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Bahamas 2023 Press Freedom Profile

Bahamas is not rated by the RSF index; Freedom House classifies it as Free with a total score of 91/100. Context: pop 389K, GDP $12.83B.

RSF Score——
Freedom StatusFreeFH total 91/100
GDP$12.83BWorld Bank data
Population389KNational total

2023 Press Freedom Scorecard

Overall score and global position

Bahamas is not currently scored by the RSF World Press Freedom Index or by the V-Dem Freedom of Expression project; the profile relies on Freedom House and World Bank indicators below. Of the 25 Freedom House indicators, Bahamas earns 17 at the maximum 4/4 and 0 at 0/4; its strongest category is Electoral Process (12/12) and its weakest is Personal Autonomy (13/16).

Composite index comparison

Political Rights (Freedom House)38 / 40

Elections, political pluralism, government functioning.

Civil Liberties (Freedom House)53 / 60

Freedom of expression, association, rule of law, personal autonomy.

Full socio-economic dashboard

public

Demographics & geography

Population389K
Urban population324K
Density39.0 people / km²
Land area13,880 km²
CapitalNassau, Bahamas
Largest cityNassau, Bahamas
Latitude25.0343°
Longitude-77.3963°
Forested area51.4%
Agricultural land1.4%
CO₂ emissions1,786 kt
payments

Economy & labour

GDP$12.83B
GDP per capita$32,933
Currency—
CPI116.22
CPI change (%)2.5%
Minimum wage$5.25 /hr
Unemployment rate10.4%
Labor-force participation74.6%
Tax revenue (% of GDP)14.8%
Total tax rate33.8%
Gasoline price$0.92 /L
medical_services

Health

Life expectancy73.8 years
Birth rate13.97 / 1 000
Fertility rate1.75 births / woman
Infant mortality8.3 / 1 000 live births
Maternal mortality ratio70 / 100 000 live births
Physicians1.94 / 1 000 people
Out-of-pocket health spend27.8%
school

Education

Gross primary enrollment81.4%
Gross tertiary enrollment15.1%
account_balance

Administration

Official languageEnglish
ISO abbreviationBS
Calling code+1
Armed forces size1,000 personnel

All socio-economic indicators from the World Bank country dataset (2023 snapshot).

Democratic Rights & Civil Liberties

Freedom status explained

Freedom House classifies Bahamas as Free with a 2024 aggregate score of 91/100 — meaning national institutions reliably protect political rights and civil liberties.

Within Freedom House's Americas region (35 countries), Bahamas ranks #8 on the latest aggregate score — the 79th percentile. The region leaders are Canada, Uruguay, Barbados.

Political Rights vs Civil Liberties

Political Rights

38/ 40

Rating 1 of 7 (1 = best)

Civil Liberties

53/ 60

Rating 1 of 7 (1 = best)

Political rights are rated noticeably higher than civil liberties — the formal political framework is more open than the day-to-day environment for expression, association, and personal autonomy.

Twelve-year Freedom House trend

02550751002013: 962014: 962015: 962016: 922017: 912018: 912019: 912020: 912021: 912022: 912023: 912024: 91201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024

Between 2013 and 2024, Freedom House moved Bahamas from Free (Free, 96/100) to Free (Free, 91/100).

Indicator trajectory (A–G over 12 years)

Of the 25 Freedom House indicators tracked for Bahamas, 6 moved at least one point across the available Freedom House history. The eight with the largest absolute change appear below.

Code Indicator Earliest Latest Δ
D1 Free media 4/4 (2013) 3/4 (2024) ▼ -1
F2 Due process 4/4 (2013) 3/4 (2024) ▼ -1
F4 Equal treatment 3/4 (2013) 2/4 (2024) ▼ -1
G1 Freedom of movement 4/4 (2013) 3/4 (2024) ▼ -1
G3 Personal social freedoms 4/4 (2013) 3/4 (2024) ▼ -1
F1 Independent judiciary 4/4 (2013) 4/4 (2024) • 0

Latest A–G indicator scorecard

A.

Electoral Process

PR

Subtotal12 / 12
  • A1Free and fair head-of-government elections

    4/4

  • A2Free and fair legislative elections

    4/4

  • A3Electoral laws and framework

    4/4

B.

Political Pluralism & Participation

PR

Subtotal16 / 16
  • B1Right to organise in political parties

    4/4

  • B2Opposition can realistically gain power

    4/4

  • B3Free political choice without domination

    4/4

  • B4Political rights of minorities

    4/4

C.

Functioning of Government

PR

Subtotal10 / 12
  • C1Elected officials determine government policy

    4/4

  • C2Safeguards against corruption

    3/4

  • C3Transparency of government

    3/4

D.

Freedom of Expression & Belief

CL

Subtotal15 / 16
  • D1Free and independent media

    3/4

  • D2Freedom of religious expression

    4/4

  • D3Academic freedom

    4/4

  • D4Free private discussion

    4/4

E.

Associational & Organisational Rights

CL

Subtotal12 / 12
  • E1Freedom of assembly

    4/4

  • E2Freedom for NGOs

    4/4

  • E3Free trade unions

    4/4

F.

Rule of Law

CL

Subtotal13 / 16
  • F1Independent judiciary

    4/4

  • F2Due process in civil and criminal matters

    3/4

  • F3Protection from illegitimate force

    4/4

  • F4Equal treatment under the law

    2/4

G.

Personal Autonomy & Individual Rights

CL

Subtotal13 / 16
  • G1Freedom of movement

    3/4

  • G2Property rights

    4/4

  • G3Personal social freedoms

    3/4

  • G4Equality of opportunity

    3/4

Each indicator is scored 0–4 by Freedom House analysts; category subtotals combine into the Political Rights (A + B + C = 0–40) and Civil Liberties (D + E + F + G = 0–60) aggregates shown above. 2024 edition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Freedom House indicator moved most in Bahamas?

Indicator D1 (Free media) changed by -1 points, moving from 4/4 to 3/4 across the available history — the biggest indicator-level movement of the 25 Freedom House sub-scores for Bahamas.

How does Bahamas rank within its Freedom House region?

Bahamas holds position #8 of 35 in the Americas region on the latest Freedom House aggregate score. The region's top country is Canada (97/100).

What is Bahamas's economic context for its press freedom score?

Bahamas has a GDP of $12.83B across a population of 389K, giving a per-capita GDP of about $32,933. Its capital is Nassau, Bahamas; the official language is English.