SafekipediaDemographics of Bahrain
Adapted from Wikipedia ยท Adventurer experience
The demographics of Bahrain show important details about its people, such as where they live, their backgrounds, and their jobs. Understanding these facts helps us learn about the country and its culture.
Most people in Bahrain live in two main cities: Manama and Al Muharraq. These cities have many families, schools, and jobs.
The population of Bahrain includes people from many different backgrounds, making it a place rich in diversity. This mix of cultures adds to the unique character of the nation.
Population
Population census
Bahrain counts its people in a special check called a census. This helps leaders know how many people live there and plan for their needs.
Structure of the population
People in Bahrain are sorted into groups by their age and gender. This helps understand how many children, adults, and seniors live there.
Population by Sex and Age Group (Census 17.III.2020):
| Year | Pop. | ยฑ% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 116,000 | โย ย ย ย |
| 1960 | 162,000 | +3.40% |
| 1970 | 212,000 | +2.73% |
| 1980 | 358,000 | +5.38% |
| 1990 | 493,000 | +3.25% |
| 2000 | 638,000 | +2.61% |
| 2010 | 1,262,000 | +7.06% |
| 2020 | 1,501,635 | +1.75% |
| 2024 | 1,588,670 | +1.42% |
| Source: | ||
| census year | Bahraini | non-Bahraini | total population | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | ||
| 1941 | 74,040 | 82.3% | 15,930 | 17.7% | 89,970 |
| 1950 | 91,179 | 83.2% | 18,471 | 16.8% | 109,650 |
| 1959 | 118,734 | 83.0% | 24,401 | 17.0% | 143,135 |
| 1965 | 143,814 | 78.9% | 38,389 | 21.1% | 182,203 |
| 1971 | 178,193 | 82.5% | 37,885 | 17.5% | 216,078 |
| 1981 | 238,420 | 68.0% | 112,378 | 32.0% | 350,798 |
| 1991 | 323,305 | 63.6% | 184,732 | 36.4% | 508,037 |
| 2001 | 405,667 | 62.4% | 244,937 | 37.6% | 650,604 |
| 2010 | 568,399 | 46.0% | 666,172 | 54.0% | 1,234,571 |
| 2020 | 712,362 | 47.4% | 789,273 | 52.6% | 1,501,635 |
| 2024 | 739,736 | 46.6% | 848,934 | 53.4% | 1,588,670 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | |||
| Total | 942,895 | 558,740 | 1,501,635 | 100% |
| 0-4 | 52,591 | 51,012 | 103,603 | 6.90% |
| 5-9 | 53,578 | 51,416 | 104,994 | 6.99% |
| 10-14 | 47,812 | 45,864 | 93,676 | 6.24% |
| 15-19 | 41,062 | 38,276 | 79,338 | 5.28% |
| 20-24 | 60,706 | 40,725 | 101,431 | 6.75% |
| 25-29 | 101,401 | 54,679 | 156,080 | 10.39% |
| 30-34 | 154,215 | 57,757 | 211,972 | 14.12% |
| 35-39 | 134,083 | 51,794 | 185,877 | 12.38% |
| 40-44 | 95,104 | 44,385 | 139,489 | 9.29% |
| 45-49 | 70,467 | 33,509 | 103,976 | 6.92% |
| 50-54 | 49,621 | 27,786 | 77,407 | 5.15% |
| 55-59 | 34,498 | 23,095 | 57,593 | 3.84% |
| 60-64 | 22,418 | 16,353 | 38,771 | 2.58% |
| 65-69 | 12,499 | 9,200 | 16,877 | 1.44% |
| 70-74 | 6,184 | 5,177 | 11,361 | 0.76% |
| 75-79 | 3,216 | 3,363 | 6,579 | 0.44% |
| 80-84 | 2,002 | 2,452 | 4,454 | 0.30% |
| 85+ | 1,438 | 1,897 | 3,335 | 0.22% |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | |
| 0-14 | 153,981 | 148,292 | 302,273 | 20.13% |
| 15-64 | 763,575 | 388,359 | 1,151,934 | 76.71% |
| 65+ | 25,339 | 22,089 | 47,428 | 3.16% |
Vital statistics
Bahrain has kept records of births and deaths since 1976 and 1990. From 1976 to 2011, the number of babies born grew a lot. But the number of babies born for every 1,000 people went down from 32 to 13. In 2011, the number of deaths for every 1,000 people was very low, at 1.9. This is one of the lowest numbers in the world.
Source: UN World Population Prospects
| Period | Live births per year | Deaths per year | Natural change per year | CBR* | CDR* | NC* | TFR* | IMR* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950โ1955 | 6,000 | 3,000 | 3,000 | 45.0 | 21.6 | 23.4 | 6.97 | 183 |
| 1955โ1960 | 7,000 | 3,000 | 4,000 | 45.7 | 17.7 | 27.9 | 6.97 | 156 |
| 1960โ1965 | 8,000 | 2,000 | 6,000 | 45.7 | 12.6 | 33.2 | 7.18 | 112 |
| 1965โ1970 | 8,000 | 2,000 | 7,000 | 41.6 | 8.7 | 32.9 | 6.97 | 74 |
| 1970โ1975 | 8,000 | 2,000 | 7,000 | 35.2 | 6.5 | 28.6 | 5.95 | 49 |
| 1975โ1980 | 10,000 | 2,000 | 9,000 | 33.0 | 4.8 | 28.1 | 5.23 | 33 |
| 1980โ1985 | 13,000 | 2,000 | 11,000 | 32.9 | 4.1 | 28.8 | 4.63 | 22 |
| 1985โ1990 | 14,000 | 2,000 | 13,000 | 31.3 | 3.6 | 27.7 | 4.08 | 16 |
| 1990โ1995 | 14,000 | 2,000 | 12,000 | 26.3 | 3.3 | 23.1 | 3.35 | 14 |
| 1995โ2000 | 14,000 | 2,000 | 12,000 | 23.1 | 3.2 | 19.9 | 2.89 | 11 |
| 2000โ2005 | 14,000 | 2,000 | 12,000 | 21.1 | 3.0 | 18.1 | 2.62 | 9 |
| 2005โ2010 | 21,000 | 3,000 | 18,000 | 20.7 | 2.8 | 18.0 | 2.63 | 7 |
| * CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births; TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman) | ||||||||
| Average population | Live births | Deaths | Natural change | Crude birth rate (per 1000) | Crude death rate (per 1000) | Natural change (per 1000) | Crude migration rate (per 1000) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 5,150 | |||||||
| 1966 | 4,860 | |||||||
| 1967 | 5,179 | |||||||
| 1968 | 5,274 | |||||||
| 1971 | 6,404 | |||||||
| 1972 | 7,274 | |||||||
| 1973 | 7,679 | |||||||
| 1974 | 7,612 | |||||||
| 1975 | 7,767 | |||||||
| 1976 | 282,000 | 8,984 | 31.8 | |||||
| 1977 | 302,000 | 9,058 | 872 | 8,186 | 30.0 | 2.9 | 27.1 | 62.81 |
| 1978 | 322,000 | 9,398 | 1,002 | 8,396 | 29.2 | 3.1 | 26.1 | 36.04 |
| 1979 | 341,000 | 9,664 | 1,037 | 8,627 | 28.3 | 3.0 | 25.3 | 30.42 |
| 1980 | 358,000 | 10,140 | 1,085 | 9,055 | 28.3 | 3.0 | 25.3 | 22.19 |
| 1981 | 372,000 | 10,300 | 1,065 | 9,235 | 27.7 | 2.9 | 24.8 | 13.35 |
| 1982 | 384,000 | 11,037 | 1,119 | 9,918 | 28.8 | 2.9 | 25.9 | 5.60 |
| 1983 | 394,000 | 11,431 | 1,064 | 10,367 | 29.0 | 2.7 | 26.3 | โ0.93 |
| 1984 | 405,000 | 11,519 | 1,303 | 10,216 | 28.5 | 3.2 | 25.3 | 1.94 |
| 1985 | 417,000 | 12,314 | 1,212 | 11,102 | 29.5 | 2.9 | 26.6 | 2.15 |
| 1986 | 431,000 | 12,893 | 1,423 | 11,470 | 29.9 | 3.3 | 26.6 | 5.87 |
| 1987 | 446,000 | 12,699 | 1,584 | 11,115 | 28.5 | 3.6 | 24.9 | 8.71 |
| 1988 | 462,000 | 12,555 | 1,523 | 11,032 | 27.2 | 3.3 | 23.9 | 10.75 |
| 1989 | 478,000 | 13,611 | 1,551 | 12,060 | 28.5 | 3.2 | 25.3 | 8.24 |
| 1990 | 493,000 | 13,370 | 1,552 | 11,818 | 27.1 | 3.1 | 24.0 | 4.42 |
| 1991 | 503,052 | 13,229 | 1,744 | 11,485 | 26.1 | 3.4 | 22.7 | โ2.85 |
| 1992 | 516,458 | 13,874 | 1,760 | 12,114 | 26.7 | 3.4 | 23.3 | 2.50 |
| 1993 | 530,225 | 14,191 | 1,714 | 12,477 | 26.7 | 3.2 | 23.5 | 2.43 |
| 1994 | 544,366 | 13,766 | 1,695 | 12,071 | 25.2 | 3.1 | 22.1 | 3.80 |
| 1995 | 558,879 | 13,481 | 1,910 | 11,571 | 24.1 | 3.4 | 20.7 | 5.26 |
| 1996 | 573,792 | 13,123 | 1,780 | 11,343 | 22.8 | 3.1 | 19.7 | 6.38 |
| 1997 | 589,115 | 13,382 | 1,822 | 11,560 | 22.6 | 3.1 | 19.5 | 6.39 |
| 1998 | 604,842 | 13,381 | 1,997 | 11,384 | 21.9 | 3.3 | 18.6 | 7.18 |
| 1999 | 620,989 | 14,280 | 1,920 | 12,360 | 22.8 | 3.1 | 19.7 | 6.10 |
| 2000 | 637,582 | 13,947 | 2,045 | 11,902 | 21.9 | 3.2 | 18.7 | 7.36 |
| 2001 | 661,317 | 13,468 | 1,979 | 11,489 | 21.0 | 3.1 | 17.9 | 18.51 |
| 2002 | 710,554 | 13,576 | 2,035 | 11,541 | 21.1 | 3.2 | 17.9 | 56.49 |
| 2003 | 764,519 | 14,560 | 2,114 | 12,446 | 22.5 | 3.3 | 19.2 | 57.40 |
| 2004 | 823,744 | 14,968 | 2,215 | 12,753 | 22.3 | 3.3 | 19.0 | 60.03 |
| 2005 | 888,824 | 15,198 | 2,222 | 12,976 | 21.0 | 3.1 | 17.9 | 58.60 |
| 2006 | 960,425 | 15,053 | 2,317 | 12,736 | 18.6 | 2.9 | 15.7 | 66.46 |
| 2007 | 1,039,297 | 16,062 | 2,270 | 13,792 | 17.4 | 2.5 | 14.9 | 62.80 |
| 2008 | 1,103,496 | 17,022 | 2,390 | 14,632 | 16.2 | 2.3 | 13.9 | 44.90 |
| 2009 | 1,178,415 | 17,841 | 2,387 | 15,454 | 15.1 | 2.0 | 13.1 | 50.46 |
| 2010 | 1,228,543 | 18,150 | 2,401 | 15,749 | 14.8 | 2.0 | 12.8 | 27.99 |
| 2011 | 1,195,020 | 17,573 | 2,528 | 15,045 | 14.7 | 2.1 | 12.6 | โ40.65 |
| 2012 | 1,208,964 | 19,119 | 2,613 | 16,506 | 15.8 | 2.2 | 13.6 | โ2.12 |
| 2013 | 1,253,191 | 19,995 | 2,588 | 17,407 | 16.0 | 2.1 | 13.9 | 21.41 |
| 2014 | 1,314,562 | 20,931 | 2,805 | 18,126 | 15.9 | 2.1 | 13.8 | 32.96 |
| 2015 | 1,370,322 | 20,983 | 2,787 | 18,196 | 15.3 | 2.1 | 13.2 | 27.42 |
| 2016 | 1,423,726 | 20,714 | 2,858 | 17,856 | 14.5 | 2.0 | 12.5 | 24.89 |
| 2017 | 1,501,116 | 20,581 | 2,902 | 17,679 | 13.7 | 1.9 | 11.8 | 39.75 |
| 2018 | 1,503,091 | 19,740 | 3,052 | 16,668 | 13.1 | 2.0 | 11.1 | โ9.77 |
| 2019 | 1,483,756 | 18,611 | 3,010 | 15,601 | 12.5 | 2.0 | 10.5 | โ23.55 |
| 2020 | 1,472,204 | 18,042 | 3,488 | 14,554 | 12.3 | 2.4 | 9.9 | โ17.73 |
| 2021 | 1,504,365 | 17,805 | 4,601 | 13,204 | 11.8 | 3.1 | 8.7 | 12.60 |
| 2022 | 1,524,693 | 17,801 | 3,521 | 14,280 | 11.7 | 2.3 | 9.4 | 3.96 |
| 2023 | 1,577,059 | |||||||
| 2024 | 1,588,670 |
| Period | Life expectancy in Years | Period | Life expectancy in Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950โ1955 | 43.0 | 1985โ1990 | 71.8 |
| 1955โ1960 | 48.5 | 1990โ1995 | 72.9 |
| 1960โ1965 | 55.3 | 1995โ2000 | 73.9 |
| 1965โ1970 | 61.1 | 2000โ2005 | 74.9 |
| 1970โ1975 | 65.4 | 2005โ2010 | 75.7 |
| 1975โ1980 | 68.3 | 2010โ2015 | 76.4 |
| 1980โ1985 | 70.5 |
Ethnic groups
See also: Ethnic, cultural and religious groups of Bahrain
Bahrain has many different ethnic groups. An article from 1983 said there are at least eight or nine communities on the island. Many people in Bahrain were not born there. More than half of the people living there are immigrants, with many coming from places like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Indonesia. There are also people from the United Kingdom living there.
Genetics
See also: Genetic history of the Middle East, Demographics of Iran ยงย Genetics, and Human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup
Ancient DNA and genetic history
A study from 2024 looked at the DNA of four people who lived in Bahrain a long time ago, between 300 BCE and 600 CE. Their DNA showed they had ancestors from places like the Near East, Anatolia, the Levant, and Iran/the Caucasus. This shows that even long ago, Bahrain had people from many different places.
Malaria adaptation
The DNA of these ancient people also showed a change that helps protect against a sickness called malaria. This change started to become more common in Eastern Arabia a very long time ago, around 5,000 to 6,000 years back. This was around the time when people began to farm.
Haplogroups
Y-chromosome DNA
A study in 2020 looked at the DNA from 562 men in Bahrain to see where their ancestors came from. The DNA showed that the men had ancestors from many places, including the Caucasus, Anatolia, Western Iran, Africa, and South Asia. The most common types of DNA were from groups called J2 and J1.
| Community | Description |
|---|---|
| Baharna/Bahranis | The indigenous inhabitants of Bahrain. The overwhelming majority are Shia. |
| Ajams (Iranic and Iranian roots) | Iranic; Lurs (Shia), Achomis (Sunni, Shia), Baluchs (Sunnis), Turkic; Azeris, Qashqai... |
| Bahraini Jews | Jews have inhabited Bahrain for centuries. Most native Bahraini Jews are of Mesopotamian and Persian descent. |
| Huwala Arabs | Sunni Arabs who re-migrated back from the southern coasts of Iran |
| Tribal Arabs | Urbanized Sunni Bahrainis of Bedouin ancestry, such as the Utoob, Dawasir etc. |
| Najdis | Non-tribal urban Sunni Arabs from Najd in central Arabia. |
| Afro-Arabs | Descendants of Africans, primarily from East Africa and of mostly Sunni faith |
| Banyan (Bania) | Indians who traded with Bahrain and settled before the age of oil (formerly known as the Hunood or Banyan, Arabic: ุงูุจูููุงู), of mostly Hindu faith. |
| Population | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| Bahraini | 712,362 | 47.4% |
| Other Arabs | 86,823 | 5.8% |
| African | 21,502 | 1.4% |
| North American | 16,415 | 1.1% |
| Asian | 650,996 | 43.4% |
| European | 11,750 | 0.8% |
| Others | 1,787 | 0.1% |
| total | 1,501,635 | 100% |
| Nationality | Population | % of population | Year of data |
|---|---|---|---|
 Bahrain | 712,362 | 51% | 2022 |
 India | 350,000 | 25.0% | 2015 |
 Bangladesh | 110,000 | 7.88% | 2015 |
 Pakistan | 100,000 | 7.16% | 2015 |
 Philippines | 50,000-60,000 | 4.30% | 2015 |
 Egypt | 22,000 | 1.57% | 2015 |
 Sri Lanka | 20,000 | 1.43% | 2015 |
 ย ย Nepal | 20,000 | 1.43% | 2015 |
 Indonesia | 10,000 | 0.71% | 2015 |
 UK | 9,000 | 0.64% | 2013 |
 USA | 8,200 | 0.58% | 2014 |
 Iran | 5,000-7,000 | 0.50% | 2015 |
 Jordan | 6,000-7,000 | 0.50% | 2015 |
 Sudan | 6,000 | 0.43% | 2015 |
 Saudi Arabia | 5,000 | 0.35% | 2015 |
 Morocco | 4,750 | 0.34% | 2015 |
 Thailand | 4,000 | 0.28% | 2015 |
 Iraq | 3,500 | 0.25% | 2015 |
 New Zealand | 2,500 | 0.17% | 2015 |
 Turkey | 2,000 | 0.14% | 2015 |
 Tunisia | 1,500 | 0.10% | 2015 |
 China | 1,000 | 2015 | |
 Ukraine | 400 | 2015 | |
 Malaysia | 400 | 2015 | |
 Poland | 350 | 2015 | |
 Libya | 300-350 | 2015 | |
 Italy | 350 | 2013 | |
 Russia | 300 | 2015 | |
 Germany | 300 | 2015 | |
 Japan | 260 | 2015 | |
 South Korea | 220 | 2013 | |
 Cyprus | 200 | 2015 | |
 Ireland | 157 | 2015 | |
 Denmark | 150 | 2015 | |
 ย Switzerland | 122 | 2015 | |
 Venezuela | 100 | 2015 | |
 Uganda | 100 | 2015 | |
 Cameroon | 50-100 | 2015 | |
 Sweden | 83 | 2015 | |
 Kazakhstan | 20 | 2015 | |
 Mongolia | 4 | 2015 |
Languages
Bahrain is home to people who speak many different languages. The main language spoken is Arabic, but many others are also used, including English, Persian, Kurdish, Malayalam, Urdu, Balochi, Konkani, Hindi, Sinhalese, Tamil, Punjabi, Bengali, Armenian, Filipino, Italian, and Spanish. This shows the diverse backgrounds of the people living in Bahrain.
Religion
Main article: Religion in Bahrain
See also: Freedom of religion in Bahrain and Islam in Bahrain
In Bahrain, most people follow Islam, the official religion. Many people also follow Christianity, Hinduism, and other faiths.
Bahrain has people from many different backgrounds. Most citizens practice Islam. Many foreigners living in Bahrain come from South Asia and other Arab countries and have various religious beliefs.
| Men | Women | Total | Bahraini | Non-Bahraini | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muslims | 674,329 | 437,204 | 1,111,533 | 710,067 | 401,466 |
| Others | 268,566 | 121,536 | 390,102 | 2,295 | 387,807 |
| Total | 942,895 | 558,740 | 1,501,635 | 712,362 | 789,273 |
| Muslimย % | 74.0% | 99.7% | 50.9% | ||
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