Bahrain: Economic Snapshot

Population
1,643,000 people, about 1.64 million (2026 est.)
Capital City
Manama
Main Cities
Manama, Riffa, Muharraq, Hamad Town, Aali
Languages
Arabic (official), English, Farsi, Urdu
Religion
Islam is the official religion of Bahrain
Muslim 74 %, other (includes Christian, Jewish,
Hindu, Baha’i) 26 – 28 % (2024 est.)
Population growth
0.82% (2024 est.)
2024 – 2025: ~2.1–2.3 % growth
Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 81.4 years (2024 est.)
male: 80.9 years
female: 82.1 years
Literacy
Age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 97.8%
male: 99%, female: 96% (2023)
Labour force
913,000 (2024 est.)
Government type
Constitutional monarchy
Governorates
5 (The Capital, Muharraq, Northern and
Southern, Al-Ahmadi )
National Day
16th December
Legislature
Bicameral National Assembly consists of:
Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura
(40 seats; members appointed by the king)
Council of Representatives or Majlis al-Nuwab
(40 seats; members directly elected in
single-seat constituencies by absolute majority
vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve
4-year renewable terms)
Legal system
Mixed legal system of Islamic (sharia) law,
English common law, Egyptian civil, criminal,
and commercial codes; customary law
Major Industries
Besides oil and gas industries, the other main
industrial sectors in Bahrain are: Petrochemicals
and Plastics, Engineering and Aluminium,
Furniture and wood, Food and pharmacological,
Wearing apparel and Textile
Agricultural products
lamb/mutton, dates, milk, chicken, tomatoes,
fruits,sheep offal, eggs, sheepskins, cucumbers/
gherkins.
Exports
BD 358 Million (2025 Nov est.)
Exports – partners
United Arab Emirates 12%, Saudi Arabia
19%, United States 9%,Netherlands 4.4%,
Egypy 3.7%(2022)
Exports – commodities
Refined Petroleum, Aluminum, Iron Ore, iron
blocks, Aluminum Wiring, Machinery & boilers
(2024)
Imports
BD 5872 million (2024 est.)
Imports – partners
United Arab Emirates 9.4%, Brazil 9%,
China 14%, Australia 8%, India 4.8% (2024)
Imports – commodities
Machinery, nuclear reactors , boilers, ores slag &
ash (2024)
Real GDP
Purchasing power parity
$106.3 billion (2024 est.)
Growth rate – 2.6 to 3% (2024 est.)
Per Capita – $59,129 (2024 est.)
Natural Resources
Oil, associated and non associated natural gas,
Fish, Pearls
Currency
Bahraini Dinars
Exchange Rate
1 Bahraini Dinar = 2.65 US Dollars (2025)
Exchange rate policy
Maintained against the US Dollar
Currency Regulations
No restriction on import or export of currency
Visa Requirements
It is requirement for all nationals and passport
should have 6 months’ validity
Bahrain Chamber Of Commerce & Industry
Bahrain Chamber of Commerce & Industry
P.O Box 248, Sanabis, Kingdom of Bahrain
Tel: 1738 0000
Email: info@bahrainchamber.bh
Gold Rate
22K Gold – 56.54/gram in BHD ,
24K Gold – 61.73/gram in BHD
(January 1st 2026)
Bahrain Gasoline price
0.37 bhd per liter
Oil price per barrel
27 BHD
Tax
10% VAT (Effective 2022)

Sources:
https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/bahrain/
https://www.bahrain.bh/, https://oilpricez.com/bh/