Population density in Bahrain
Bahrain: Population density was 1,971 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Population density in Bahrain, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
In 2023, population density in Bahrain stood at 1,971 people per sq. km of land area. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 21.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Bahrain peaked at 1,971 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 249.78 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Bahrain 6th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population density in Bahrain, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 249.78 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 259.93 people per sq. km of land area | +4.1% |
| 1963 | 270.29 people per sq. km of land area | +4.0% |
| 1964 | 280.89 people per sq. km of land area | +3.9% |
| 1965 | 291.11 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1966 | 300.79 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1967 | 310.42 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1968 | 317.88 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1969 | 322.42 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1970 | 325.81 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1971 | 334.4 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1972 | 350.89 people per sq. km of land area | +4.9% |
| 1973 | 370.03 people per sq. km of land area | +5.5% |
| 1974 | 389.91 people per sq. km of land area | +5.4% |
| 1975 | 410.5 people per sq. km of land area | +5.3% |
| 1976 | 431.69 people per sq. km of land area | +5.2% |
| 1977 | 453.37 people per sq. km of land area | +5.0% |
| 1978 | 475.43 people per sq. km of land area | +4.9% |
| 1979 | 497.76 people per sq. km of land area | +4.7% |
| 1980 | 520.26 people per sq. km of land area | +4.5% |
| 1981 | 541.34 people per sq. km of land area | +4.1% |
| 1982 | 560.85 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1983 | 580.74 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 1984 | 601.67 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1985 | 623.71 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 1986 | 646.79 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 1987 | 670.8 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 1988 | 695.55 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 1989 | 720.76 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1990 | 746.08 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 1991 | 729.06 people per sq. km of land area | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 727.41 people per sq. km of land area | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 746.8 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1994 | 766.71 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 787.15 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1996 | 808.16 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 829.74 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1998 | 851.89 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 874.63 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 898 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2001 | 931.43 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 1,001 people per sq. km of land area | +7.4% |
| 2003 | 1,062 people per sq. km of land area | +6.1% |
| 2004 | 1,128 people per sq. km of land area | +6.3% |
| 2005 | 1,201 people per sq. km of land area | +6.4% |
| 2006 | 1,298 people per sq. km of land area | +8.1% |
| 2007 | 1,386 people per sq. km of land area | +6.8% |
| 2008 | 1,452 people per sq. km of land area | +4.8% |
| 2009 | 1,551 people per sq. km of land area | +6.8% |
| 2010 | 1,612 people per sq. km of land area | +4.0% |
| 2011 | 1,558 people per sq. km of land area | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 1,570 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 1,628 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 2014 | 1,705 people per sq. km of land area | +4.8% |
| 2015 | 1,761 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 2016 | 1,828 people per sq. km of land area | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 1,925 people per sq. km of land area | +5.3% |
| 2018 | 1,932 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 1,902 people per sq. km of land area | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 1,875 people per sq. km of land area | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 1,904 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 1,930 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 1,971 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 289.28 people per sq. km of land area | 249.78 people per sq. km of land area | 322.42 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 403.98 people per sq. km of land area | 325.81 people per sq. km of land area | 497.76 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 616.25 people per sq. km of land area | 520.26 people per sq. km of land area | 720.76 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 786.76 people per sq. km of land area | 727.41 people per sq. km of land area | 874.63 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,191 people per sq. km of land area | 898 people per sq. km of land area | 1,551 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,742 people per sq. km of land area | 1,558 people per sq. km of land area | 1,932 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,920 people per sq. km of land area | 1,875 people per sq. km of land area | 1,971 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Bahrain
- 3 Singapore 8,242 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 4 Hong Kong 7,177 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 5 Gibraltar 3,847 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 7 Maldives 1,765 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 8 Malta 1,727 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 9 Bangladesh 1,319 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Bahrain
- Population in the largest city 46.4% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 56.57 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in largest city 743,066 (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 0.97 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 17.79 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Bahrain?
- Population density in Bahrain was 1,971 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Bahrain?
- The highest recorded value was 1,971 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Bahrain?
- The lowest recorded value was 249.78 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Bahrain rank for population density?
- Bahrain ranks 6th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Bahrain?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bahrain data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.