Bahrain


Bahrain Country Report: GDP data and GDP forecasts; economic, financial and trade information; the best banks in Bahrain; country and population overview

DATA ON GDP AND ECONOMIC INFORMATION
Central bankCentral Bank of Bahrain
International ReservesN/A
Gross Domestic Product - GDPUS$ 26.484 billion (2009 estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)30.963 billion of International dollars (2009 estimate)
Real GDP growth
20002001200220032004200520062007
5.2%4.6%5.2%7.2%5.6%7.9%6.7%8.4%
2008200920102011*
6.3%3.1%4.1%3.1%

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current pricesUS$ 23,466 (2009 estimate)
GDP per capita - PPP$27,434 International Dollars (2009 estimate)
GDP (PPP) - share of world total
19801990200020102015**
0.03%0.03%0.03%0.04%0.04%

**Forecast

GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 0.5% 
  • industry: 56.6% 
  • services: 42.9% (2009 estimate)

    • (Data released on November 2010)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP)N/A

(Data released on November 2010)

Inflation
2008200920102011*
3.5%(2008)2.8%2%3%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate
2008200920102011*
N/AN/AN/A(2009)N/A

*Estimate

Household saving ratesN/A

(Data released on November 2010)

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
20072008200920102011*
19.2%14.8%25.4%32%24.8%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2007200820092010*2011**
1.1%4.9%-8.9%-5.4%-5.5%

*Estimate    **Forecast

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: A/Stable/A-1

Moody's rating: A3

Moody's outlook: STA

(Foreign Currency Government Bond Ratings; Data last updated Nov 2010)

Market value of publicly traded shares
200720082009
US$28.134 billionUS$21.177 billionUS$16.933 billion
Largest companies in BahrainAhli United Bank (Regional Banks), Arab Banking (Regional Banks)
(2011)
DATA ON TRADE AND COMPETITIVENESS
Current account balanceUS$ 3.5 billion (2009 estimate)(After 2008)
Current account balance by percentage of GDP13% of GDP (2009 estimate)(2009)
Exports as percent of GDP

(Exports of goods and services)

96.8% (2008)

(Data released on December 2010)

Shares in world total merchandising export0.09%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Shares in world total commercial services export0.11%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Total exportsUS$15.13 billion f.o.b. (2010 estimate)
Export commoditiespetroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles
Total importsUS$15.64 billion (2008 estimate)
Import commoditiescrude oil, machinery, chemicals
Exports - major partnersSaudi Arabia 3.5%, US 2.5%, UAE 2.5% (2007)
Imports - major partnersSaudi Arabia 37.7%, Japan 7.2%, US 6.2%, Germany 4.7%, UK 4.5%, UAE 4.2%, China 4.1% (2007)
FDI inflows
200820092010
US$1,794 millionUS$257 million(2009)US$156 million(2009)
FDI outflows
200820092010
US$1,620 millionUS$-1,791 millionUS$334 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2008200920102011
US$4,497 millionUS$323 million(2009)US$-3,319 million(2009)US$-1,810 million
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2008

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2010

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

N/A(2008 estimate)

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Best countries for doing business

World Bank/IFC Doing Business Project

(Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business, from 1 – 183. A high ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.)

Overall ranking: 28 out of 183 countries(2009) (2010)

Subcategories:

Starting a business: 78 out of 183 countries(2009)

Registering property: 29 out of 183 countries

Paying Taxes: 14 out of 183 countries

Getting credit: 89 out of 183 countries

Protecting investors: 59 out of 183 countries

Trading across border: 33 out of 183 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 117 out of 183 countries

(2010)

Global competitiveness ranking
(ranking by country on a basis of 142, the first is the best)		37

(2011/2012)

Index of Economic Freedom

WSJ and Heritage Foundation

Ranking: 10 Score: 77.7 (Mostly Free) (2009)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed )

COUNTRY AND POPULATION OVERVIEW
Time zoneUTC+3
Total area 741 km2 (2006)
CapitalManama (2009)
CurrencyBahraini dinars (BHD) (2009)
Government typeconstitutional monarchy (2009)
LanguagesArabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
ReligionsMuslim (Shia and Sunni) 81.2%, Christian 9%, other 9.8% (2001 census)
Total population
1980199020002010*2015**
0.35 million0.48 million0.67 million1.11 million1.22 million

*Estimate    **Forecast

Urban population as % of total population
1960198020002009
82.3%86.1%88.4%88.6%
Population median age29.0 years (2006)
Population growth rate2% (2009)
Life expectancy76 years (2007)
Adult literacy89% (2000/2007)
% of population living on less than $2 a dayN/A
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

N/A

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)

Freedom House rating

Political Rights:6
Civil Liberties:5 (2010)

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free)

Total telephone subscribers as % of population

142.25% (2010)

(sum of fixed telephone lines and mobile cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population55% (Data were released in 2011 and refer to 2010)
Cost of living index

(ranking by city on a basis of 214; the 1st is the most expensive and the 214th is the least expensive)

Manama: 157th (2011)

CO2 emissions
(Metric tons of CO2 per capita)

28.9833 (2008)

GLOBAL FINANCE RANKINGS AND AWARDS

WORLD'S BEST FOREIGN EXCHANGE BANKS

2010:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Ahli United Bank (Middle East, 2010)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Ahli United Bank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Ahli United Bank (Middle East, 2009)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Ahli United Bank (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST TRADE FINANCE BANKS & PROVIDERS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Ahli United Bank (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Arab Banking Corporation (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Ahli United Bank (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST INTERNET BANKS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks Citi (National, 2011)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks HSBC (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Banks Citi (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Banks Citi (2009)

WORLD'S BEST ISLAMIC FINANCE INSTITUTIONS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Bahrain Islamic Bank (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Bahrain Islamic Bank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Bahrain Islamic Bank (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST EMERGING MARKET BANKS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Ahli United Bank (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Ahli United Bank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • REGIONAL WINNER Ahli United Bank (Middle East, 2009)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Ahli United Bank (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST SUB CUSTODIANS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS HSBC (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS HSBC (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS HSBC (2009)

WORLD'S BEST INVESTMENT BANKS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Gulf International Bank (GIB) (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Unicorn Investment Bank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Unicorn Investment Bank (National, 2009)

CENTRAL BANKER REPORT CARD

2011:

WORLD'S BEST FOREIGN EXCHANGE PROVIDERS

2011:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Ahli United Bank (Middle East, 2011)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Ahli United Bank (National, 2011)
ARTICLES AND COUNTRIES REPORTS FROM GLOBAL FINANCE ARCHIVE