Economy — Bahamas
GDP, employment, industries, public finance, and currency.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Economy at a glance
GDP, employment, industries, public finance, and currency. Key figure for Bahamas: The Bahamas has the second-highest per capita GDP in the English-speaking Caribbean with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and financial services. Tourism accounts for approximately 50% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs half of the archipelago's labor force. Financial services constitute the second-mo…
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Economic overview
- Economic Overview
The Bahamas has the second-highest per capita GDP in the English-speaking Caribbean with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and financial services.
Tourism accounts for approximately 50% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs half of the archipelago's labor force.
Financial services constitute the second-most important sector of the Bahamian economy, accounting for about 15% of GDP.
Manufacturing and agriculture combined contribute less than 7% of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors.
The new government led by Prime Minister Hubert MINNIS has prioritized addressing fiscal imbalances and rising debt, which stood at 75% of GDP in 2016.
Large capital projects like the Baha Mar Casino and Hotel are driving growth.
Public debt increased in 2017 in large part due to hurricane reconstruction and relief financing.
The primary fiscal balance was a deficit of 0.4% of GDP in 2016.
The Bahamas is the only country in the Western Hemisphere that is not a member of the World Trade Organization.
- Industries
Tourism, banking, oil bunkering, maritime industries, transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals
- GDP - per capita (PPP)
$24,600.00 (USD)
- GDP - real growth rate
0.3%
GDP & growth
- GDP - Gross Domestic Product (PPP)
$12,100,000,000 (USD)
- GDP Per Capita
$24,600.00 (USD)
- GDP - real growth rate
0.3%
- GDP - official exchange rate
$9,047,000,000 (USD)
- GDP - composition, by end use
- Household Consumption: 65.7%
- Government Consumption: 16.3%
- Investment in Fixed Capital: 27.3%
- Investment in Inventories: 1%
- Exports of Goods and Services: 36.9%
- Imports of Goods and Services: -47.2%
- GDP by Sector- agriculture
2.3%
- GDP by Sector- Industry
7.6%
- GDP by Sector- services
90.1%
- Industrial Growth Rate
1.5%
Prices & money
- Inflation Rate
1%
- Exchange Rate per US Dollar
1
- Currency Name and Code
Bahamian dollars (BSD)
- Fiscal Year
1 July - 30 June
- Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate
6%
Employment & labor
- Labor Force
196,900
- Unemployment Rate
15%
- Major Industries
Tourism, banking, oil bunkering, maritime industries, transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals
- Agriculture Products
Citrus, vegetables; poultry
- Population Below Poverty Line
9.3%
Public finance
- Annual Budget
$1,900,000,000 (USD)
- Public Debt (% of GDP)
64.4%
- Budget Surplus or Deficit - percent of GDP
-4.4%
- Taxes and other revenues - percent of GDP
21%