Languages spoken in Bahamas
Nassau
398165
The main language spoken in the Bahamas is:
English - the sole official language, spoken by the vast majority of the population.
Haitian Creole - spoken among the sizable Haitian immigrant community.
Bahamian Creole (an English-based dialect) is also widely spoken informally.
English is the sole official language of the Bahamas.
| Geography |
Location: chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba; often designated a Caribbean nation geopolitically, though it doesn''t border the Caribbean Sea
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 13,880-13,943 sq km
Coastline: 3,542 km
Land boundaries: 0 km (island nation)
Terrain: long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills
Natural hazards: hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage
Geography - note: strategic location adjacent to the US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited
| People |
Population: 398,000-415,306 (2025 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.6-76.7 years
male: 75.1 years
female: 78.4 years
Nationality:
noun/adjective: Bahamian(s)
Religions: Protestant 69.9% (Baptist 34.9%, Anglican 13.7%, Pentecostal 8.9%, others), Roman Catholic 12%, other Christian 13% (2010 est.)
Languages: English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)
Population distribution: most of the population lives in urban areas; two-thirds live on New Providence Island, where Nassau is located
| Government |
Country name:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
conventional short form: The Bahamas
Data code: BF
Government type: parliamentary constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
National capital: Nassau
Background: earliest inhabitants were the Lucayan Taino people, who arrived around 500 AD
| Economy |
Economy - overview: high-income tourism and financial services economy; major income inequality; strong US bilateral relations; several tax relief programs; targeted investment in agriculture, energy, light manufacturing, and technology
GDP (purchasing power parity): $16.02 billion (2025 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.8% (2025)
GDP - per capita: $38,830 PPP (2025 est.)
Inflation rate: 2.23% (2018)
Unemployment rate: 9.2% (2025 est.)
Population below poverty line: 9.3% (2004)
Industries: tourism, banking, oil bunkering, maritime industries, transshipment and logistics, salt, aragonite, pharmaceuticals
Currency: Bahamian dollar (BSD)
| Military |
Military branches: Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF): land, air, and maritime elements; Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) (2025)