Urban population growth in Bahrain
Bahrain: Urban population growth was 0.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Urban population growth in Bahrain, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Bahrain recorded 0.7% for urban population growth in 2025.
That represents a change of down 82.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population growth in Bahrain peaked at 9.8% in 2007 and was at its lowest, -2.8%, in 2011.
Bahrain ranks 139th of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Urban population growth in Bahrain, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 4.1% | — |
| 1962 | 4.0% | -2.3% |
| 1963 | 3.9% | -2.0% |
| 1964 | 3.9% | -1.9% |
| 1965 | 3.5% | -9.2% |
| 1966 | 2.7% | -23.6% |
| 1967 | 2.1% | -22.3% |
| 1968 | 1.1% | -47.1% |
| 1969 | 0.2% | -80.5% |
| 1970 | 0.2% | -7.9% |
| 1971 | 2.4% | +1104.5% |
| 1972 | 4.9% | +105.5% |
| 1973 | 5.5% | +12.0% |
| 1974 | 5.5% | -0.0% |
| 1975 | 5.4% | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 5.4% | -1.1% |
| 1977 | 5.3% | -1.6% |
| 1978 | 5.2% | -2.2% |
| 1979 | 5.0% | -2.7% |
| 1980 | 4.9% | -3.1% |
| 1981 | 4.5% | -8.7% |
| 1982 | 4.2% | -5.6% |
| 1983 | 4.4% | +4.6% |
| 1984 | 4.6% | +4.9% |
| 1985 | 4.8% | +3.1% |
| 1986 | 4.8% | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 4.8% | -0.8% |
| 1988 | 4.6% | -2.9% |
| 1989 | 4.4% | -5.1% |
| 1990 | 4.1% | -7.9% |
| 1991 | -2.0% | -149.4% |
| 1992 | 2.7% | -232.4% |
| 1993 | 2.6% | -2.7% |
| 1994 | 2.6% | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 2.5% | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 2.5% | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 2.5% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 2.5% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 2.6% | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 2.6% | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 3.7% | +41.6% |
| 2002 | 7.5% | +105.6% |
| 2003 | 8.1% | +7.6% |
| 2004 | 8.6% | +6.3% |
| 2005 | 9.1% | +5.2% |
| 2006 | 9.4% | +4.2% |
| 2007 | 9.8% | +3.4% |
| 2008 | 8.0% | -18.3% |
| 2009 | 8.6% | +8.0% |
| 2010 | 5.9% | -32.0% |
| 2011 | -2.8% | -147.3% |
| 2012 | 1.2% | -141.9% |
| 2013 | 3.6% | +209.7% |
| 2014 | 4.8% | +33.1% |
| 2015 | 4.2% | -13.1% |
| 2016 | 3.8% | -8.0% |
| 2017 | 5.3% | +38.4% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | -97.5% |
| 2019 | -1.3% | -1084.7% |
| 2020 | -0.8% | -39.6% |
| 2021 | 2.2% | -376.5% |
| 2022 | 1.3% | -37.9% |
| 2023 | 3.4% | +151.6% |
| 2024 | 0.7% | -78.3% |
| 2025 | 0.7% | -0.0% |
Bahrain compared with similar countries
- Bahrain's 0.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.6%, 1.1× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Bahrain's 0.7% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.9%, 38% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Urban population growth in Bahrain changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | +1104.5% | 0.2% | 2.4% |
| 2019 | -1084.7% | 0.1% | -1.3% |
| 2021 | +376.5% | -0.8% | 2.2% |
| 1992 | +232.4% | -2.0% | 2.7% |
| 2013 | +209.7% | 1.2% | 3.6% |
| 2023 | +151.6% | 1.3% | 3.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.8% | 0.2% | 4.1% | 9 |
| 1970s | 4.5% | 0.2% | 5.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.6% | 4.2% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.3% | -2.0% | 4.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.5% | 2.6% | 9.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.5% | -2.8% | 5.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.3% | -0.8% | 3.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bahrain
More climate change data for Bahrain
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 985,662 kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 40.92 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 16.54 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 24.39 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 0.0624 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 0.8709 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 5.43 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 5.43 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.0205 kt (2050)
- Synthetic Fertilizers — Emissions (CO2eq) 5.43 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population growth in Bahrain?
- Urban population growth in Bahrain was 0.7% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population growth recorded in Bahrain?
- The highest recorded value was 9.8% in 2007.
- What is the lowest urban population growth recorded in Bahrain?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.8% in 2011.
- How does Bahrain rank for urban population growth?
- Bahrain ranks 139th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population growth rising or falling in Bahrain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 82.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bahrain data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Annual urban population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear urban population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank total population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects.