People & Culture

Bahrain is a unique land with an ancient and storied culture that spans many centuries. Despite modernization and a cosmopolitan outlook, Bahrain is today essentially an Arabic culture. Relatively new pastimes like soccer share time with traditional arts like falconry, horse riding, hunting, and horse and camel racing.

In the thriving capital of Manama, traditional arts share the scene with the modern. Antiquities can be found at the Bahrain National Museum: ivory figurines, pearl jewelry, pottery, copper goods, and gold rings all share the stage. Elsewhere, there is a vibrant, though small, avant-garde art community keeping Bahrain on the cutting edge.

Bahrain is home to nearly 700,000 people. The population of Bahrain is marked by a thriving diversity and mounting growth. The significant ex-patriot community comprises nearly 35% of Bahrain’s inhabitants. Bahrain’s strong economic opportunities and attractive conditions continue to draw people from all over the world. Bahrain includes residents from Iran, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Britain, and the United States, as well as citizens from a number of nations.

Population: 656,397

Note: includes 228,424 non-nationals (July 2002 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 29.2% (male 97,022; female 94,605)
15-64 years: 67.7% (male 261,919; female 182,727)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 10,230; female 9,894) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.67% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 19.53 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 3.95 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Gender ratio

At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.43 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.29 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 19.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total population: 73.47 years
Female: 75.96 years (2002 est.)
Male: 71.05 years

Total fertility rate: 2.75 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Nationality

Noun: Bahraini(s)
Adjective: Bahraini

Ethnic groups: Bahraini 63%, Asian 19%, others 18%

Religions: Islam is the official religion of the Kingdom of Bahrain. However, followers of other religions enjoy freedom of worship.

Languages: Arabic is the official language. English is widely used in business and is compulsory in schools.