Western Asia · Gulf
Bahrain Demographics: How Migration Shapes Population Growth and Age Structure
Bahrain’s demographic structure is shaped by two resident populations with very different sex profiles. The official mid-2025 population estimate is 1,603,260: 746,097 Bahrainis and 857,163 non-Bahrainis. Non-Bahrainis therefore make up 53.5% of residents, while men account for 61.8% of the total population.
Primary population structure data: Bahrain Open Data Portal, Information & eGovernment Authority. International population growth, migration and fertility indicators: World Bank World Development Indicators and UN Population Division source series.
Current Indicators Behind Bahrain’s Demographic Structure
More Than Half of Residents Are Non-Bahraini, and the Sex Gap Is Concentrated There
The 2025 nationality split is close to half-and-half, but the male-female balance is not. Bahraini residents are nearly balanced by sex, with 377,836 males and 368,261 females. Among non-Bahraini residents, the count is 612,656 males and 244,507 females.
This produces a national sex ratio of 161.6 males per 100 females. The Bahraini ratio is 102.6, compared with 250.6 among non-Bahrainis. The distribution is consistent with a resident population strongly shaped by working-age migration, because the largest imbalance is concentrated in the non-Bahraini population rather than across Bahrainis as a whole.
| Population group | Male | Female | Total | Share of population | Male share | Sex ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bahraini | 377,836 | 368,261 | 746,097 | 46.5% | 50.6% | 102.6 males per 100 females |
| Non-Bahraini | 612,656 | 244,507 | 857,163 | 53.5% | 71.5% | 250.6 males per 100 females |
| All residents | 990,492 | 612,768 | 1,603,260 | 100.0% | 61.8% | 161.6 males per 100 females |
Where the Sex Imbalance Is Concentrated
- Non-Bahraini men outnumber non-Bahraini women by 368,149 in the mid-2025 official estimates.
- Non-Bahraini men alone account for 38.2% of Bahrain’s total resident population.
- The Bahraini population is much closer to parity: 50.6% male and 49.4% female.
Nationality Split Reveals the Source of the Male Majority
Bahraini and Non-Bahraini Residents by Sex
Official mid-2025 population counts show a near-even Bahraini sex balance and a much larger male majority among non-Bahraini residents.
Source: Bahrain Open Data Portal, Information & eGovernment Authority, mid-2025.
Population Growth Remains Positive While Fertility Is Below the Broad Replacement Benchmark
The World Bank’s harmonized series places Bahrain’s 2025 population at 1,600,366 and annual population growth at 0.7%. The same source reports net migration of +18,128 for 2025. Total fertility is 1.8 births per woman in 2024.
A fertility rate of 1.8 is below the commonly used broad replacement-level benchmark of about 2.1 births per woman, but it does not imply immediate population decline. Total population change also reflects the existing age structure, births and deaths, and migration. Bahrain’s current data show positive population growth and positive net migration alongside below-benchmark fertility.
| Indicator | Value | Year | Measure type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,600,366 | 2025 | De facto mid-year estimate | World Bank WDI |
| Population growth | 0.7% | 2025 | Annual growth rate | World Bank WDI |
| Net migration | +18,128 | 2025 | Net migration estimate | World Bank WDI / UN Population Division |
| Total fertility rate | 1.8 births per woman | 2024 | Total fertility rate | World Bank WDI / UN Population Division |
Migration stock and migration flow are different measures. The 857,163 non-Bahraini residents in the official mid-2025 population estimate are a resident stock by nationality. Net migration of +18,128 is a flow estimate measuring the balance between immigration and emigration over a period. The two figures should not be compared as if they measured the same population.
The 2020 Census Shows a Working-Age Bulge Rather Than a Conventional Pyramid
The latest detailed census age-sex structure used here is from 2020. Of 1,501,635 census residents, 302,273 were ages 0–14, 1,151,934 were ages 15–64 and 47,428 were ages 65 or older. That corresponds to 20.1%, 76.7% and 3.2% of the census population, respectively.
The largest five-year group was ages 30–34 with 211,972 people, followed by ages 35–39 with 185,877 and ages 25–29 with 156,080. The sex imbalance also rises sharply in these working ages: the 30–34 group contained 154,215 males and 57,757 females.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Male share | Sex ratio | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 52,591 | 51,012 | 103,603 | 50.8% | 103.1 | 2020 | Bahrain Census 2020 |
| 5–9 | 53,578 | 51,416 | 104,994 | 51.0% | 104.2 | 2020 | Bahrain Census 2020 |
| 10–14 | 47,812 | 45,864 | 93,676 | 51.0% | 104.2 | 2020 | Bahrain Census 2020 |
| 15–19 | 41,062 | 38,276 | 79,338 | 51.8% | 107.3 | 2020 | Bahrain Census 2020 |
| 20–24 | 60,706 | 40,725 | 101,431 | 59.8% | 149.1 | 2020 | Bahrain Census 2020 |
| 25–29 | 101,401 | 54,679 | 156,080 | 65.0% | 185.4 | 2020 | Bahrain Census 2020 |
| 30–34 | 154,215 | 57,757 | 211,972 | 72.8% | 267.0 | 2020 | Bahrain Census 2020 |
| 35–39 | 134,083 | 51,794 | 185,877 | 72.1% | 258.9 | 2020 | Bahrain Census 2020 |
| 40–44 | 95,104 | 44,385 | 139,489 | 68.2% | 214.3 | 2020 | Bahrain Census 2020 |
| 45–49 | 70,467 | 33,509 | 103,976 | 67.8% | 210.3 | 2020 | Bahrain Census 2020 |
| 50–54 | 49,621 | 27,786 | 77,407 | 64.1% | 178.6 | 2020 | Bahrain Census 2020 |
| 55–59 | 34,498 | 23,095 | 57,593 | 59.9% | 149.4 | 2020 | Bahrain Census 2020 |
| 60–64 | 22,418 | 16,353 | 38,771 | 57.8% | 137.1 | 2020 | Bahrain Census 2020 |
| 65–69 | 12,499 | 9,200 | 21,699 | 57.6% | 135.9 | 2020 | Bahrain Census 2020 |
| 70–74 | 6,184 | 5,177 | 11,361 | 54.4% | 119.5 | 2020 | Bahrain Census 2020 |
| 75–79 | 3,216 | 3,363 | 6,579 | 48.9% | 95.6 | 2020 | Bahrain Census 2020 |
| 80–84 | 2,002 | 2,452 | 4,454 | 44.9% | 81.6 | 2020 | Bahrain Census 2020 |
| 85+ | 1,438 | 1,897 | 3,335 | 43.1% | 75.8 | 2020 | Bahrain Census 2020 |
Working-Age Men Form the Widest Part of the 2020 Population Pyramid
Bahrain Census 2020 Population Pyramid
Population by five-year age group and sex. Male values are plotted to the left and female values to the right.
Source: Bahrain Open Data Portal, Population by Age Groups, Nationality and Sex — Census 2020.
Where the Age-Sex Balance Shifts
- Ages 30–34 had the highest census count at 211,972, including 154,215 males and 57,757 females.
- The sex ratio was 267.0 males per 100 females at ages 30–34 and 258.9 at ages 35–39.
- The youngest groups were much closer to parity: the sex ratio was 103.1 at ages 0–4 and 104.2 at ages 5–9.
- The balance reversed at older ages: females outnumbered males in the 75–79, 80–84 and 85+ groups.
Two 2025 Population Totals Reflect Different Statistical Measures
Bahrain’s official mid-2025 estimate and the World Bank’s 2025 population series are close but not identical. The official figure is 1,603,260, while the World Bank reports 1,600,366. The numerical difference is 2,894 people, or about 0.18% of the official total.
The difference should be treated as a measurement and source issue rather than as evidence that one figure is wrong. The national figure is the appropriate basis for the current nationality and sex split used on this page. The World Bank series is used for harmonized population growth, migration and fertility indicators.
| Population measure | Value | Reference period | Statistical basis | Used for on this page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bahrain official population | 1,603,260 | Mid-2025 | Official resident population estimate | Current total, nationality split and sex distribution |
| World Bank population | 1,600,366 | 2025 | De facto mid-year estimate | Harmonized population and growth indicators |
| Difference | 2,894 | 2025 comparison | Derived subtraction | Source-comparison note only |
How Migration, Age Structure and Fertility Fit Together
Non-Bahrainis account for 53.5% of the official mid-2025 population, so national demographic indicators combine a citizen population with a slightly larger foreign-national resident population.
The national male majority is concentrated among non-Bahrainis. Their 2025 sex ratio is 250.6 males per 100 females, compared with 102.6 among Bahrainis.
The 2020 census placed 76.7% of residents at ages 15–64, with the largest five-year groups between ages 25 and 39 and a pronounced male surplus in those ages.
World Bank data show 0.7% population growth and +18,128 net migration in 2025, while total fertility was 1.8 births per woman in 2024. These measures can move in different directions because they describe different parts of population change.
Data Sources and Methodology
The current nationality and sex structure uses Bahrain’s official mid-2025 population data. Shares and sex ratios are derived from the published counts: group share equals the group total divided by the national total, male share equals males divided by the group total, and sex ratio equals males divided by females multiplied by 100.
The detailed age-sex table and population pyramid use the 2020 census dataset because the module requires a single, internally consistent set of five-year age groups by sex. The World Bank series is kept separate and is used for internationally harmonized population, annual growth, net migration and total fertility indicators.
| Source | Release or data year | Used for | Measure type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bahrain Open Data Portal, Information & eGovernment Authority — Population by Nationality & Sex | Mid-2025 | Official total population, Bahraini and non-Bahraini counts, male and female counts | Official resident population estimate |
| Bahrain Open Data Portal — Population by Age Groups, Nationality and Sex, Census 2020 | 2020 | Detailed age-sex table, broad age shares and population pyramid | Census count |
| World Bank World Development Indicators / UN Population Division source series | 2024–2025 | Population estimate, annual population growth, net migration and total fertility rate | Harmonized demographic estimates and rates |
Methodological Safety Note: The official 1,603,260 mid-2025 population estimate and the World Bank 1,600,366 estimate are not interchangeable observations from one statistical series. Do not splice them into a single population trend without preserving their definitions. Net migration is a flow balance, while non-Bahraini population is a resident stock by nationality. The population pyramid is a 2020 census snapshot and should not be read as the exact 2025 age distribution. Sex ratio on this page means males per 100 females in the resident population, not sex ratio at birth. The 2.1 fertility reference is a broad replacement-level benchmark rather than an exact Bahrain-specific threshold.
Questions About Bahrain’s Demographic Structure
Are most residents of Bahrain non-Bahraini?
Yes. The official mid-2025 estimate contains 857,163 non-Bahraini residents out of 1,603,260 total residents, equal to 53.5%.
Why does Bahrain have many more men than women?
The 2025 data show that the imbalance is concentrated among non-Bahraini residents: 612,656 males compared with 244,507 females. Bahrainis are much closer to parity, with 377,836 males and 368,261 females.
Can Bahrain’s population grow with a fertility rate of 1.8?
Yes. Fertility is only one component of population change. World Bank data show 0.7% population growth and net migration of +18,128 in 2025, while the latest total fertility rate is 1.8 births per woman for 2024.
Why do Bahrain’s 2025 population totals differ by source?
Bahrain’s official mid-2025 estimate is 1,603,260, while the World Bank’s harmonized 2025 estimate is 1,600,366. They use different statistical systems and should be cited according to the measure being discussed.