Population of Bahrain

As of August 2026, the population of Bahrain is 1.7 million. The number of inhabitants has increased by 30 thousand in the last year, representing a growth of 1.96%. The median age of the population has increased in recent years, rising from 30.2 years in 2016 to 33.4 years in 2026. Currently, life expectancy at birth is 81.7 years and population density is 2.1 thousand inhabitants per square kilometer.

Population Growth

The population growth rate of Bahrain peaked in 2002, reaching around 7.78% annually, but has since declined to approximately 1.82% in 2026. The annual increase in the number of people has also decreased from a peak of around 64.92 thousand in 2016 to nearly 30.4 thousand in 2026.

Life Expectancy

In Bahrain, life expectancy at birth has been increasing, with the indicator rising from 76.5 years in 2006 to 81.7 years in 2026, representing an increase of more than 5 years over the past 2 decades.

Most populous cities in Bahrain

The cities of Bahrain are mostly small, but 4 stand out with more than 100 thousand inhabitants. The most populous city is Al Muharraq, Muharraq, with approximately 176.6 thousand inhabitants. It is followed by Manama with 147.1 thousand and Madīnat Ḩamad, Northern with 133.6 thousand.

These are the 11 most populous cities in Bahrain: