Country profile · BS
Nassau · Caribbean
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Species, IUCN status, protected areas
History view & timeline of notable moments
Looking for Bahamas’s population, area, or density? The headline figures are here, answer-first — every one citable to its primary source.
Bahamas is the 178th most populous of the 250 countries we track. At 40 people/km² it is denser than 25% of them.
Every figure links to its primary source — open them, question them, find a fresher one if you can. The category sections below go deeper; lateral views (biodiversity, critical events) are in the header above.
GDP, human development, happiness, connectivity
Bahamas's GDP per capita is $39.5k (current US$, 2024). Its Human Development Index, which combines life expectancy, education, and income, sits at 0.820 (2023). Every number above links to its primary source; we encourage you to verify the latest figures directly.
3 indicators cited · validated May 26
The Bahamas pairs no personal income tax with very accessible US connectivity (45-minute flights to Miami) — making it among the most strategic destinations for US-based remote workers. Nassau (New Providence) is the financial/business hub; Paradise Island and the Out Islands (Eleuthera, Exuma) at the premium and isolation extremes. BS's WB gdp_per_capita_usd is ~USD 34,900 (2023) — Caribbean's highest. Inflation at 2.1% (2024) is moderate. Healthcare OOP via WB is ~USD 220/month per capita.
For a solo expat in Nassau: ~USD 2,200/month baseline. Paradise Island: USD 3,000-4,000. Out Islands (Eleuthera, Exuma): ~USD 1,800. Family of three Nassau: ~USD 4,000; Out Islands ~USD 3,000.
The Bahamas operates no personal income tax per the Department of Inland Revenue. VAT is 10% (raised from 7.5% in 2018, stabilized at 10% as of 2022). The Bahamas has no corporate income tax for non-financial-sector businesses; the financial sector operates under separate licensing-fee structures. Property transfer taxes apply on real-estate transactions (1-2.5% depending on bracket).
Two caveats. The Bahamas' no-personal-income-tax position is conditional on actual residency status; tax-residency rules in your home country (especially for US citizens) continue to govern your global tax obligations. Second, Bahamas import dependency drives consumer-goods costs ~25-40% above US prices — particularly noticeable for vehicles, electronics, and prepared foods.
These figures are reference baselines drawn from primary government and supranational sources — each indicator has a methodology page that documents the source dataset, refresh cadence, and known limitations of what it does and does not capture. Browse the full Bahamas country profile for the latest values across these indicators, or read the methodology page for health_expenditure_per_capita_usd to understand the underlying basis. You can also compare Bahamas with similar destinations side-by-side using your own weighting of cost-of-living, tax, and quality-of-life dimensions — the comparison tool surfaces the same indicator data with the per-indicator citations preserved.
Sources
Want to compare Bahamas’s cost data against other countries? Open the match engine →
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI)
Bahamas scores 61 out of 100 on the World Bank's Rule of Law measure (2024). Its Voice & Accountability score, which captures citizens' ability to participate in selecting government and free expression, is 67. These are composite indicators built from many underlying surveys — follow the source links to see their full methodology.
Life expectancy, healthcare resources, mortality
Life expectancy at birth in Bahamas is 74.6 years (2023, World Bank). Mortality figures below are sensitive to data lag — some countries report several years behind real time.
Air quality and protected areas
Terrestrial protected areas cover 34.6% of land — the Kunming-Montréal global target is 30% by 2030.
Population total and density
1 program sourced from issuing government
Tap any program for eligibility, fees, and the official source.
Validated May 26
The Bahamas operates BEATS (Bahamas Extended Access Travel Stay), launched in October 2020 as one of the early Caribbean DN initiatives. The programme is administered by the Department of Immigration via Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Aviation and Investments.
BEATS does not publish an explicit numeric income threshold — applicants prove "sufficient funds" through documentation, which is interpreted in practice as showing remote-work income or savings adequate to cover the 12-month stay. Fees are explicit: USD 1,025 individual, with family adders for spouse + minor children. 12-month residence permit, renewable upon re-application. Eligible for both remote workers AND tertiary students (the BEATS programme uniquely accommodates both — unusual for Caribbean DN visas).
The Bahamas operates no personal income tax — among the most attractive tax positions globally for high-earning remote workers, comparable to UAE and Monaco. VAT is 10% standard (raised from 7.5% in 2018, lowered to 12% then stabilized at 10% as of 2022). The Bahamas has no corporate income tax for non-financial-sector businesses; the financial sector operates under a separate licensing-fee structure. Property transfer taxes apply on real-estate transactions. Path to permanent residency: BEATS is NOT a PR pathway. The Bahamas Permanent Residency requires either substantial investment (BSD 750,000+ in real estate, with priority handling at BSD 1.5M+) or accelerated paths for specific professionals.
Two caveats. First, the "sufficient funds" income standard is loosely defined — typical practical thresholds run USD 30,000-50,000/year of demonstrable income, but case-by-case interpretation is the rule. Second, the Bahamas' no-personal-income-tax position is conditional on actual residency status; tax-residency rules in your home country (e.g. US citizens) continue to govern your global tax obligations regardless of where you live. Compare BS BEATS with other Caribbean DN tracks or browse Bahamas.
Primary-source verification: visa administration via Bahamas Department of Immigration; tax-side rules via Bahamas Department of Inland Revenue; programme governance via Bahamas Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Sources
Featured in
Every list below is a multi-indicator query whose criteria Bahamas satisfies on the current data. Click any chip to see the full ranked list and tweak the thresholds.
Same subregion: Caribbean