Page last modified 20 August 2023

Bahamas

Community

Area 13,880 square kilometres (land area 10,010 square kilometres)

Population,

27,519 (1851)

53,735 (1901)

68,846 (1943)

79,000 (1950)

109,500 (1960) +38.6%

169,400 (1970) +54,7%

210,700 (1980) +24.4%

256,300 (1990) +21.6%

297,900 (2000) +16.2%

355,000 (2010) +19.2%

393,200 (2020) +10.8%

Ethnicity, %

	Afro-Caribbean	Asian + Hispanic	White
1722	26.0		74.0
1851	80.0
1900			12.1
1945	85.0	0.5	11.5
1990	85.0	3.0	12.0
2010	90.6	2.1	7.0

Religion, %

	Christian Anglican	Christian Baptist	Christian R C
1900	47.3		10.0
1953	24.1		15.6
1970	22.7		22.5
1980	23.0	29.0	23.0
1990	21.0	29.0	26.0
2000	15.0	35.4	16.0

Birth and death rates Below replacement rate = 2.1

	Fertility Rate	Birth Rate	Infant Mortality	Death Rate	% Aged Under 15	% Aged Over 65	% Urban
1945		33.7 (+12.3)		21.4
1950		35.0 (+23.0)	82.0	12.0			38.5
1960	4.5	23.0 (+14.7)		8.3	42.3	3.8	59.7
1970	3.4	28.0 (+21.6)	37.0	6.4	42.1	3.4	66.8
1980	3.0	26.0 (+20.2)	24.0	5.8	37.0	4.2	73.1
1990	2.6	24.0 (+18.5)	18.0	5.5	32.4	4.3	79.3
2000	2.1	18.0 (+12.4)	13.3	5.6	29.3	5.4	82.0
2010	1.9	16.0 (+10.9)	10.5	5.9	26.9	6.1	82.5
2015	1.8	14.4 (+8.1)	9.1	6.3	24.0	6.7	82.9
2017	1.8	14.0 (+7.5)	8.6	6.5	22.9		82.9
2018			8.3		22.5	7.3	83.0

Life expectancy,

62.7 (1960); 60.8 (M),� 64.8 (F)

65.9 (1970); 63.4 (M), 68.5 (F)

68.5 (1980); 65.5 (M), 71.6 (F)

70.6 (1990); 67.3 (M), 74.2 (F)

72.3 (2000); 69.2 (M), 75.5 (F)

74.6 (2010); 71.6 (M), 77.7 (F)

74.0 (2020); 71.7 (M), 76.1 (F)

Population of islands

Abaco (1,681 sq km),

3,461 (1943)

6,940 (1963)

7,271 (1980)

10,003 (1990)

13,170 (2000)

17,224 (2010)

Acklins Island (497 sq km),

1,744 (1943)

1,217 (1963)

618 (1980)

405 (1990)

428 (2000)

565 (2010)

Andros (5,957 sq km),

6,718 (1943)

7,461 (1963)

8,307 (1980)

8,177 (1990)

7,686 (2000)

7,386 (2010)

Berry Islands (31 sq km),

403 (1943)

509 (1980)

628 (1990)

709 (2000)

807 (2010)

Bimini Islands (23 sq km),

718 (1943)

1,652 (1963)

1,411 (1980)

1,639 (1990)

1,717 (2000)

1,988 (2010)

Cat Island, (388 sq km),

3,870 (1943)

3,131 (1963)

2,215 (1980)

1,698 (1990)

1,647 (2000)

1,522 (2010)

Crooked Island (238 sq km),

1,078 (1934)

766 (1963)

518 (1980)

412 (1990)

350 (2000)

330 (2010)

Eleuthera (484 sq km),

6,430 (1943)

7,247 (1963)

10,631 (1980)

7,999 (2000)

7,826 (2010)

11,000 (2017)

Exuma Islands (290 sq km),

3,784 (1943)

3,440 (1963)

3,670 (1980)

3,556 (1990)

3,571 (2000)

6,928 (2010)

Grand Bahama (1,373 sq km),

2,333 (1943)

8,230 (1963)

33,102 (1980)

40,898 (1990)

46,994 (2000)

51,756 (2010)

Harbour Island (8 sq km),

769 (1943)

997 (1963)

1,639 (2000)

1,762 (2010)

Inagua Islands (1,671 sq km),

890 (1943)

1,240 (1963)

924 (1980)

985 (1990)

969 (2000)

913 (2010)

Long Island (596 sq km),

4,564 (1943)

4,176 (1963)

3,404 (1980)

2,949 (1990)

2,992 (2000)

3,094 (2010)

Mayaguana (285 sq km),

591 (1943)

707 (1963)

464 (1980)

312 (1990)

259 (2000)

277 (2010)

New Providence (207 sq km),

29,391 (1943)

80,907 (1963)

135,437 (1980)

172,196 (1990)

210,832 (2000)

248,948 (2010)

274,400 (2017)

Ragged Island (36 sq km),

417 (1943)

371 (1963)

164 (1980)

89 (1990)

72 (2000)

72 (2010)

San Salvador d & Rum Cay (241 sq km),

693 (1943)

968 (1963)

825 (1980)

518 (1990)

1,050 (2000)

930 (2010)

Spanish Wells (26 sq km),

665 (1943)

849 (1963)

1,527 (2000)

1,551 (2010)

Population of principal cities, MA = Metropolitan Area

Freeport (Grand Bahama),

25,000 (1990)

46,994 (2000) MA

45,900 (2012) MA

NASSAU (New Providence), Founded by the English in the 17^th century. Originally called Charlestown, it was renamed after King William III of Britain, who came from the House of Nassau.

12,500 (1900)

19,756 (1931)

29,391 (1943)

80,907 (1963)

102,005 (1970)

135,437 (1980)

172,196 (1990)

210,832 (2000)

223,000 (2009)

274,400 (2016)

Wealth; Gross Domestic Product (nominal values)

	GDP, US$ million	Total GDP, % of USA	GDP per capita, US$	GDP per capita % of USA
1960	169	0.03	1,550	51.55
1965	300	0.04	2,145	56.03
1970	510	0.05	3,067	58.45
1975	596	0.04	3,417	43.70
1980	1,450	0.05	6,923	54.95
1985	2,200	0.05	9,463	51.80
1990	3,130	0.05	12,368	51.63
1995	3,500	0.05	12,567	41.80
2000	4,860	0.05	16,469	45.18
2005	7,706	0.06	23,406	52.83
2010	7,538	0.05	22,450	46.41
2015	7,793	0.04	22,888	40.72
2016	8,717	0.05	23,124	40.24

GDP by primary sector Tourism and offshore banking services account for most of the Bahamas GDP.� Tourism accounted for 49-50% of employment, 2001-11. Because of tourism, construction is also significant.

	Agriculture % GDP	Agriculture % employed	Industry % GDP	Industry % employed	Services % GDP	Services % employed
1970		13.0
1980	4.6	9.0
1990	3.3	5.0	13.7	15.0	82.5	72.0
2001	1.2	5.0	14.0	5.0	84.1	90.0
2011	1.6	3.0	8.0	11.0	90.4	86.0
2016	2.2		7.6		90.1

Communications

Language, Official; English, Creole also spoken

Literacy

85.0% (1953)

90.0% (1963)

90.1% (1980); 90.6% (M), 89.6% (F)

95.5% (2000); 94.6% (M), 96.3% (F)

95.6% (2009); 94.7% (M), 96.5% (F)

Physical communications � roads

	Roads (km)	Surfaced (km)	Motor vehicles	Cars	Commercial Vehicles
1945	1,663	845
1964			19,300
1978			51,290
1983				63,592	10,597
2002	2,717	1,560	132,000	112,900	19,200
2010	2,717	1,620	124,000
2013			129,000	144,400

Railways; None

Electronic communications, TV broadcasts in the Bahamas began in 1977; however the islands had been receiving TV from the USA for some decades before this.

	Telephones (landlines)	Mobile Telephones	Radios	Televisions	PCs	Internet Users
1938	1,154		845
1942	1,361		1,208
1950			2,100
1960			16,000
1978			96,000	20,000
1980	31,080
1988				40,000
1990	69,872	1,920	137,000	58,000
1995		4,100	205,000	64,000
1997			215,000
2000	114,347	31,500		75,200
2002						60,000
2004	121,088	186,000		303,000	40,000	93,000
2010	129,300					150,000
2016	121,088	360,000				262,000

Tourism: Visitors to the Bahamas,

32,000 (1949)

800,000 (1966)

1,900,000 (1980)

2,631,240 (1985)

1,562,000 (1990)

1,598,000 (1995)

1,544,000 (2000)

1,608,000 (2005)

1,370,000 (2010)

1,484,000 (2015)

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