The policy brief titled “Understanding Urban Poverty and Strengthening Social Protection for Urban Poor and Vulnerable Population,” prepared by Research and Policy Integration for Development (RAPID) with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Bangladesh, examines the growing challenges of urban poverty, vulnerability, and social protection coverage in Bangladesh. Drawing on findings from the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2022, the study highlights the impact of rapid urbanisation, rural-to-urban migration, rising living costs, informal employment, and increasing income inequality on urban poor and vulnerable populations. Although Bangladesh has achieved significant progress in poverty reduction, the pace of poverty reduction in urban areas remains slower than in rural areas. In 2022, approximately 28.5% of the urban population was classified as poor or vulnerable, while the number of urban poor increased from 7.4 million in 2010 to 7.9 million in 2022. The study further identifies substantial disparities in social protection coverage, with only 24% of urban households receiving benefits compared to 44% of rural households. Despite the increasing concentration of poverty in urban areas, only 23 social protection programmes exclusively target urban populations, accounting for 4.1% of the total social protection budget. The assessment also identifies significant inclusion and exclusion errors in beneficiary selection, limiting the effectiveness of existing programmes in reaching eligible households. To address these challenges, the policy brief recommends expanding lifecycle-based social protection programmes, including Old Age Allowance, Widow Allowance, Disability Allowance, and the Mother and Child Benefit Programme, alongside strengthening food security initiatives, introducing urban employment programmes, expanding social insurance, and improving skills development opportunities. It further emphasises the importance of transparent beneficiary identification, poverty- and vulnerability-based eligibility criteria, improved institutional coordination, and adaptive social protection measures to address economic and climate-related shocks. Aligned with the National Social Security Strategy (NSSS) and the Urban Social Protection Strategy and Action Plan, the policy brief provides evidence-based recommendations for developing a more inclusive, equitable, and responsive social protection system to strengthen the resilience and well-being of Bangladesh’s urban poor and vulnerable populations.