Demographics of Bahrain

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

Most of the population of Bahrain is concentrated in the two principal cities, Manama and Al Muharraq. According to various sources around 70% to 80% of the population are Muslim[1][2][3] with 60% to 70% being Shia[1][4] and about 25% being Sunni.[1]

There are also number of expatriates from South and Southeast Asia: roughly 275,000 Indians, 125,000 Bangladeshis, 45,000 Pakistanis, 45,000 Filipinos and 8,000 Indonesians, according to various media reports and government statistics.[5][6][7][8][9]

Contents

Population

Historical population[10]

Bahraini Non-Bahraini Total  % Non-Bahraini
2001 409,619 251,698 661,317 38.1%
2002 427,246 283,307 710,554 39.9%
2003 445,634 318,888 764,519 41.7%
2004 464,808 358,936 823,744 43.6%
2005 484,810 404,013 888,824 45.5%
2006 505,673 454,752 960,425 47.3%
2007 527,433 511,864 1,039,297 49.3%
2008 541,587 561,909 1,103,496 50.9%
2009 558,011 620,404 1,178,415 52.6%
2010 568,399 666,172 1,234,571 54.0%

Ethnic groups

Bahraini 62.4%, non-Bahraini 37.6% (CIA World Factbook)

Religions

Muslim 70% to 80%,[1][2][3] other 18.8%[2]
Religion Men Women Total
Muslims 166,467 131,673 298,140
Christians 15,973 9,638 25,611
Other 22,342 4,691 27,033
Without religion 11 3 14
Total 204,793 146,005 350,798

Islam is the official religion. Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, as well as a tiny Jewish community, also exist in Bahrain. Shia Muslims make up the majority of Muslims in Bahrain at 60% to 70% of the population,[1][4] while Sunni Muslims and other assorted sects make up around 25%[1]

CIA World Factbook demographic statistics

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.[2]

Median age

Total: 30.1 years
Male: 33.2 years
Female: 26.7 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate

1.285% (2009 est.)
county comparison to the world: 102

Birth rate

17.02 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
county comparison to the world: 122

Death rate

4.29 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
county comparison to the world: 203

Net migration rate

0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
county comparison to the world: 74

Urbanization

Urban population: 89% of total population (2008)
Rate of urbanization: 1.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Sex ratio

At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.48 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.24 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality and life expectancy

Infant mortality is 15.2 deaths/1,000 live births (19.65/1,000 for boys and 13.87/1,000 for girls) (2009 est.).
county comparison to the world: 125
Life expectancy is 74.45 years (71.97 years for men and 77 years for women) (2009 est.).
county comparison to the world: 83

Total fertility rate

2.5 children born/woman (2009 est.)
county comparison to the world: 95

HIV/AIDS

Adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2001 est.)
county comparison to the world: 110
People living with HIV/AIDS: Less than 600 (2007 est.)
county comparison to the world: 145
Deaths: Less than 200 (2003 est.)
county comparison to the world: 105

Languages

Arabic
English
Persian
Urdu
Malayalam
Hindi
Singhalese

Literacy and education

Bahrain has traditionally boasted an advanced educational system. Schooling and related costs are entirely paid for by the government, and, although not compulsory, primary and secondary attendance rates are high. Bahrain also encourages institutions of higher learning, drawing on expatriate talent and the increasing pool of Bahrainis returning from abroad with advanced degrees. Bahrain University has been established for standard undergraduate and graduate study, and the College of Health Sciences—operating under the direction of the Ministry of Health—trains physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and paramedics.

Overall literacy is 89.1% (91.9% for men and 85% for women) (2003 est.).

Education expenditure

3.9% of total GDP (1991)
county comparison to the world: 107

References

Notes

Sources

 This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook document "2006 edition".