Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Bahrain
Bahrain: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 1,986 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
1,986 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
6th
of 216 countries
All-time high
1,986 people per sq. km of land area
in 2024
All-time low
249.78 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in Bahrain, 1961–2024
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 2024, population density in Bahrain stood at 1,986 people per sq. km of land area. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 16.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Bahrain peaked at 1,986 people per sq. km of land area in 2024 and was at its lowest, 249.78 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Bahrain 6th out of 216 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) 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% |
| 2024 | 1,986 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
Bahrain compared with similar countries
- Bahrain's 1,986 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for high income countries, which is 147 people per sq. km of land area, 13.5× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Bahrain's 1,986 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 117.07 people per sq. km of land area, 17.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
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 | 1,933 people per sq. km of land area | 1,875 people per sq. km of land area | 1,986 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near Bahrain
- 3 Singapore 8,329 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 4 Hong Kong 7,166 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 5 Gibraltar 3,933 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 7 Malta 1,805 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 8 Maldives 1,771 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 9 Bangladesh 1,333 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 1,986 people per sq. km of land area in 2024, 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 1,986 people per sq. km of land area in 2024.
- 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 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in Bahrain?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.5%. 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 — 64 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.