Population in the largest city in Bahrain
Bahrain: Population in the largest city was 46.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Population in the largest city in Bahrain, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of urban population.
Analysis
In 2025, population in the largest city in Bahrain stood at 46.4%.
The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 44.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in the largest city in Bahrain peaked at 50.0% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 23.3%, in 2009.
Bahrain ranks 26th of 153 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Population in the largest city in Bahrain, year by year
| Year | % of urban population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 47.6% | — |
| 1961 | 47.7% | +0.2% |
| 1962 | 47.9% | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 48.0% | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 48.2% | +0.4% |
| 1965 | 48.2% | -0.1% |
| 1966 | 47.9% | -0.7% |
| 1967 | 47.8% | -0.1% |
| 1968 | 48.3% | +0.9% |
| 1969 | 49.1% | +1.8% |
| 1970 | 50.0% | +1.8% |
| 1971 | 49.9% | -0.3% |
| 1972 | 48.7% | -2.3% |
| 1973 | 47.3% | -2.9% |
| 1974 | 45.9% | -2.9% |
| 1975 | 44.6% | -2.9% |
| 1976 | 43.4% | -2.8% |
| 1977 | 42.2% | -2.7% |
| 1978 | 41.1% | -2.6% |
| 1979 | 40.0% | -2.5% |
| 1980 | 39.1% | -2.3% |
| 1981 | 38.2% | -2.3% |
| 1982 | 37.0% | -3.2% |
| 1983 | 35.7% | -3.4% |
| 1984 | 34.4% | -3.6% |
| 1985 | 33.2% | -3.7% |
| 1986 | 31.9% | -3.8% |
| 1987 | 30.7% | -3.7% |
| 1988 | 29.6% | -3.6% |
| 1989 | 28.6% | -3.4% |
| 1990 | 27.7% | -3.0% |
| 1991 | 28.6% | +3.0% |
| 1992 | 28.1% | -1.5% |
| 1993 | 27.8% | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 27.4% | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 27.0% | -1.3% |
| 1996 | 26.7% | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 26.3% | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 26.0% | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 25.7% | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 25.3% | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 25.1% | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 25.1% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 25.0% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 24.8% | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 24.5% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 24.1% | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 23.6% | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 23.5% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 23.3% | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 23.8% | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 26.5% | +11.6% |
| 2012 | 28.5% | +7.3% |
| 2013 | 29.8% | +4.7% |
| 2014 | 30.9% | +3.5% |
| 2015 | 32.2% | +4.2% |
| 2016 | 33.6% | +4.5% |
| 2017 | 34.6% | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 37.6% | +8.4% |
| 2019 | 40.5% | +7.7% |
| 2020 | 43.1% | +6.5% |
| 2021 | 44.1% | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 45.2% | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 44.9% | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 45.7% | +1.7% |
| 2025 | 46.4% | +1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 48.1% | 47.6% | 49.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 45.3% | 40.0% | 50.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 33.8% | 28.6% | 39.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 27.1% | 25.7% | 28.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.4% | 23.3% | 25.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.8% | 23.8% | 40.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.9% | 43.1% | 46.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bahrain
More urban development data for Bahrain
- Population density 1,971 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- 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 in the largest city in Bahrain?
- Population in the largest city in Bahrain was 46.4% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in the largest city recorded in Bahrain?
- The highest recorded value was 50.0% in 1970.
- What is the lowest population in the largest city recorded in Bahrain?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.3% in 2009.
- How does Bahrain rank for population in the largest city?
- Bahrain ranks 26th out of 153 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in the largest city rising or falling in Bahrain?
- Over the last ten years it is up 44.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bahrain data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in the largest city (% of urban population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.