in quality, early education opportunities, and postsecondary outcomes, including participation in higher education, as well as differences in parental educational attainment. The prevalence of poverty is often found at higher levels in rural areas than in urban areas. Employment, in a developing country like Bangladesh, provides a critical link between economic growth and poverty reduction as the vast majority of people depend on employment as their sole source of livelihood. Compared to rural areas, these job opportunities are greater in urban areas. All these differentiations have a push effect independent of the socioeconomic and demographic factors that push many rural residents to migrate to cities, to pursue bothexpected socioeconomic gains. However, rural areas have witnessed significant social changes, particularly resulting from the effects of migration which have led to changing population structures. This change in population structure is a very challenging issue not only for city dwellers but also for the country as a whole. In order to balance the country's development, the gap between rural and urban opportunities must be addressed. To this end, research on rural-urban inequalities is essentially needed. Therefore, in this study we attempt to gain a better understanding of rural-urban differentiations in selected sociodemographic characteristics of the Bangladeshi population. Adult Literacy Rate Bangladesh has made notable progress in the education sector in recent decades. Progress in education is expected to be faster than at present if there are no spatial differences. Along with other factors, adult literacy is one of the most influential development factors. The adult literacy rate is the percentage of the population aged 15 and over who can write a letter compared to the total population of the same age group. Adult literacy increased from 61% in 2013 to approximately 73% in 2017, an increase rate of 4.83% per year for the total population. In rural areas, adult literacy increased from 57% in 2013 to 66% in 2017, with an annual increase rate of 3.99%, while in urban areas this rate increased annually by 2.36% during the same period (i.e. 2013-2017). However, the rate of increase is higher in rural areas than in urban areas. The overall adult literacy rate is considerably higher in urban areas than in rural areas. This inequality in adult literacy rate could be responsible for shaping the country's overall development. Dependency ratio Dependency ratio can also be considered as one of the development measures that reflects the state of the society. The dependency ratio is defined as the ratio between the sum of the population aged between 0 and 14 years and over 65 years of age and the working age population (i.e. the population aged between 15 and 64 years) expressed in percentage. The dependency rate of the total population decreased from 58% in 2013 to 53% in 2017, an annual rate of decrease of 2.2%. This ratio decreased slowly for both rural and urban areas, and the annual rate of decrease was 1.63% and 1.5% respectively between 2013 and 2017. It was found that the rate of dependency is higher in rural areas than their counterparts. first marriageThe age of first marriage for women in a society is also influenced by their sociocultural status and the environmental situation in which they live. Poverty is one of the main factors behind child marriage. It has been found that the average age at first marriage, especially among males, has dropped marginally in recent times. For example, the age at first marriage calculated in 2015 was 25.3 years, which fell to 25.2 years in 2016 and further to 25.1 years in 2017. The female age at first marriage remained static (18, 4 years). since 2013 with mild depression in 2014 (18.3 years). The average age at first marriage for men slowly increased to 0.82%, 0.41% and 1.63% overall in rural and urban areas respectively during 2013 to 2017. The average age at first marriage for women remained unchanged for the entire country, while it decreased by 0.41% in rural areas and slightly increased by 1.06% in urban areas between the period 2013 and2017. Contraceptive prevalence rate The contraceptive prevalence rate is very important to control the population of a country and can be defined as the percentage of couples currently practicing any contraceptive method compared to the number of currently married women of reproductive age. Being a populous country, Bangladesh needs to increase this rate. But in the last five years (i.e. 2013-2017), this rate has slightly increased (almost static) for the total (0.04%) and urban areas (0.86%) while it has decreased in rural areas (-0. 97%). ). The contraceptive prevalence rate was found to have decreased in most cases over the period 2013-2017, except in urban areas where this rate increased slightly. Fertility and Mortality The crude mortality rate is considered one of the simplest measures of fertility. In the previous analysis it emerged that the prevalence rate of contraceptives has remained almost stable in recent years. This was reflected in the fertility analysis. The crude birth rate decreased slightly (0.66%) in the country during 2013-2017, while it increased annually by 1.42% in rural areas during the same period. Over the same period, the mortality rate decreased annually by 2.88% in urban areas. Like the crude birth rate, the total fertility rate also decreased for the entire country and urban areas, while it increased in rural areas. The country's total fertility rate decreased by 0.71% annually, from 2.11 in 2013 to 2.05 in 2017, while in urban areas total fertility decreased by 2.17% annually during the same period of time. Instead, the total fertility rate in rural areas increased from 2.19 in 2013 to 2.37 in 2017, an annual increase rate of 2.05%. To explain the mortality situation of a country, the crude mortality rate is the most important data. and simple measurement. The crude mortality rate decreased slightly from 5.3 in 2013 to 5.1 in 2017 with a rate of 0.94% per year for the total population. This rate of decrease was 2.17% in urban areas during the same time period. In rural areas, this mortality rate increased to 5.7% in 2017 from 5.6 in 2013 with an annual increase rate of 0.44%. Degree of association between adult literacy rate and selected demographic variables. In this section, we have presented the degree of association between the adult literacy rate and selected demographic characteristics of the population over the past five years (i.e. 2013-2014). The adult literacy rate was found to have a strong negative correlation with the population dependency ratio (r = -0.94). A moderate positive correlation was found between adult literacy rate and average age at first marriage for both males (r = 0.60) and females (r = 0.49). The contraceptive prevalence rate is also positively correlated with the adult literacy rate and their coefficient is estimated at 0.45. The education of the population is largely associated with fertility and mortality. The analysis reveals that adult literacy rate has a stronger negative effect on crude birth rate (r = -0.92), even with total fertility rate and crude death rate and their coefficient is calculated to -0. 74 and -0. 76 respectively. Conclusion and RecommendationsDespite quantitative progress on socioeconomic and demographic fronts, the country has a long way to go to address spatial inequality and ensure a better life for the entire population of the country, as well as to ensure the desired development of the country. Bangladesh has already achieved some goals in the context of the Millennium Development Goals.