Country Digest

The population of the Bahamas (2021) is 378,040. This makes the Bahamas the 169th largest country in the world by population.

The Bahamas is the 6th largest country in the Caribbean, although the territories of Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe and Martinique (administered by the USA and France) are each larger than the Bahamas.

Nassau, the largest city in the Bahamas, is home to 70% of the population. In 2016 it was home to 274,400 people.

The Bahamas is a archipelago of islands in the Caribbean ,just off the east cost of Florida and the north east coast of Cuba. The island chain is divided into two – the Commonwealth of the Bahamas in the north west of the archipelago and the Turks and Caicos Islands in the south east.

How many people live in the Bahamas today?

The latest estimate for the population of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas is 378,040 people. The estimate comes from the government’s Department of Statistics. This is an population increase of 4,400 people (1.18%) over the 2015 population of 373,630.

Between the last two censuses (2000 and 2010) the population grew by 47,850 or 15.8%. On average, growth over the decade was 1.6% per annum.

Although the population of the Bahamas has been growing for decades, the rate of growth has slowed gradually over the years, as you can see in the population table below.

Population growth is not consistent across the Bahamas. While the population in some islands is increasing (the number of people living on Exuma island increased by 94% between 2000 and 2010) it is decreasing on a number of other islands.

Largest cities in the Bahamas

Nassau is the largest city in the Bahamas. In 2016 its population was 274,400 people. Located on the island of New Providence and its smaller neighbour Paradise Island, Nassau operates as both the capita city and the commercial hub of the Bahamas.

Almost three quarters of the entire Bahamas population lives in Nassau, which as a result dominates the country’s political, cultural and economic life.

The next largest cities in the Bahamas are both on the island of Grand Bahama – just off the coast of Florida in the United States. Lucaya has a population of 46,525 people and Freeport has a population of 26,910.

Ethnic groups

Just over nine in ten people (90.6%) in the Bahamas reported in the 2010 census that they were Black. The next largest ethnic groups are white (4.7%), white and black (2.1%), other (1.9%) and unspecified (0.7%).

17.3% of the people living in the Bahamas are citizens of another country. Just under 40,000 (64.4%) are from nearby Haiti. Another 9.2% are from Jamaica and 7.2% are US citizens.

The Bahamas were originally inhabited by the Lucayan people. In just two years between 1509 and 1511, the Spanish transported almost the entire population of the islands (approximately 40,000 people) to Hispaniola, mostly to be used as slaves on neighbouring islands. By 1520 the Bahamas had been entirely depopulated and they remained uninhabited for 130 years.

Religion

The largest single religion in the Bahamas is Christianity, which is followed by 94.9% of the population.

Seven in ten (69.9%) Bahamians are members of a Protestant Church, 12% are Roman Catholic, and 13% belong to another Christian denomination.

Bahamians with no religion make up 1.9% of the population, and a further 2.6% did not specify their religion. Only 0.6% of the population reports that they are a member of a non-Christian religion.

The largest of the Protestant churches in the Bahamas is the Baptist Church 34.9%. Other major Protestant denominations in the Bahamas include Anglican (13.7%), Pentecostal (8.9%), Seventh Day Adventist (4.4%), and Methodist (3.6%).

Languages

English is the official language of the Bahamas and is widely spoken, particularly in formal settings. Bahamian Creole, which is derived from English and a number of other languages is also widely spoken, most commonly in less formal settings.

Many of the Haitian immigrants (around 40,000 people) also speak Haitian Creole.

No accurate statistics on the number of people who speak each language is available.

Population density

The total area of the Bahamas is 13,878 km² or 5,358 m².

Taking the 2016 population of 378,040 and dividing it by the area provides us with a population density of 27.24 people per km² or 70.56 people per m².

Literacy rate

The Bahamas literacy rate is 95.5% for adults (15 and over), increasing to 97.3% for young adults (15-24 years). (2003 data).

Life expectancy

Bahamas life expectancy in 2015 was 72.2 years. Life expectancy for women was 74.4 years and life expectancy for men was 69.8 years.

Bahamas population pyramid

Sources

Unless otherwise noted, data in this article comes from the report of the latest (2010) Bahamas census. Click here for a PDF copy of the report. Other related data can be found on the Bahamas Government Department of Statistics website.

The latest estimate of the Grenada population in 2021 is 103,328. Grenada is the 180th largest country in the world and the 10th largest country in the Caribbean. St George is the largest city in Grenada. It has a population of 36,823.

How many people live in Grenada today

Accurate data about the population of Grenada is difficult to find. The latest official estimate from the Grenadian government, in its 2014 Labour Force survey, puts the population at 109,597.

A census was conducted in 2011. Although the full results have not yet been released, a preliminary count indicated that the population in 2011 was 103,328 (see page 11 of the linked report). This marked an increase in population of just 191 (0.19%) people over the 10 years since the 2001 census, or 0.02% per annum.

Given the low growth rate in the preceding ten years, the 2014 estimate should be taken with caution. Because of this we have kept our estimate of the population of Grenada at 103,328.

The table above shows the population of Grenada at the time of each census.

Largest cities in Grenada

St George is the largest city in Grenada, as well as the island’s capital city. In 2011, the population of St George was 36,823.

St George’s population grew rapidly from 29,369 in 1981 to 37,058 in 2001, but since then the number of people living in the capital has fallen slightly to 36,823.

Major parishes in Grenada include St Andrew (pop: 25,722), St David (pop: 12,561) and St Patrick (pop: 10,980). Here is a full list.

Source.

Ethnic groups in Grenada

The largest ethnic group in Grenada is people of African descent. They made up 89.4% of the population at the time of the 2001 census (latest available data).

The other groups of notable size (more than 1%) are mixed ethnicity (8.2%) and East Indian (1.6%).

Only 125 people (0.1% of population) reported that they were Carib, the indigenous peoples that inhabited the islands before Europeans arrived.

Religion in Grenada

Roman Catholicism is the largest religion in Grenada. In 2001, 44.6% of Grenadians reported that they were Catholic. Other major Christian religions in Grenada are Anglican (11.5%), Pentecostal (11.3%) and Seventh Day Adventist (10.5%).

Nearly four thousand people (3.6%) reported that they had no religion. Men were more than twice as likely than women to report they had no religion (5.15% male and 2.09% female).

Non-Christian religions in Grenada include Rastafarianism (1.7%) and Islam (0.3%) and Hindu (0.2%). Just over one in twenty people (5.7%) reported that they belonged to another religion not listed on the census form.

Language in Grenada

English is the official language of Grenada, but accurate data is not available on the number of people in Grenada who speak English.

Grenadian Creole is widely spoken in the islands. Again, accurate data is not available, but Ethnologue estimates that around 89,000 people speak Grenadian Creole English.

A French variant of Grenadian Creole also exists – the island was a French colony from 1649 until 763 when it was captured by the British during the Seven Years’ War. Ethnologue estimates that around 2,300 people in Grenada speak Grenadian Creole French, which is a variant of St Lucian Creole French. Its usage is in decline and it is classified as a threatened language.

Population density in Grenada

Grenada is the 45th most densely populated country or territory in the world.

The island of Grenada covers an area of 348.5 km², or 825.2 m². Dividing the 2011 population of 103,328 by the area gives a population density of 300 people per km² or 777 people per m².

Greanadan literacy rate

The literacy rate in Grenada is 96%.

Grenada population pyramid

More men than women

Grenada is unusual in that there are more men in Grenada than women. According to the Grenadian government, in 2011 there were 52,651 males and 50,677 females. They attribute this to a higher number of male births than female and also to emigration from the island.

Sources

Unless otherwise stated above, data in this article comes from the 2001 Grenada census. Other than a few preliminary results, data from the 2011 census was not available at the time of writing (August 2016).

The table below lists the 221 largest cities in Illinois by population – every city with a population of more than 10,000 people.

Chicago is the largest city in Illinois, and the 3rd largest city in the United States. According to the latest US Census Bureau estimates, the population of Chicago is 2,695,598.

The sprawling Chicago Metropolitan Area (CMA) has a population of 9.4 million people (2015 estimate). It is so large that it crosses into two neighbouring states – Indiana and Wisconsin. Seven of the ten largest cities in the state of Illinois are part of the Chicago Metropolitan Area.

The second largest city in Illinois is Aurora (population 201,110), followed by Joliet (population: 148,262). Both cities are part of the Chicago Metropolitan Area. The largest city outside of the CMA is Rockford (population 147,651), in northern Illinois.

Springfield is the Illinois state capital. The population of Springfield is 115,715, making it the sixth most populous city in Illinois.

The table below lists the 221 largest cities in the state of Illinois, their population at the time of the 2010 census, their latest estimated population, and the percentage population increase since 2010. You can sort each column, and use the search box to find individual towns and cities. For example, by sorting the population growth column, you can find the fastest growing city in Kansas, as well as identify those cities that are losing population.

Source: US Census Bureau.

The table below lists the 300 largest cities in Kansas – every city with a population of more than 476 people.

Wichita is the largest city in Kansas, and the 50th largest city in the US. Latest data from the US Census Bureau estimates that Wichita’s population is 389,902.

Overland Park (population 188,966) is the second largest city in Kansas, less than half the size of Wichita. Kansas City (population 151,709) is the third largest city in Kansas state, followed by Olathe (population: 135,473). Together, these three cities plus a number of smaller cities, have combined to form the Kansas City Metropolitan Area (population 2.34 million).

Toledo (population 126,808) is the fifth largest city in Kansas and the state capital.

The table below lists the 300 largest cities in the state of Kansas, their population at the time of the 2010 census, their latest estimated population, and the percentage population increase since 2010. You can sort each column, and use the search box to find individual towns and cities. For example, by sorting the population growth column, you can find the fastest growing city in Kansas, as well as identify those cities that are losing population.

Source: US Census Bureau.

The table below lists the largest cities in Florida – every city, town or village with a population of more than 5,000 people.

Jacksonville is the largest city in Florida. Latest estimates from the US Census Bureau show that it was home to 880,619 people in 2016, an increase of 7.16% since the 2010 census. Other major cities (more than 500,000 population) in Florida include Miami (population: 453,579), Tampa (population: 377,165), Orlando (277,173) and St Petersburg (population: 260,999).

Tallahassee, Florida’s state capital, is the 7th largest city in the state. 190,894 people live in Tallahassee.

The table below lists each city with more than 5,000 people, its population at the time of the 2010 census, its latest estimated population, and the percentage increase since 2010. You can sort each column, and use the search box to find individual towns and cities.

Source: US Census Bureau

This article is one of a series of articles about the population of Florida. A related article contains a list of Florida counties by population.