Population

Bahamas People and Population Statistics

Population estimate for The Bahamas for 2007 was 305,655 and almost 60% of the population lives on New Providence, which includes the capital city of Nassau.

Bahamians are mainly of African descent – 85 percent black and 15 percent white and mixed. The white population are descended mainly from the early English settlers who arrived on the Island of Eleuthera in 1648. Many can also trace their roots back to the American Loyalists who after 1783 fled the newly independent States with their slaves.

Population:
305,655  (July 2007 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 27% (male 41,268/female 41,186)
15-64 years: 66.5% (male 99,961/female 103,230)
65 years and over: 6.5% (male 8,176/female 11,834) (2007 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.602% (2007 est.)
Birth rate:
17.3 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate:
9.13 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate:
-2.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.002 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.968 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.691 male(s)/female
total population: 0.956 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 24.17 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 29.58 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 65.66 years
male: 62.37 years
female: 69.02 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.15 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Bahamian(s)
adjective: Bahamian
Ethnic groups:
black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%
Religions:
Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2%
Languages:
English, Creole (among Haitian immigrants)
Literacy (age 15+):
total population: 95.6%
male: 94.7%
female: 96.5% (2003 est.)

Bahamians are a independent and hospitable people. They love to celebrate and will take advantage of any opportunity to do so. Even though funerals are solemn occasions, they often end with a planned gathering of family and friends with lots of food and drinks. A “wake”, which is the celebration of the life of the deceased, is usually held before the funeral and goes into the wee hours of the morning as the people sing, eat and drink all through the night.

Total Population by Sex and by Island and Number of Households (200?)

IslandTotal
Population
MalesFemalesNumber of Households
ALL BAHAMAS303,611147,778155,83387,714
NEW PROVIDENCE210,832101,610109,22259,707
GRAND BAHAMA46,99423,03523,95913,977
ABACO13,1706,7116,4593,929
ACKLINS428227201134
ANDROS7,6863,7803,9062,145
BERRY ISLANDS709416293265
BIMINIS1,717886831552
CAT ISLAND1,647854793559
CROOKED ISLAND350172178132
ELEUTHERA7,9993,9334,0662,408
EXUMA AND CAYS3,5711,8751,6961,133
HARBOUR ISLAND1,639799840493
INAGUA969476493302
LONG ISLAND2,9921,5331,459961
MAYAGUANA25912913096
RAGGED ISLAND72442826
SAN SALVADOR970497473279
RUM CAY80453530
SPANISH WELLS1,527756771586

Source: Bahamas Government Census