Bahamas (Commonwealth of The Bahamas)

Bahamas Commonwealth of The Bahamas
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	85th best
Capital	Nassau
Land Area	10 010km21
Location	North America, The Americas, The Caribbean
Groupings	Small Islands
Population	0.4m2
Life Expectancy	71.60yrs (2017)3
GNI	$30 486 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	BS, BHS, 445
Internet Domain	.bs6
Currency	Dollar (BSD)7
Telephone	+8

1. Overview
2. Bahamas National and Social Development
3. Bahamas's Demographics and Migration
4. Bahamas's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
   1. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets
   2. Gender Equality Datasets
   3. Prejudice Datasets
5. Bahamas's Health
   1. Health Datasets
   2. Children's Health Datasets
6. Bahamas's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Bahamas's Modernity and Learning
   1. Modernity Datasets
   2. Education Datasets
   3. Technology and Information Datasets
8. Bahamas's Culture, Peace and Inequality
   1. National Culture Datasets
   2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets
   3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

#UK #USA

“Lucayan Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher COLUMBUS first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas has prospered through tourism, international banking, and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US and Europe, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“The Bahamas are ready-made for exploration. ... From pirates and blockade dodgers to rum smugglers, wily go-getters have converged and caroused on the country´s 700 islands and 2400 cays for centuries. So what´s in it for travelers? There´s sailing around the Abacos´ history-filled Loyalist Cays. Partying til dawn at Paradise Island´s over-the-top Atlantis resort. Diving the spooky blue holes of Andros. Kayaking the 365 Exuma Cays. Lounging on Eleuthera´s pink-sand beaches. Pondering pirates in Nassau. There´s a Bahamian island to match most every water-and-sand-based compulsion, each framed by a backdrop of gorgeous, mesmerizing blue.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Bahamas National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better Value11
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
52	Russia	0.822
53	Romania	0.821
54	Oman	0.816
55	Bahamas	0.812
56	Kazakhstan	0.811
57	Trinidad & Tobago	0.810
58=	Costa Rica	0.809
58=	Uruguay	0.809
	The Americas Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
44	Hungary	$32 789
45	Turkey	$31 033
46	Slovakia	$30 690
47	Bahamas	$30 486
48	Croatia	$30 132
49	Romania	$30 027
50	Greece	$29 002
51	Russia	$27 166
	The Americas Avg	$16 628
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	27.2
2	Norway	29.2
3	Sweden	30.2
	...
82	Dominica	84.1
83	Antigua & Barbuda	84.4
84	Morocco	84.4
85	Bahamas	84.4
86	Cape Verde	84.6
87	Dominican Rep.	85.9
88	Russia	86.2
89	Vatican City	86.3
	The Americas Avg	82.3
	World Avg	89.2
q=200.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Bahamas's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

The Bahamas's population is predicted to rise to 414 859 by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.38. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1, once you take mortality into account₁₃. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
168	Maldives	0.5m
169	Malta	0.4m
170	Brunei	0.4m
171	Bahamas	0.4m
172	Belize	0.4m
173	Iceland	0.3m
174	Vanuatu	0.3m
175	Barbados	0.3m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
98	Georgia	71.7
99	St Kitts & Nevis	71.7
100	Ukraine	71.6
101	Bahamas	71.6
102	Tajikistan	71.6
103	Seychelles	71.3
104	St Lucia	71.1
105	Tonga	71.0
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
108	Switzerland	1.39
109	St Lucia	1.39
110	Turkmenistan	2.62
111	Bahamas	1.38
112	Albania	1.38
113	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.35
114	Jamaica	1.34
115	Micronesia	2.67
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better16
Pos.		2016 Per 10016
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
122	Jamaica	21.0
123	Lebanon	21.1
124	Trinidad & Tobago	21.9
125	Bahamas	22.4
126	Costa Rica	22.6
127	Israel	22.9
128	Sri Lanka	23.7
129	Moldova	24.7
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants17
Pos.		2017 %17
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
29	Cyprus	16.0%
30	Belize	16.0%
31	San Marino	15.7%
32	Bahamas	15.6%
33	Maldives	15.4%
34	USA	15.3%
35	Norway	15.1%
36	Germany	14.8%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants18
Pos.		2010 %18
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
49	Lithuania	13.2%
50	Romania	13.1%
51	Iceland	13.0%
52	Bahamas	12.8%
53	Estonia	12.6%
54	Nicaragua	12.5%
55	Latvia	12.3%
56	Luxembourg	11.8%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Bahamas's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to The Americas (2025)19
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank19
1	Canada	17.0
2	Uruguay	30.8
3	Costa Rica	38.8
	...
9	Mexico	66.3
10	Peru	68.4
11	Trinidad & Tobago	68.9
12	Bahamas	70.3
13	El Salvador	70.3
14	Barbados	72.7
15	Ecuador	74.6
16	Panama	76.4
17	Suriname	76.4
	The Americas Avg	75.88
q=35.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)19
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank19
1	Sweden	7.5
2	Netherlands	8.6
3	Denmark	9.0
	...
53	Peru	68.4
54	Bulgaria	68.8
55	Trinidad & Tobago	68.9
56	Bahamas	70.3
57	El Salvador	70.3
58	S. Africa	70.5
59	Barbados	72.7
60	Ukraine	73.9
	World Avg	90.04
q=198.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₂₀. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₂₀.

30 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₂₀, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₂₀.

For more, see:

• " Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

4.1. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

#freedom #human_rights #international_law #politics

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
47=	Liechtenstein	1.5
47=	Grenada	1.5
47=	Latvia	1.5
47=	Bahamas	1.5
51=	Jamaica	2.0
51=	Guyana	2.0
51=	USA	2.0
51=	Mauritius	2.0
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.7
q=205. Also scored for 1970s-2010s.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better21
Pos.		2009 Treaties21
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
147=	Lebanon	12
148=	Thailand	11
148=	Barbados	11
148=	Bahamas	11
148=	Cuba	11
148=	Guyana	11
148=	Swaziland	11
148=	Zimbabwe	11
	The Americas Avg	16.5
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better22
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty22
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
165	Saudi Arabia	13.73
166	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	13.73
167	Grenada	13.86
168	Bahamas	13.93
169	Zimbabwe	13.95
170	Djibouti	13.99
171	St Lucia	14.11
172	Montenegro	14.20
	The Americas Avg	8.45
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

4.2. Gender Equality Datasets

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #politics #women

The Bahamas has made some steps towards ending gender inequality but much more needs to be done.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

Gender Inequality Lower is better23
Pos.		202223
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
75	Bhutan	0.33
76	Azerbaijan	0.33
77	Fiji	0.33
78=	Bahamas	0.33
78=	Maldives	0.33
80	Cape Verde	0.33
81	St Lucia	0.35
82	Kyrgyzstan	0.35
	The Americas Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.34
q=166. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Year Women Can Vote Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
142=	Fiji	1963
142=	Afghanistan	1963
142=	Equatorial Guinea	1963
142=	Bahamas	1963
146=	Sudan	1964
146=	Libya	1964
146=	Papua New Guinea	1964
149=	Lesotho	1965
	The Americas Avg	1947
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

4.3. Prejudice Datasets

#2020s #freethought #homosexuality #religious_tolerance

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better24
Pos.		LGBT Equality in the 2020s Score24
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
104	Trinidad & Tobago	-0.19
105	Albania	-0.40
106	Macedonia	-0.43
107	Bahamas	-0.45
108	Mongolia	-0.48
109	Hungary	-0.50
110	Honduras	-0.51
111	Mozambique	-0.55
	The Americas Avg	0.41
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

The Bahamas inherited Britain’s Offences Against the Person Act (1861), which criminalized "buggery" with penalties of life imprisonment. This was finally abolished in 1991. Despite some progress against prejudice, there is still an unequal age of consent (16 for heterosexuals, 18 for same-sex). Same-sex marriage, civil unions, and adoption rights remain unrecognized. ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Bahamas had some legal protections against anti-LGBT discrimination.

Actions taken at the United Nations:

•  ⇡  In 2019, voted to renew the UN Human Rights Council Independent Expert on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better25
Pos.		202125
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
54=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.5
54=	Bulgaria	2.5
54=	Ukraine	2.5
54=	Bahamas	2.5
54=	Central African Rep.	2.5
54=	Chile	2.5
54=	Colombia	2.5
54=	Costa Rica	2.5
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Bahamas's Health

#health

Compared to The Americas (2025)26
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank26
1	Antigua & Barbuda	62.3
2	Canada	63.9
3	Cuba	64.7
	...
12	Grenada	81.1
13	Uruguay	82.1
14	Chile	84.1
15	Bahamas	84.1
16	St Vincent & Grenadines	85.3
17	Jamaica	85.4
18	Brazil	89.0
19	Colombia	89.1
20	St Kitts & Nevis	89.9
	The Americas Avg	91.99
q=41.

Health (2025)26
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank26
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	40.8
	...
73	Bulgaria	83.0
74	Estonia	83.2
75	Chile	84.1
76	Bahamas	84.1
77	Serbia	84.1
78	Armenia	85.3
79	St Vincent & Grenadines	85.3
80	Jamaica	85.4
	World Avg	97.39
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan₂₇. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₂₇.

42 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 and childhood mortality. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₂₇, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₂₇.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

5.1. Health Datasets

#2010s #alcohol #bahamas #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #smoking #suicide

The Bahamas does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. The Bahamas does better than average when it comes to its suicide rate₂₈, its smoking rate₂₉, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₃₀, its alcohol consumption rate₃₁, its adolescent birth rate₃₂ and in childhood mortality in the 2020s₃₃. But, there's bad news too. The Bahamas does worse than average when it comes to its average life expectancy₁₁, its fertility rate₁₅, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₃₄ and in the prevalence of overweight adults₃₅. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 for its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₆ (one of the worst in The Americas). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. Life expectancy in the Bahamas improved by just +1.1yrs in the 30 years from 1990, significantly less than almost everywhere else in the world. In the 2010s, it was one of only 12 countries that saw their life expectancy drop. The Bahamas's peak fertility rate was 4.87 in 1961.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
98	Georgia	71.7
99	St Kitts & Nevis	71.7
100	Ukraine	71.6
101	Bahamas	71.6
102	Tajikistan	71.6
103	Seychelles	71.3
104	St Lucia	71.1
105	Tonga	71.0
	The Americas Avg	72.58
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better31
Pos.		2016 Per Capita31
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
69	Honduras	4.0
70	Jamaica	4.2
71	Sri Lanka	4.3
72=	Bahamas	4.4
72=	Ecuador	4.4
74=	Bolivia	4.8
74=	Costa Rica	4.8
74=	Guinea-Bissau	4.8
	The Americas Avg	6.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
108	Switzerland	1.39
109	St Lucia	1.39
110	Turkmenistan	2.62
111	Bahamas	1.38
112	Albania	1.38
113	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.35
114	Jamaica	1.34
115	Micronesia	2.67
	The Americas Avg	1.80
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better29
Pos.		Smoking in the 2020s %29
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
39	Guyana	11.2%
40	Burundi	11.2%
41=	Zimbabwe	11.3%
41=	Bahamas	11.3%
43	Guatemala	12.0%
44	Canada	12.1%
45	Brazil	12.2%
46	Congo, DR	12.2%
	The Americas Avg	12.7%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Suicide Rate in the 2010s Lower is better28
Pos.		Suicide Rate in the 2010s Per 100k28
1=	Jordan	1.00
1=	Sao Tome & Principe	1.00
1=	Antigua & Barbuda	1.00
	...
30	Iraq	3.40
31	Sudan	3.54
32	Afghanistan	3.57
33	Bahamas	3.61
34	Morocco	3.63
35	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	3.66
36	Honduras	4.07
37	Tanzania	4.15
	The Americas Avg	8.02
	World Avg	9.24
q=185. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
152	Trinidad & Tobago	152
153	Mozambique	153
154	Cape Verde	154
155	Bahamas	155
156	Libya	156
157	Papua New Guinea	157
158	Belize	158
159	Algeria	159
	The Americas Avg	94.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better35
Pos.		1976 %35
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
140=	Belarus	38.2
140=	Croatia	38.2
142	Germany	38.7
143=	Bahamas	38.8
143=	Egypt	38.8
145	Libya	38.9
146	Macedonia	39.2
147	Saudi Arabia	39.4
	The Americas Avg	30.7
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better37
Pos.		2022 %37
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
187	Kiribati	46.2%
188	St Kitts & Nevis	46.6%
189	Marshall Islands	47.3%
190	Bahamas	47.6%
191	French Polynesia	48.4%
192	Samoa	61.2%
193	Tuvalu	63.9%
194	Niue	66.5%
	The Americas Avg	32.0%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

#children's_health #health #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better32
Pos.		2022 Per 100032
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
76	Mauritius	24.0
77	Jordan	24.9
78	Mongolia	25.0
79	Bahamas	25.1
80	Morocco	25.5
81	Fiji	26.1
82	Slovakia	26.6
83	Moldova	27.2
	The Americas Avg	48.1
	World Avg	43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better34
Pos.		Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Avg %34
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
110=	Sierra Leone	91.9
111	Bonaire	91.8
112=	Solomon Islands	91.6
112=	Bahamas	91.6
112=	New Zealand	91.6
112=	Zambia	91.6
112=	Lithuania	91.6
117	Lesotho	91.4
	The Americas Avg	87.5
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better30
Pos.		2015 Avg %30
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
42	Poland	96.5
43	Libya	96.4
44	St Kitts & Nevis	96.3
45	Bahamas	96.2
46	Maldives	96.2
47	Tajikistan	96.1
48	Rwanda	96.1
49	Sao Tome & Principe	96.0
	The Americas Avg	91.3
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better33
Pos.		Infant Mortality (2020s) Per 100033
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
79	El Salvador	15.03
80	Kosovo	15.11
81	Armenia	15.18
82	Bahamas	15.20
83	British Virgin Islands	15.26
84	Moldova	15.77
85	Colombia	15.90
86	Ecuador	15.98
	The Americas Avg	18.99
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

6. Bahamas's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#bahamas #biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to The Americas (2025)38
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank38
1	Uruguay	43.2
2	Puerto Rico	47.1
3	Costa Rica	49.7
	...
26	St Vincent & Grenadines	92.0
27	Trinidad & Tobago	94.5
28=	St Kitts & Nevis	96.9
29	Bahamas	100.9
30	Antigua & Barbuda	103.2
31	St Lucia	103.6
32	USA	103.8
33	Haiti	105.8
34	Suriname	108.5
	The Americas Avg	82.39
q=36.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)38
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank38
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
149	Russia	99.2
150	Myanmar	99.9
151	Kuwait	100.5
152	Bahamas	100.9
153	Azerbaijan	101.2
154	Mauritania	101.2
155	Oman	101.8
156	Iraq	102.8
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₃₉. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

The Bahamas ranks 152nd in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment. This is calculated from 21 data sets. The Bahamas does better than average in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₀. The Bahamas does worse than average in its environmental performance₄₁. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₂ (amongst the highest in The Americas).

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better40
Pos.		Total40
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
93=	Tonga	0.0%
93=	Barbados	0.0%
93=	Turkmenistan	0.0%
93=	Bahamas	0.0%
93=	San Marino	0.0%
93=	Afghanistan	0.0%
93=	Vatican City	0.0%
93=	Vanuatu	0.0%
	The Americas Avg	-2.1%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better41
Pos.		201841
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
95	Kiribati	55.3
96	Bahrain	55.2
97	Nicaragua	55.0
98	Bahamas	55.0
99	Kyrgyzstan	54.9
100	Nigeria	54.8
101	Kazakhstan	54.6
102	Samoa	54.5
	The Americas Avg	58.8
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		International Accords on the Environment Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
86	Zambia	61%
87	Indonesia	61%
88	Maldives	61%
89	Bahamas	60%
90	Malawi	60%
91	Monaco	60%
92	Burkina Faso	59%
93	Benin	59%
	The Americas Avg	60.7%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

The Bahamas are particularly vulnerable to the antics of rich corporatins and countries, and the effects of climate change - it was one of the 31 countries that signed the Basel Convention during its first year, one of the 30 who signed the Convention on Biological Diversity on its first day, and one of the early adopters of the Kyoto Protocol in 1999.

Meat Consumption Lower is better42
Pos.		2021 kg42
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
177	Israel	107.7
178	St Vincent & Grenadines	109.5
179	Australia	110.2
180	Bahamas	111.9
181	Argentina	115.5
182	Mongolia	115.6
183	Nauru	125.9
184	USA	126.8
	The Americas Avg	70.3
	World Avg	52.5
q=185. Also scored for 2010s.

In the 2010s, the Bahamas's meat consumption per person was the 7th-highest in the world, putting unnecessary strain on water supplies and the environment. In that decade, it reduced its consumption significantly.₄₂

7. Bahamas's Modernity and Learning

#education #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to The Americas (2025)43
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank43
1	Canada	28.7
2	Argentina	39.3
3	Chile	43.4
	...
28	Honduras	97.5
29	St Vincent & Grenadines	98.7
30	St Lucia	98.9
31	Jamaica	99.7
32	Guyana	112.8
33	Bahamas	113.4
34	Belize	121.2
35	Haiti	126.3
36	Puerto Rico	147.7
	The Americas Avg	79.58
q=36.

Modernity & Learning (2025)43
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank43
1	Finland	6.1
2	Iceland	8.1
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
130	Samoa	109.0
131	Ghana	111.9
132	Guyana	112.8
133	Bahamas	113.4
134	Kiribati	113.8
135	Cameroon	115.0
136	Palestine	115.1
137	Nigeria	115.5
	World Avg	84.96
q=197.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Iceland and Denmark₄₄. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₄₄. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₅.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₄₆

27 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₄, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₄.

For more, see:

• " Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

7.1. Modernity Datasets

#metric

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
111	Togo	111
112	Belize	112
113	Algeria	113
114	Bahamas	114
115	Bahrain	115
116	Kazakhstan	116
117	Sri Lanka	117
118	Rwanda	118
	The Americas Avg	99.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better47
Pos.		2025 %47
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
175=	Bhutan	85
175=	Belize	85
175=	Somalia	85
175=	Bahamas	85
175=	Afghanistan	85
175=	Yemen	85
175=	Laos	85
182	S. Sudan	80
	The Americas Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Adopted metric in 1969. Progression:

• 1960 (30%): Imperial dominant; metric limited to science.
• 1970 (50%): Metric introduced in education/commerce; dual labelling.
• 1980 (70%): Official standardization grows; mph and imperial persist in daily life.
• 2000 (80%): Metric common in formal sectors; road signs and colloquial imperial remain.
• 2025 (85%): High metric usage officially; everyday imperial still frequent.

7.2. Education Datasets

#education

Secondary Education Higher is better48
Pos.		201848
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
44	Israel	89.1%
45	Sweden	88.9%
46	Mongolia	88.8%
47	Bahamas	88.4%
48	Ireland	88.3%
49	Netherlands	88.3%
50	Cuba	87.4%
51	Poland	85.3%
	The Americas Avg	63.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better49
Pos.		2021 Years49
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
112	Gabon	13.0
113	Vietnam	13.0
114	Togo	13.0
115	Bahamas	12.9
116	Nepal	12.9
117	St Lucia	12.9
118	Libya	12.9
119	Venezuela	12.8
	The Americas Avg	14.2
	World Avg	13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#the_internet

Internet Users (2020s) Higher is better
Pos.		Internet Users (2020s)
1=	Iceland	99%
1=	Kuwait	99%
1=	UAE	99%
	...
23	Spain	95%
24	Hong Kong	94%
25	Andorra	94%
26	Bahamas	94%
27	Belgium	94%
28	Canada	94%
29	Netherlands	93%
30	Finland	93%
	The Americas Avg	75.7%
	World Avg	67.8%
q=188. Also scored for 1990s-2020s.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better50
Pos.		2017 Ratio50
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
109=	Qatar	0.0
109=	Kuwait	0.0
109=	Guernsey	0.0
109=	Bahamas	0.0
109=	Antigua & Barbuda	0.0
109=	Venezuela	0.0
109=	Kazakhstan	0.0
109=	New Caledonia	0.0
	The Americas Avg	3.36
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

8. Bahamas's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#charitability #culture #equality #human_development #inequality #peace

Compared to The Americas (2025)51
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank51
1	Canada	20.9
2	USA	40.1
3	Costa Rica	46.8
4	Uruguay	51.4
5	Barbados	51.9
6	Chile	54.9
7	Trinidad & Tobago	60.0
8	Bahamas	62.1
9	Jamaica	66.2
10	Panama	68.8
11	Argentina	76.4
12	Belize	76.5
13	Dominica	77.1
	The Americas Avg	76.34
q=33.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2025)51
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank51
1	Denmark	10.4
2	Netherlands	11.8
3	Finland	12.2
	...
47	Trinidad & Tobago	60.0
48	Bulgaria	60.4
49	Oman	62.0
50	Bahamas	62.1
51	Romania	62.2
52	Albania	63.3
53	Brunei	64.6
54	Moldova	65.3
	World Avg	80.47
q=183.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 39 datasets, including multiple decades of data on resisting corruption, Creativity and Culture, overall happiness, Open Trading, Aid and Development, passport utility (so far), personal financial stability, World Giving Index, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, poverty (so far), life expectancy inequality, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2026).

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#bahamas #corruption #freedom #internationalism #politics

The Bahamas has a good long-term record on keeping corruption low, but things have been getting worse over the last ten years.

Corruption Higher is better52
Pos.		2022 Points52
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
27=	UAE	67.0
27=	Chile	67.0
29	Barbados	65.0
30	Bahamas	64.0
31=	S. Korea	63.0
31=	Israel	63.0
33=	Lithuania	62.0
33=	Portugal	62.0
	The Americas Avg	42.97
	World Avg	42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
49	Seychelles	49
50	Grenada	50
51	Chile	51
52	Bahamas	52
53	UAE	53
54	Thailand	54
55	Macedonia	55
56	Mauritania	56
	The Americas Avg	80.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
124	Lithuania	124
125	St Lucia	125
126	Chad	126
127	Bahamas	127
128	Liberia	128
129	Sierra Leone	129
130	Kenya	130
131	Kazakhstan	131
	The Americas Avg	100.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better53
Pos.		Passport Reach (2020s) Q53
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
50	Barbados	162.3
51	Mexico	159.0
52=	St Kitts & Nevis	156.3
52=	Bahamas	156.3
54	Vatican City	154.2
55	Uruguay	154.0
56	Seychelles	153.2
57	St Vincent & Grenadines	152.5
	The Americas Avg	132.4
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Personal Financial Stability in the 2020s Higher is better54
Pos.		Personal Financial Stability in the 2020s Score54
1	Denmark	9.06
2	Switzerland	9.00
3	Finland	8.96
	...
90	Moldova	6.34
91	Serbia	6.33
92	Namibia	6.33
93	Bahamas	6.29
94	Nicaragua	6.25
95	Tajikistan	6.22
96	Mexico	6.20
97	Macedonia	6.16
	The Americas Avg	6.36
	World Avg	6.46
q=165.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
91	Congo, DR	91
92	Pakistan	92
93	Estonia	93
94	Bahamas	94
95	Mauritania	95
96	Nicaragua	96
97	Peru	97
98	Czechia	98
	The Americas Avg	82.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
145	Chad	145
146	Central African Rep.	146
147	El Salvador	147
148	Bahamas	148
149	Marshall Islands	149
150	Burundi	150
151	Zimbabwe	151
152	Grenada	152
	The Americas Avg	91.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

#health #inequality #life_expectancy

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better55
Pos.		201955
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
52=	Romania	6.30
53	Saudi Arabia	6.40
54	Oman	6.70
55	Bahamas	6.80
56	Sri Lanka	7.00
57=	Costa Rica	7.10
57=	Russia	7.10
59	Albania	7.20
	The Americas Avg	12.03
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₅₆:

	2010	2020
Christian	97.5%	97.6%
Unaffiliated	1.92%	1.86%
Other	0.316%	0.292%
Hindu	0.125%	0.126%
Muslim	<0.1%	<0.1%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%
Buddhist	None	None

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Protestant 67.6% (Baptist 35.4%, Anglican 15.1%, Pentecostal 8.1%, Church of God 4.8%, Methodist 4.2%), Roman Catholic 13.5%, other Christian 15.2%, none or unspecified 2.9%, other 0.8% (2000 census)₅₇.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)₅₈, in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for The Bahamas states:

“The constitution and other laws and policies protect religious freedom. The constitution specifically forbids infringement of a person's freedom to choose and change religion and provides for the right to practice the religion or belief of one's choice. However, the constitution also requires the government to respect Christian values. And political and public discourse often invokes the country's strong Christian heritage and Christian values.

The government meets regularly with religious leaders, both publicly and privately, to discuss societal, political, and economic issues. Religion is recognized as an academic subject at government schools and is included in mandatory standardized achievement and certificate tests. The country's Christian heritage has a strong influence on religion classes in government-supported schools, which focus on the study of Christian philosophy, Biblical texts, and, to a lesser extent, comparative and non-Christian religions presented in a Christian context. The constitution allows students, or their guardians in the case of minors, to decline to participate in religious education and observance in schools.”

"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)₅₉

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems