Demographics of the Bahamas: Difference between revisions

This article is about the demographic features of the population of The Bahamas, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

Eighty-five percent of the Bahamian population is of African heritage. About two-thirds of the population lives on New Providence Island (the location of Nassau), and about half of the remaining one-third lives on Grand Bahama (the location of Freeport).

The islands were sparsely settled and a haven for pirates until the late 1700s when thousands of British loyalists and their slaves were given compensatory land grants following the American Revolution. At the turn of the 20th century the total population was only 53,000.

School attendance is compulsory between the ages of five and 16. There are 158 public schools and 52 private schools in The Bahamas catering to more than 66,000 students. The College of the Bahamas, established in Nassau in 1974, provides programmes leading to associate's degrees and bachelor's degrees; the college is now converting from a two-year to a four-year institution.

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.

309,156

county comparison to the world: 177

note: Estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.)

2-14 years: 25.9% (male 40,085/female 39,959)

15-64 years: 67.2% (male 102,154/female 105,482)

65 years and over: 6.9% (male 8,772/female 11,704) (2009 est.)

Total: 28.7 years

Male: 27.9 years

Female: 29.5 years (2009 est.)

0.536% (2009 est.)

county comparison to the world: 152

16.81 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)

county comparison to the world: 125

9.22 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

county comparison to the world: 78

-2.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)

county comparison to the world: 140

Urban population: 84% of total population (2008)

Rate of urbanization: 1.4% of annual rate of change (2005-2010 est.)

At birth: 1.02 male(s)/female

Under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female

Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Total: 23.17 deaths/1,000 live births

county comparison to the world: 93

Male: 28.21 deaths/1,000 live births

Female: 18.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Total population: 65.78 years

county comparison to the world: 164

Male: 62.63 years

Female: 68.98 years (2009 est.)

2.1 children born/woman (2009 est.)

county comparison to the world: 121

Adult prevalence rate: 3% (2007 est.)

county comparison to the world: 24

People living with HIV/AIDS: 6,200 (2007 est.)

county comparison to the world: 118

Deaths: less than 200 (2007 est.)

county comparison to the world: 126

Noun: Bahamian(s)

Adjective: Bahamian

Blacks or Afro-Bahamians 85%, Whites or European Bahamian 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%

Baptist 35.1%, Anglican 15.1%, Roman Catholic 13.4%, Pentecostal 8.1%, Church of God 4.8%, Methodist 4%, other Christian 15.2%, none or unspecified 1.6%, Buddhism 2%, other 0.7% (2000 census)

English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)

The CIA World Factbook does not distinguish between Haitian Creole, and Bahamian Creole known simply as "dialect" to its 400,000 users. In addition, Spanish is spoken among Cuban and Dominican immigrants.

Definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Total population: 95.6%

Male: 94.7%

Female: 96.5% (2003 est.)

3.6% of GDP (2000)

county comparison to the world: 125

 This article incorporates public domain material from The World Factbook (2024 ed.). CIA. (Archived 2009 edition.)