The Caribbean's Weathering Economies
The Caribbean’s long-term outlook hinges on diversifying out of tourism and commodities and turning climate change challenges into growth opportunities.
The Bahamas GDP and Economic Data
Includes The Bahamas real Gross Domestic Product growth rate, with latest forecasts and historical data, GDP per capita, GDP composition and breakdown by sector.
Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about The Bahamas economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. Rankings of The Bahamas best banks and safest banks are also available.
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Source
International Reserves
USD 1.41 billion (2017)
International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019
Real GDP growth
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
| 1.4% | -2.3% | -4.2% | 1.5% | 0.6% | 3.1% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017* | 2018* | ||
| -0.1% | 1% | -1.7% | 1.4% | 2.3% |
*Estimate
Source
GDP (PPP) - share of world total
| 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2019* |
| 0.02% | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.009% |
*Estimate
Source
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GDP - composition by sector
- agriculture: 1%
- industry: 13.2%
- services: 74.9%
(2017 estimate)
Inflation
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
| 1.9% | -0.3% | 1.6% | 2.2% | 1.8% |
*Estimate
Source
Unemployment rate
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
| 13.4% | 12.2% | 10.1% | 10.4% | 13.5% |
*Estimate
Source
Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
| 49.7% | 50.4% | 54.4% | 63.3% | 61.5% |
*Estimate
Source
Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
| -3.8% | -2.6% | -5.5% | -3.4% | -1.8% |
*Estimate
Source
Government bond ratings
Standard & Poor's: BB+
Moody's: Baa3
Standard & Poor's / Moody's
Source
Market value of publicly traded shares
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
Source
Current account balance by percentage of GDP
-12.1 % (2018 estimate)
Source
Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)
33.7% (2017)
Shares in world total merchandising export
0.003% (2018)
Shares in world total commercial services export
0.06% (2018)
Export commodities
Rock lobster, aragonite, crude salt, polystyrene products
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Import commodities
Machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals
Exports - major partners
US 63.9%, Namibia 19.3% (2017)
FDI inflows
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| USD 1,260 million | USD 1,037 million | USD 943 million |
FDI outflows
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| USD 359 million | USD 130 million | USD 119 million |
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014
N/A
(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015
N/A
(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )
Best countries for doing business
Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.
Overall ranking:
119 out of 190 countries
Subcategories:
Starting a Business: 94 out of 190 countries
Dealing with Construction Permits: 77 out of 190 countries
Getting Electricity: 81 out of 190 countries
Registering Property: 181 out of 190 countries
Getting Credit: 152 out of 190 countries
Protecting Minority Investors: 88 out of 190 countries
Paying Taxes: 50 out of 190 countries
Trading across Borders: 161 out of 190 countries
Enforcing Contracts: 82 out of 190 countries
Resolving Insolvency: 71 out of 190 countries
Source
Index of Economic Freedom
Ranking: 76 / Score: 62.9 (Moderately free)
(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)
Source
Source
Government type
Parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Languages
English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)
Religions
Protestant 69.9% (includes Baptist 34.9%, Anglican 13.7%, Pentecostal 8.9% Seventh Day Adventist 4.4%, Methodist 3.6%, Church of God 1.9%, Brethren 1.6%), Roman Catholic 12%, other Christian 13% (includes Jehovah's Witness 1.1%), other 0.6%, none 1.9%, un
Total population
| 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2015 | 2020* |
| 0.26 million | 0.3 million | 0.35 million | 0.36 million | 0.39 million |
*Estimate
Source
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Urban population as % of total population
| 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2018 |
| 59.7% | 73.1% | 82% | 83% |
Freedom House rating
Free
Political Rights: 1
Civil Liberties: 1 (2019)
(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)
Source
Total telephone subscribers as % of population
Fixed: 29.4%
Mobile: 99%
(2018)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)