The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Staff Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahama’s declining population signifies the island’s economic struggles, Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce president James Carey said yesterday.

The 2022 census showed the island’s population declined by nearly 4,000 in the past ten years, the steepest drop in the country.

According to the census, 49,475 people live on the island, representing 11.89 per cent of the country’s total population.

Mr Carey believes Hurricane Dorian and the COVID pandemic contributed to the island’s population decline.  

“With Dorian, a lot of people left town because of their circumstances and a lot of businesses were damaged,” Mr Carey said. 

He said critical mass is vital to the development of the island and its economy. 

“It is one of those difficult moments that we are going through,” he said.

“I think Bimini was a popular spot for a number of people, and Nassau and Exuma. But I think by and large Grand Bahamians want to come back home.

“I occasionally bump into them in my movements through the islands and they want to come back home for sure, but they want to come back home with something to do and some of them have to restore their home. And in some cases, start again because they don’t want to restore where their homes were because of the flooding.”  

The census showed the number of households in Grand Bahama increased to 17,820 households with an average size of 2.66 people.

Of the five constituencies, Central Grand Bahama had the highest number of constituents: 11,497.

East Grand Bahamas was next with 11,411 residents.