Population: 279 833 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 28% (male 39 239; female 38 708)
15-64 years: 67% (male 91 208; female 95 198)
65 years and over: 5% (male 6 444; female 9 036) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.39% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 21.03 births/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 5.44 deaths/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.72 migrant(s)/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 18.97 deaths/1 000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74 years
male: 70.65 years
female: 77.42 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.33 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Bahamian(s)
adjective: Bahamian

Ethnic groups: black 85% white 15%

Religions: Baptist 32% Anglican 20% Roman Catholic 19% Methodist 6% Church of God 6% other Protestant 12% none or unknown 3% other 2%

Languages: English Creole (among Haitian immigrants)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write but definition of literacy not available
total population: 98.2%
male: 98.5%
female: 98% (1995 est.)