If you lived in Bahamas instead of Puerto Rico, you would:

Health

be 40.0% less likely to die by suicide

Puerto Rico has a suicide rate of 5.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bahamas, it is 3.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 7.2 years less

In Puerto Rico, the average life expectancy is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024. In Bahamas, that number is 75 years (71 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 13.9% more likely to be obese

In Puerto Rico, 42.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bahamas, that number is 48.3% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 53.8% more likely to be unemployed

In Puerto Rico, 6.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bahamas, that number is 9.2% as of 2025.

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Life

have 89.8% more children

In Puerto Rico, there are approximately 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bahamas, there are 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 6.9 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Puerto Rico, approximately 11.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Bahamas, 76.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 83.8% more likely to die during infancy

In Puerto Rico, approximately 6.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Bahamas, on the other hand, 11.1 children do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 35.8% less on education

Puerto Rico spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Bahamas spends 2.7% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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Geography

see 7.1 times more coastline

Puerto Rico has a total of 501 km of coastline. In Bahamas, that number is 3,542 km.

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Safety

be 2.2 times more likely to be murdered

Puerto Rico has a homicide rate of 14.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Bahamas, that number is 32.2 per 100,000 as of 2022.

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be 29.6% more likely to die in a road accident

In Puerto Rico, road accidents kill 12.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bahamas, they kill 16.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Environment

emit 24.5% less CO2

Puerto Rico emits 4.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bahamas emits 3.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), The World Factbook (2022), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this

Bahamas: At a glance

Bahamas is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 10,010 sq km. Lucayan Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher COLUMBUS first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas has prospered through tourism, international banking, and investment management. Because of its location, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US and Europe, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US.
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How big is Bahamas compared to Puerto Rico? See an in-depth size comparison.

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