Geography
Climate: tropical marine.
CIA 2026
Data as of May 5, 2026
Bahamas
North AmericaRegional Champion
No place in North America outperforms Bahamas in internet access. Test your knowledge of North America's top performer.
No place in North America outperforms Bahamas in internet access. This regional dominance shapes its continental identity. Test your knowledge of North America's top performer.
25.0, -77.4 - North America
Area
14K km²
Pop.
415.3K
Stats
98
Reality brief
Bahamas is a country in North America with a population of 415.3K and an area of 13,943 km². Life expectancy is 74.6 years.
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
Internet Users (%)
95%#33globally
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
CO2 Per Capita
7.6 t/person/yr#37globally
Annual carbon dioxide emissions in tonnes per person, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
GDP Per Capita
$36,244.04#61globally
GDP per person adjusted for purchasing power in constant 2017 international dollars, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
$41,197.93#63globally
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
Human Development Index
0.82#66globally
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Life Expectancy
74.6 years#107globally
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about Bahamas
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Culture
Major languages include English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants).
CIA 2026
Identity
Formal name: Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
CIA 2026
Cities
Cities in Bahamas
Browse this country's cities before City Detective asks you to guess.
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
Obesity Rate
47.61%#10globallyTop stat
Share of adults with obesity, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Electricity Access (%)
100%#18globallyTop stat
The percentage of the population with access to electricity.
Merchant Fleet Size
1.3K#19globallyTop stat
Number of merchant marine ships from the frozen public-domain CIA World Factbook snapshot.
Spirits Consumption
2.7 L/person/yr#27globallyTop stat
Liters of spirits consumed per person per year, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Coastline Length
3.5K km#35globallyTop stat
Total coastline length from CIA World Factbook.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Only ranks #167 in high-tech exports (%)
#1670%High-Tech Exports (%)
High-tech products (like computers, pharmaceuticals, and aerospace) as a percentage of total manufactured exports.
Only ranks #241 in highest elevation
#2411.3 mHighest Elevation
Highest point elevation from CIA World Factbook.
Only ranks #154 in armed forces personnel
#1542.0KArmed Forces Personnel
Total armed forces personnel from the World Bank latest available country value.
Only ranks #191 in dependency ratio
#19142.22% of working-age pop.Dependency Ratio
Dependents as a share of the working-age population, from World Bank Open Data.
Only ranks #187 in renewable energy (%)
#1871.1%Renewable Energy (%)
The percentage of energy consumption that comes from renewable sources like solar, wind, and hydro.
Compared with the region
How Bahamas Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
Bahamas
North America avg
World avg
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
- Country
- $41,197.93
- Region avg
- $38,271.63
- World avg
- $31,844.55
Bahamas$41,197.93
North America$38,271.63
World$31,844.55
+29% above worldWB 2023
Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
- Country
- 74.6 years
- Region avg
- 75.5 years
- World avg
- 73.7 years
Bahamas74.6 years
North America75.5 years
World73.7 years
+1% above worldWB 2023
Human Development Index
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
- Country
- 0.82
- Region avg
- 0.77
- World avg
- 0.74
Bahamas0.82
North America0.77
World0.74
+11% above worldOWID 2023
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
- Country
- 95%
- Region avg
- 76.55%
- World avg
- 70.29%
Bahamas95%
North America76.55%
World70.29%
+35% above worldWB 2023
Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Play this countryFactbook notes
About Bahamas
Country briefing
Lucayan Indians inhabited the Bahama islands when Christopher COLUMBUS first set foot in the New World in 1492.
Read the full Factbook note
Lucayan Indians inhabited the Bahama islands when Christopher COLUMBUS first set foot in the New World in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Piracy thrived in the 17th and 18th centuries because of The Bahamas' close proximity to shipping lanes. Since gaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas has prospered through tourism, international banking, and investment management, which comprise up to 85% of GDP. Because of its proximity to the US -- the nearest Bahamian landmass is only 80 km (50 mi) from Florida -- the country is a major transshipment point for illicit trafficking to the US mainland, as well as to Europe. US law enforcement agencies cooperate closely with The Bahamas; the Drug Enforcement Administration, US Coast Guard, and US Customs and Border Protection assist Bahamian authorities with maritime security and law enforcement through Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, or OPBAT.
Geography & Climate6 facts
- Location
- chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba; note - although The Bahamas does not border the Caribbean Sea, geopolitically it is often designated as a Caribbean nation
- Climate
- tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream
- Terrain
- long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills
- Natural Resources
- salt, aragonite, timber, arable land
- Natural Hazards
- hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage
- Size Comparison
- slightly smaller than Connecticut
People & Culture4 facts
- Languages
- English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)
- Religions
- Protestant 69.9% (includes Baptist 34.9%, Anglican 13.7%, Pentecostal 8.9% Seventh Day Adventist 4.4%, Methodist 3.6%, Church of God 1.9%, Plymouth Brethren 1.6%, other Protestant 0.9%), Roman Catholic 12%, other Christian 13% (includes Jehovah's Witness 1.1%), other 0.6%, none 1.9%, unspecified 2.6% (2010 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- African descent 90.6%, White 4.7%, mixed 2.1%, other 1.9%, unspecified 0.7% (2010 est.)
- Major Cities
- 280,000 NASSAU (capital) (2018)
Government & History9 facts
- Government Type
- parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
- Capital
- Nassau
- Capital Coordinates
- 25 05 N, 77 21 W
- Capital Timezone
- UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Official Name
- Commonwealth of The Bahamas
- Name Origin
- name may be derived from the Spanish baha mar, meaning "low sea," which describes the shallow waters of the Bahama Banks; alternatively, it may be a form of the local name Guanahani, which is of unknown origin and meaning
- Independence
- 10 July 1973 (from the UK)
- National Symbols
- blue marlin, flamingo, yellow elderflower
- National Anthem
- "God Save the King"
Economy & Trade7 facts
- Overview
- high-income tourism and financial services economy; major income inequality; strong US bilateral relations; several tax relief programs; targeted investment in agriculture, energy, light manufacturing, and technology industries
- Industries
- tourism, banking, oil bunkering, maritime industries, transshipment and logistics, salt, aragonite, pharmaceuticals
- Agricultural Products
- sugarcane, grapefruits, vegetables, bananas, tomatoes, chicken, tropical fruits, oranges, coconuts, mangoes/guavas (2023)
- Export Partners
- USA 36%, Zimbabwe 16%, Cote d'Ivoire 14%, Germany 8%, Guyana 8% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- refined petroleum, ships, aluminum, shellfish, plastics (2023)
- Import Partners
- USA 60%, Germany 13%, China 5%, Japan 3%, Brazil 2% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- refined petroleum, ships, aircraft, cars, crude petroleum (2023)
Infrastructure & Defense4 facts
- Military Forces
- Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF): includes land, air, maritime elements; Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) (2025)
- Military Service
- 18-30 years of age for voluntary service for men and women (18-60 for Reserves); no conscription (2025)
- Energy Mix
- fossil fuels: 99.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 0.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Broadcast Media
- 4 major TV providers; 1 TV station is operated by government-owned, commercially run Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas (BCB) and competes with 4 privately owned TV stations; multi-channel cable TV subscription service is widely available; 32 licensed broadcast (radio) service providers, with 31 privately owned FM radio stations; the BCB operates a multi-channel radio network with national coverage; the sector is regulated by the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (2019)
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Health & Survival9 statsBest: #10
Obesity Rate
Health Spending (% GDP)
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
Doctors (per 1,000)
Life Expectancy
Infant Mortality
Child Mortality
Smoking Rate
Suicide Rate
Environment9 statsBest: #18
Electricity Access (%)
Protected Land (%)
CO2 Per Capita
Forest Coverage (%)
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
Forest Area
Irrigated Land
10 km²#167
Total CO2 Emissions
Renewable Energy (%)
Infrastructure2 statsBest: #19
Merchant Fleet Size
1.3K#19
Airports
Lifestyle5 statsBest: #27
Technology3 statsBest: #33
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #35
Coastline Length
3.5K km#35
Lowest Elevation
0 m#58
Land Border Length
0 km#174
Highest Elevation
1.3 m#241
Wealth & Economy10 statsBest: #47
Government Debt (% GDP)
Unemployment Rate
Youth Unemployment Rate
GDP Per Capita
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
GDP Growth Rate
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
GDP (Nominal)
Inflation Rate
High-Tech Exports (%)
Demographics12 statsBest: #57
Urban Population (%)
Elderly Population (%)
Median Age
Birth Rate
Teen Birth Rate
Youth Population (%)
Population
Population Density
Land Area
Death Rate
Fertility Rate
Dependency Ratio
Education & Future2 statsBest: #66
Society & Equality1 statsBest: #137
Women in Parliament (%)
Energy1 statsBest: #147
Electric Generating Capacity
608.0K kW#147
Military & Defense1 statsBest: #154
Armed Forces Personnel
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Bahamas
#33 in Internet Users (%)
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
Top 15% globally
95%
Frequently Asked Questions about Bahamas
What is the population of Bahamas?
Bahamas has a population of 415.3K, ranking #174 globally by population.
What continent is Bahamas in?
Bahamas is located in North America. It has an area of 13,943 km².
What is the life expectancy in Bahamas?
Life expectancy in Bahamas is 74.6 years, ranking #107 globally.
What is the GDP per capita of Bahamas?
Bahamas's GDP per capita (PPP) is $41,197.93, ranking #63 globally.
What is Bahamas known for in global statistics?
Bahamas ranks particularly high in Internet Users (%) (#33), CO2 Per Capita (#37), GDP Per Capita (#61).
What is Bahamas's Human Development Index?
Bahamas has an HDI of 0.820, ranking #66 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
How densely populated is Bahamas?
Bahamas has a population density of 39.9 people per km², ranking #161 globally.