The demographics of the population of Bahrain includes 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.
Population
Population census + Population of Bahrain according to nationality 1941-2024 census year Bahraini non-Bahraini total population # % # %194174,040 15,930 89,970195091,179 18,471 109,6501959118,734 24,401 143,1351965143,814 38,389 182,2031971178,193 37,885 216,0781981238,420 112,378 350,7981991323,305 184,732 508,0372001405,667 244,937 650,6042010568,399 666,172 1,234,5712020712,362 789,273 1,501,6352024739,736848,934 1,588,670
Structure of the population Population by Sex and Age Group (Census 17.III.2020): Age groupMaleFemaleTotal#% Total 942,895 558,740 1,501,635 0-4 52,591 51,012 103,603 5-9 53,578 51,416 104,994 10-14 47,812 45,864 93,676 15-19 41,062 38,276 79,338 20-24 60,706 40,725 101,431 25-29 101,401 54,679 156,080 30-34 154,215 57,757 211,972 35-39 134,083 51,794 185,877 40-44 95,104 44,385 139,489 45-49 70,467 33,509 103,976 50-54 49,621 27,786 77,407 55-59 34,498 23,095 57,593 60-64 22,418 16,353 38,771 65-69 12,499 9,200 16,877 70-74 6,184 5,177 11,361 75-79 3,216 3,363 6,579 80-84 2,002 2,452 4,454 85+ 1,438 1,897 3,335 Age group MaleFemaleTotal 0-14 153,981 148,292 302,273 15-64 763,575 388,359 1,151,934 65+ 25,339 22,089 47,428
Vital statistics UN estimates PeriodLive births per yearDeaths per yearNatural change per yearCBR*CDR*NC*TFR*IMR* 1950–1955 6,000 3,000 3,00045.021.623.46.97183 1955–1960 7,000 3,000 4,00045.717.727.96.97156 1960–1965 8,000 2,000 6,00045.712.633.27.18112 1965–1970 8,000 2,000 7,00041.68.732.96.9774 1970–1975 8,000 2,000 7,00035.26.528.65.9549 1975–1980 10,000 2,000 9,00033.04.828.15.2333 1980–1985 13,000 2,000 11,00032.94.128.84.6322 1985–1990 14,000 2,000 13,00031.33.627.74.0816 1990–1995 14,000 2,000 12,00026.33.323.13.3514 1995–2000 14,000 2,000 12,00023.13.219.92.8911 2000–2005 14,000 2,000 12,00021.13.018.12.629 2005–2010 21,000 3,000 18,00020.72.818.02.637 * 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)
Registered data Birth registration of Bahrain is available from 1976, death registration started in 1990. Between 1976 and 2011 the number of baby births roughly doubled but the birth rate of babies decreased from 32 to 13 per 1,000. The death rate of Bahrain (1.9 per 1,000 human beings in 2011) is among the lowest in the world. Ministry of Health StatisticsUnited nations. Demographic YearbooksAverage population Live birthsDeathsNatural changeCrude birth rate (per 1000)Crude death rate (per 1000)Natural change (per 1000)Crude migration rate (per 1000)Total fertility rate1965 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 282,0008,984 31.8 1977 302,0009,058872 8,18630.0 2.9 27.1 62.81 1978 322,0009,398 1,002 8,39629.2 3.126.1 36.04 1979 341,0009,664 1,0378,62728.3 3.0 25.3 30.42 1980 358,00010,140 1,085 9,05528.3 3.0 25.3 22.19 1981 372,00010,300 1,065 9,23527.7 2.924.8 13.35 1982 384,00011,037 1,119 9,91828.8 2.925.9 5.60 1983 394,00011,431 1,064 10,36729.0 2.726.3 −0.93 1984 405,00011,519 1,303 10,21628.5 3.225.3 1.94 1985 417,00012,314 1,212 11,10229.5 2.926.6 2.15 1986 431,00012,893 1,423 11,47029.9 3.326.6 5.87 1987 446,00012,699 1,584 11,11528.5 3.624.9 8.71 1988 462,00012,555 1,523 11,03227.2 3.323.9 10.75 1989 478,00013,611 1,551 12,06028.5 3.225.3 8.24 1990 493,00013,3701,55211,81827.13.124.0 4.42 1991 503,05213,2291,74411,48526.13.422.7 −2.85 1992 516,45813,8741,76012,11426.73.423.3 2.50 1993 530,22514,1911,71412,47726.73.223.5 2.43 1994 544,36613,7661,69512,07125.23.122.1 3.80 1995 558,87913,4811,91011,57124.13.420.7 5.26 1996 573,79213,1231,78011,34322.83.119.7 6.38 1997 589,11513,3821,82211,56022.63.119.5 6.39 1998 604,84213,3811,99711,38421.93.318.6 7.18 1999 620,98914,2801,92012,36022.83.119.7 6.102.9 2000 637,58213,9472,04511,90221.93.218.7 7.362.8 2001 661,31713,4681,97911,48921.03.117.9 18.512.6 2002 710,55413,5762,03511,54121.13.217.9 56.492.4 2003 764,51914,5602,11412,44622.53.319.2 57.402.4 2004 823,74414,9682,21512,75322.33.319.0 60.032.3 2005 888,82415,1982,22212,97621.03.117.9 58.602.1 2006 960,42515,0532,31712,73618.62.915.7 66.462.0 2007 1,039,29716,0622,27013,79217.42.514.9 62.801.964 2008 1,103,49617,0222,39014,63216.22.313.9 44.901.968 2009 1,178,41517,8412,38715,45415.12.013.1 50.461.951 2010 1,228,54318,150 2,401 15,74914.82.012.8 27.991.877 2011 1,195,02017,5732,52815,04514.72.112.6 −40.651.967 2012 1,208,96419,1192,61316,50615.82.213.6 −2.122.134 2013 1,253,19119,9952,58817,40716.02.113.9 21.412.157 2014 1,314,56220,9312,805 18,12615.92.113.8 32.962.108 2015 1,370,32220,9832,787 18,19615.32.113.2 27.422.093 2016 1,423,72620,7142,858 17,85614.52.012.5 24.891.984 2017 1,501,11620,5812,902 17,67913.71.911.8 39.751.945 2018 1,503,09119,7403,052 16,66813.12.011.1 −9.771.838 2019 1,483,75618,6113,010 15,60112.52.010.5 −23.551.744 2020 1,472,20418,0423,488 14,55412.32.49.9 −17.731.846 2021 1,504,36517,8054,601 13,20411.83.18.7 12.601.612 2022 1,524,69317,8013,521 14,28011.72.39.4 3.961.640 2023 1,577,05917,4293,431 13,99811.12.28.9 24.33 2024 1,588,67016,7873,482 13,30510.62.28.4 -1.07 2025 1,603,260
Fertility rate Years 1900190119021903190419051906190719081909Total Fertility Rate in Bahrain6.986.986.986.986.986.986.986.986.986.98 Years 1910191119121913191419151916191719181919Total Fertility Rate in Bahrain6.986.986.986.986.986.976.976.976.976.97 Years 19201921192219231924192519261927192819291930Total Fertility Rate in Bahrain6.976.976.976.976.976.976.976.976.986.986.98 Years 1931193219331934193519361937193819391940Total Fertility Rate in Bahrain6.986.996.996.996.9977777.01 Years 1941194219431944194519461947194819491950Total Fertility Rate in Bahrain7.017.017.017.027.027.027.027.037.037.03
Life expectancy PeriodLife expectancy inYearsPeriodLife expectancy inYears1950–195543.01985–199071.81955–196048.51990–199572.91960–196555.31995–200073.91965–197061.12000–200574.91970–197565.42005–201075.71975–198068.32010–201576.41980–198570.5 Source: UN World Population Prospects
Ethnic groups
Regarding the ethnicity of Bahrainis, a Financial Times article published on 31 May 1983 found that "Bahrain is a polyglot state, both religiously and racially. Discounting temporary immigrants of the past ten years, there are at least eight or nine communities on the island". Furthermore, sources claim that the government of Bahrain is said to have naturalised Sunnis from different countries to increase the Sunni population in comparison to the Indigenous Shias including people from India, Pakistan, Jordan, Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Egypt. These may be classified as:
Community DescriptionBaharna/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 IranTribal Arabs Urbanized Sunni Bahrainis of Bedouin ancestry, such as the Utoob, Dawasir etc.NajdisNon-tribal urban Sunni Arabs from Najd in central Arabia.Afro-Arabs Descendants of Africans, primarily from East Africa and of mostly Sunni faithBanyan (Bania) Indians who traded with Bahrain and settled before the age of oil (formerly known as the Hunood or Banyan, ), of mostly Hindu faith.
Non-nationals make up more than half of the population of Bahrain, with immigrants making up about 52.6% of the overall population. Of those, the vast majority come from South and Southeast Asia: according to various media reports and government statistics dated between 2005 and 2012 roughly 350,000 Indians, 150,000 Bangladeshis, 110,000 Pakistanis, 40,000 Filipinos, and 8,000 Indonesians. In 2023, about 4,000 people from the United Kingdom live in Bahrain,UK Government website, Retrieved 2023-08-01 although some estimates are double this number.British Expat Guide website, Retrieved 2023-08-01
Population Percentage Bahraini 712,362 Other Arabs 86,823 African 21,502 North American 16,415 Asian 650,996 European 11,750 Others 1,787 total 1,501,635
The following is a list containing population estimates from countries' embassies:https://web.archive.org/web/20180207171749/http://www.bq-magazine.com/economy/socioeconomics/2015/08/bahrains-population-by-nationality archived from the original
Nationality Population % of population Year of data 712,362 51% 2022 350,000 25.0% 2015 110,000 7.88% 2015 100,000 7.16% 2015 50,000-60,000 4.30% 2015 22,000 1.57% 2015 20,000 1.43% 2015 20,000 1.43% 2015 10,000 0.71% 2015 9,000 0.64% 2013 8,200 0.58% 2014 5,000-7,000 0.50% 2015 6,000-7,000 0.50% 2015 6,000 0.43% 2015 5,000 0.35% 2015 4,750 0.34% 2015 4,000 0.28% 2015 3,500 0.25% 2015 2,500 0.17% 2015 2,000 0.14% 2015 1,500 0.10% 2015 1,000 <0.1% 2015 400 <0.1% 2015 400 <0.1% 2015 350 <0.1% 2015 300-350 <0.1% 2015 350 <0.1% 2013 300 <0.1% 2015 300 <0.1% 2015 260 <0.1% 2015 220 <0.1% 2013 200 <0.1% 2015 157 <0.1% 2015 150 <0.1% 2015 122 <0.1% 2015 100 <0.1% 2015 100 <0.1% 2015 50-100 <0.1% 2015 83 <0.1% 2015 20 <0.1% 2015 4 <0.1% 2015
Genetics
Ancient DNA and genetic history A 2024 study sequenced whole genomes from four individuals who lived in Bahrain during the Tylos period (circa 300 BCE to 600 CE). The genetic makeup of these ancient Bahrainis revealed a blend of ancestries, primarily tracing back to ancient populations of the Near East. Analysis indicated that their genetic heritage is best described as a mixture of Ancient Anatolia, Levant, and Iran/Caucasus.
Subtle genetic differences were observed among the four individuals, suggesting a degree of population diversity within Bahrain even before the Islamic era. One individual displayed a stronger affinity to Levantine populations, while others showed closer genetic links to groups from Iran and the Caucasus.
Comparing the ancient Bahraini genomes to those of modern populations revealed notable connections. Genetically, the Tylos-period individuals showed closer affinities to present-day inhabitants of Iraq and the Levant than to modern-day Arabians from the peninsula.
Malaria adaptation The G6PD Mediterranean mutation, known to provide protection against malaria, was found in three out of the four ancient individuals. Genetic analysis suggests that this mutation began to increase in frequency in Eastern Arabia around 5,000 to 6,000 years ago. This timeframe coincides with the emergence of agriculture in the region, which could have inadvertently created environments conducive to malaria-carrying mosquitoes, thus driving natural selection for malaria resistance.
Haplogroups Y-chromosome DNA
Y-Chromosome DNA (Y-DNA) represents the male lineage. In 2020, a study was made on 562 unrelated Bahraini males. Paternal population structure within Bahrain was investigated using the 27 Y-STRs (short tandem repeats) in the Yfiler Plus kit to generate haplotypes from 562 unrelated Bahraini males, sub-divided into four geographical regions—Northern, Capital, Southern and Muharraq.
Haplogroup prediction indicated diverse origins of the population with a predominance of haplogroups J2 and J1, but also haplogroups such as B2 and E1b1a likely originating in Africa, and H, L and R2 likely indicative of migration from South Asia. Haplogroup frequencies differed significantly between regions, with J2 significantly more common in the Northern region compared with the Southern, possibly due to differential settlement by Baharna, Ajams and Arabs.