Islam is the official religion. Though Shi'a Muslims make up more than two-thirds of the population, Sunni Islam is the prevailing belief held by those in the government, military, and corporate sectors. Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, as well as a tiny indigenous Jewish community, also exist in Bahrain.
Bahrain has traditionally boasted an advanced educational system. Schooling and related costs are entirely paid for by the government, and, although not compulsory, primary and secondary attendance rates are high. Bahrain also encourages institutions of higher learning, drawing on expatriate talent and the increasing pool of Bahrainis returning from abroad with advanced degrees. Bahrain University has been established for standard undergraduate and graduate study, and the College of Health Sciences--operating under the direction of the Ministry of Health--trains physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and paramedics.
Population:
634,137
note:
includes 228,424 non-nationals (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
30% (male 96,240; female 93,846)
15-64 years:
67% (male 252,767; female 173,072)
65 years and over:
3% (male 9,270; female 8,942) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.78% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 20.61 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 3.89 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: 1.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.46 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
1.04 male(s)/female
total population:
1.3 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 20.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
72.98 years
male:
70.58 years
female:
75.45 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.82 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Bahraini(s)
adjective:
Bahraini
Ethnic groups: Bahraini 63%, Asian 19%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%
Religions: Shi'a Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim 25%
Languages: Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
Literacy:
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
85.2%
male:
89.1%
female:
79.4% (1995 est.)
Reference
Much of the material in this article comes from the CIA World Factbook 2000 and the 2003 U.S. Department of State website.