Social Class Determination through Monthly Household Income: A Perspective from Bangladesh

Background Social class is a significant factor that influences an individual’s health, education, and lifestyle, among other things. However, in Bangladesh, there is a lack of a standard income-based scale that can be used to classify individuals into different social classes for comparability across studies. Objective The current study aimed to design an income-based social class classification that utilizes monthly family income. Methods The current study used the monthly household income statistics reported in the latest (sixteenth) round of Household Income and Expenditure Survey (2016-17) by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. Ethical considerations were strictly followed. Results At first the median household income of 2016 was calculated and adjusted for inflation to derive the estimated median household income in 2022. Then the lower and upper limit of the middle class was demarcated by taking the 75% and 125% of the median income, respectively. The social class based on the monthly household income was <12,500 BDT for lower class, 12,500 to 21,000 BDT for middle class and >21,000 BDT for upper class. Conclusion This social class classification can be used for grouping study participants into comparable socioeconomic categories in the context of Bangladesh, and can be updated easily in the future based on updated survey results.