Country explorer: Bahrain

Bahrain's economy has demonstrated consistent growth in GDP per capita, maintaining relatively low unemployment rates compared to high-income peers and managing inflation rates effectively, aligning its economic stability and growth closer to high-income country standards despite regional economic fluctuations.

Bahrain has experienced notable demographic transformations, characterized by a steady population growth, fluctuating migration patterns, a declining fertility rate moving towards the lower end typical of high-income countries, and an increase in life expectancy, reflecting trends common among its Gulf Cooperation Council peers and high-income nations globally.

Bahrain has consistently ensured virtually universal access to clean cooking fuels, electricity, and safely managed drinking water, with noticeable progress in access to safely managed sanitation, marking a trajectory of improvement in basic needs infrastructure that aligns with or exceeds benchmarks set by high-income countries and regional peers.

Bahrain has experienced significant improvements in human development indicators, such as a continuous increase in the Human Development Index, reduction in child mortality rate, improvement in adult literacy rate, and progress in learning-adjusted years of schooling, demonstrating its distinctive advancement in education, health, and living standards, akin to its high-income peers in the region.

Bahrain has experienced a notable increase in per capita CO₂ emissions, stagnation in the development of renewable energy sources apart from a nominal adoption of solar power, a drastic decrease in renewable freshwater resources per capita, and marginal growth in forest area, mirroring the environmental and energy challenges and gradual shifts towards sustainability seen in many high-income and Gulf countries.

Bahrain has exhibited a significant surge in internet usage and mobile phone subscriptions, positioning itself as a digitally advanced nation among its peers, though its investment in research and development lags behind high-income countries, reflecting a mixed picture of technological progression and potential areas for enhancement in innovation capacity.

Bahrain has seen notable cultural and societal transformations, characterized by an increasing expatriate population, gradually improving life satisfaction, significant strides towards gender equality, and a steady age dependency ratio, showcasing its unique blend of traditional values and modern developments in line with high-income countries, yet distinct in its demographic makeup and social progress.

Bahrain has experienced notable declines in rule of law, political and civil liberties, and press freedom, illustrating a significant shift towards more authoritarian governance, a trend that aligns it closely with its Gulf counterparts rather than high-income countries globally.