Bahamas — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Bahamas: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
The Bahamas is a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm in 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. It covers 13,880 sq km. Terrain: long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills. Climate: tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream.
| Capital | Nassau |
|---|---|
| Population | 415,306 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $14.544 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $36,200 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 3.4% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 0.4% (2024 est.) |
| Unemployment | 8.5% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 73.7% of GDP (2023 est.) |
| Exports | $6.771 billion (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $7.069 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 76.7 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 31.1 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 83.6% of total population (2023) |
| Government | parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm |
| Independence | 10 July 1973 (from the UK) |
| Languages | English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants) |
Bahamas’s GDP is $14.544 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $15.833 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 3.4% (2024 est.). See where Bahamas ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
The quarter's signal was silence: no major domestic development, no external shock, no diplomatic breakthrough.
The country's course remains what it was in June — set by structural realities that no single quarter rewrites.
- What our model rewards: inflation tamed at 0.4%; GDP per capita of $36,200 (PPP) — prosperity far above the world average
- What drags it down: a current-account deficit of $1 billion (6.7% of GDP) — living beyond its means; fertility of 1.4 children per woman — below replacement, the cradle is emptying
Salt, Timber.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 100% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 99.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 0.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 104.409 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 12.2 TWh (2023) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 30,602 kWh per person (2023) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2023.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $6.771 billion (2024 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $7.069 billion (2024 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Deficit of $298.0 million (2024), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | tourism, banking, oil bunkering, maritime industries, transshipment and logistics, salt, aragonite, pharmaceuticals |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Philip Davis — Prime Minister. King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor-General Cynthia A. PRATT (since 1 September 2023)
Bahamas maintains 8 embassies and 5 consulates abroad, hosts 7 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, OAS Washington. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 8 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 5 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 7 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, OAS Washington |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, diplomatic & consular networks database, Mar 2026 report (of-country ranking) https://zenodo.org/records/18917562 ; Jan 2026 report (in-country ranking) https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 3542 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 54 + 9 heliports (registration prefix C6) |
| Major seaports | Clifton Pier, Cockburn Town, Freeport, Matthew Town, Nassau, South Riding Point |
Major airports
Grand Bahama International Airport (FPO) — Freeport; Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) — Nassau; San Salvador International Airport (ZSA) — San Salvador; Andros Town Airport (ASD) — Andros Town; Arthur's Town Airport (ATC) — Arthur's Town; Chub Cay Airport (CCZ) — Chub Cay; Colonel Hill Airport (CRI) — Colonel Hill; Congo Town Airport (TZN) — Andros; Deadman's Cay Airport (LGI) — Deadman's Cay; Exuma International Airport (GGT) — Moss Town.
Showing 10 of 15 major airports.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28)
| Political system | parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Bahamas.
Historical timeline of Bahamas
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Bahamas — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Bahamas's power score?
Bahamas has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.