Bahamas Demographics

What is the population of Bahamas?

Population 337,721
Population - note 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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of the population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
Population Growth Rate 0.89%
Urban Population 84.3%
Population in Major Urban Areas NASSAU (capital) 254,000
Nationality Noun Bahamian(s)
Nationality Adjective Bahamian
Ethnic Groups Black 85%, White 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%
Languages Spoken English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)

Bahamas Health Information

What are the health conditions in Bahamas?

Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population 6.96
Drinking Water Source - percent of rural population improved 98.4%
Drinking Water Source - percent of total population unimproved 1.6%
Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved 98.4%
Health Expenditures - percent of GDP 7.7%
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 3.1%
HIV/Aids Deaths 300
Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population 3.1
Infant Mortality Rate - female deaths/1,000 live births 12.88
Infant Mortality Rate - male deaths/1,000 live births 12.9
Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births 12.89
Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births 47
Obesity - adult prevalence rate 34.7%
People Living with HIV/AIDS 6,600
Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population 2.82
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of total population unimproved 8%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved 92%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of rural population improved 92%
Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman 1.97

Bahamas Life Expectancy

How long do people live in Bahamas?

Life Expectancy at Birth 71 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - female 74 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - male 69 Years
Median Age 30 Years
Median Age - female 32 Years
Median Age - male 29 Years

Bahamas Infant Mortality - per 1,000 live births

Bahamas median age, birth rate and death rates

Birth Rate - births/1,000 population 16
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population 6.96
Median Age 30 Years
Median Age - female 32 Years
Median Age - male 29 Years
Population Growth Rate 0.89%
Sex Ratio 0-14 Years - male/female 1.03
Sex Ratio 15-24 Years - male/female 1.03
Sex Ratio 25-54 Years - male/female 1
Sex Ratio 55-64 Years - male/female .96
Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female 1.03
Sex Ratio of Total Population - male/female .96
Sex Ratio Over 64 Years - male/female .62

Bahamas Medical Information

What are the health conditions in Bahamas?

Medical Facilities and Health Information

Adequate medical care is available on New Providence and Grand Bahama islands, but visitors should be aware that serious health problems requiring hospitalization and/or medical evacuation to the United States can cost tens of thousands of dollars in up-front costs, and air ambulance companies generally require payment or an insurer’s guarantee of payment before providing service.

Ambulance service is available on the major islands; however, U.S. citizens have reported major delays in service, both in the length of time to arrive and once at the Emergency room. Ambulance service is even more limited in more remote locations. The endemic traffic congestion on New Providence Island may also impede a quick response. Service is likely to be extremely slow in the event of a major emergency or disaster.

Good information on vaccinations and other health precautions can be found via the CDC website or The Bahamas Ministry of Health page. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad, consult the World Health Organization (WHO) website. The WHO website also contains additional health information for travelers, including detailed country-specific health information. The Bahamas had an outbreak of dengue fever in 2011 with 10 reported deaths and 1,000 reported cases of individuals with dengue fever symptoms. For additional information regarding Dengue fever in the Bahamas, please visit The Bahamas Ministry of Health website.

Bahamas Education

What is school like in Bahamas?

Literacy - female 96.5%
Literacy - male 94.7%
Literacy - total population 95.6%
Literacy Definition Age 15 and over can read and write

Bahamas Literacy

Can people in Bahamas read?

Literacy - female 96.5%
Literacy - male 94.7%
Literacy - total population 95.6%
Literacy Definition Age 15 and over can read and write
Predominant Language English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)

Bahamas Crime

Is Bahamas a safe place to visit?

Crime Information

The criminal threat level for New Providence Island is rated as critical by the Department of State. New Providence Island has experienced a spike in crime that has adversely affected the traveling public, with a spate of more violent criminal activity between 2009 and 2012. The U.S. Embassy has received multiple reports indicating tourists have been robbed at gunpoint or knifepoint in tourist locations in the downtown areas of Nassau, including the cruise ship docks and the Cable Beach commerce areas; several of these incidents occurred during daylight hours. Burglaries, larcenies, and “snatch-and-grab” crimes happen in Nassau and U.S. citizens have been victims of these crimes as well. The U.S. Embassy has received reports of assaults, including sexual assaults, in diverse areas such as in casinos, outside hotels, or on cruise ships. The Bahamas has the highest incidence of rape in the Caribbean according to a 2007 United Nations report on crime, violence, and development trends. The majority of sexual assaults reported occurred after excessive consumption of alcohol. The loss of ability to remember facts and details due to alcohol consumption makes prosecution of sexual assaults more difficult. Much of the violent crime occurs outside tourist spots, such as in the “over-the-hill” section of Nassau (the area inland from Bay Street, to the South of Bay Street, behind the tourist district), but can occur anywhere, including in areas frequented by tourists. Home break-ins, theft, and robbery are not confined to any specific part of the island.

The upsurge in criminal activity has also led to incidents that, while not directed at tourists, could place innocent bystanders at risk.

Armed robbery remains a major criminal threat facing U.S. citizens in The Bahamas. The Royal Bahamas Police Force issued a message citing concerns about the increased number of armed robberies in Nassau. AU.S. citizen was fatally shot in Nassau in May 2013 during an armed robbery. Between January 1, 2013, and April 15, 2013, there were 328 armed robberies, 111 robberies, and 660 house break-ins, according to statistics available on the Royal Bahamas Police Force website.

Criminal activity in the outlying family islands does occur, but to a much lesser degree than on New Providence Island. The Embassy has received reports of burglaries and thefts, especially thefts of boats and/or outboard motors on Abaco and Bimini.

The Embassy has received no reports of harassment or hate crimes motivated by race, religion, or citizenship. Visitors have reported harassment of persons based on sexual orientation; some women have reported verbal harassment and unwanted attention. Some organized criminal activity is believed to occur in The Bahamas, primarily related to illegal importation and smuggling of illicit drugs or human trafficking. The Bahamas, due to its numerous uninhabited islands and cays, has historically been favored by smugglers and pirates. As a tourist, you would typically not have noticeable interaction with organized crime elements; however, those operating their own water or air vessels should be alert to the possibility of encountering similar crafts operated by smugglers engaged in illicit activities on the open seas or in air space near The Bahamas.

You are advised to report crime to the Royal Bahamian Police Force as quickly as possible. Early reports frequently improve the likelihood of identifying and apprehending suspected perpetrators. In general, the Royal Bahamian Police Force is responsive to reports of crime and takes the threat of crime against tourists very seriously. However, the police response is sometimes slowed by a lack of resources or by physical constraints imposed by geography and infrastructure.

There is nobody better at protecting you than yourself. Beware of your surroundings at all times. The U.S. Embassy reports that victims of crime are often those who have let their guard down to individuals who appeared overly friendly or became victims after criminals targeted them as easy prey due to the visitor appearing excessively drunk or unaware. Take some time before traveling to improve your personal security—things are not the same everywhere as they are in the United States.

Bahamas Penalties for Crime

Criminal Penalties

While traveling in another country, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different than our own. In some places driving under the influence could land you immediately in jail. There are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit, but still illegal in the United States. You can be prosecuted under U.S. law upon return to the U.S. if you buy pirated goods overseas. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States. If you break local laws in The Bahamas, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution. Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking illegal drugs in The Bahamas can result in long jail sentences and/or heavy fines. It’s very important to know what is legal and what is not where you are going before you go.

Mandatory Consular Notification Country: Based on the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, bilateral agreements with certain countries, and customary international law, if you are arrested in The Bahamas, you have the option to request that the police, prison officials, or other authorities alert the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate of your arrest, and to have communications from you forwarded to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

For additional information regarding arrests and the judicial process, please see the U.S. Embassy’s website on Arrests in The Bahamas. Travelers should also be aware that Bahamas laws do not include a right to a public defender in lower courts. Any legal representation is at the expense of the visitor.

Bahamas Population Comparison

All Countries
Afghanistan Akrotiri Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Clipperton Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Cook Islands Coral Sea Islands Costa Rica Cote d’Ivoire Croatia Cuba Curacao Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Dhekelia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia, The Gaza Strip Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Jan Mayen Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, North Korea, South Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Islands Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Sudan, South Suriname Svalbard Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States (US) Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands Wake Island Wallis and Futuna West Bank Western Sahara World Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe