2020 Edition

Background

Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English colonists heading for Virginia. Self-governing since 1620, Bermuda is the oldest and most populous of the British Overseas Territories. Vacationing on the island to escape North American winters first developed in Victorian times. Tourism continues to be important for the island's economy, although international business has overtaken it in recent years as Bermuda has developed into a highly successful offshore financial center. A referendum on independence from the UK was soundly defeated in 1995.

Area

land

54 sq km

total

54 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

about one-third the size of Washington, D.C.

Climate

subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter

Coastline

103 km

Elevation

highest point

Town Hill 79 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Geographic coordinates

32 20 N, 64 45 W

Geography - note

the archipelago consists of over 170 coral islands and islets with ample rainfall, as well as thousands of cays, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some land was leased by the US Government from 1941 to 1995

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

5.6% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 5.6% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)

forest

14.4% (2023 est.)

other

80% (2023 est.)

Location

North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US)

Map references

North America

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

hurricanes (June to November)

Natural resources

limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism

Population distribution

relatively even population distribution throughout

Terrain

low hills separated by fertile depressions

Age structure

0-14 years

16.4% (male 6,133/female 5,817)

15-64 years

60.9% (male 22,247/female 22,113)

65 years and over

22.7% (2024 est.) (male 7,021/female 9,469)

Birth rate

10.82 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

49.7% (2016 est.)

Death rate

9.4 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

37.2 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio

2.7 (2024 est.)

total dependency ratio

64.1 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio

26.9 (2024 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: total

total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

1.9% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

7.8% national budget (2017 est.)

Ethnic groups

African descent 52%, White 31%, mixed 9%, Asian 4%, other 4% (2010 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.92 (2025 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

1.8 deaths/1,000 live births

male

2.5 deaths/1,000 live births

total

2.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

English (official), Portuguese

Life expectancy at birth

female

85.7 years

male

79.4 years

total population

82.5 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

10,000 HAMILTON (capital) (2018)

Median age

female

46.3 years

male

41.5 years

total

43.9 years (2025 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Bermudian

noun

Bermudian(s)

Net migration rate

1.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Population

female

37,399

male

35,401

total

72,800 (2024 est.)

Population growth rate

0.27% (2025 est.)

Religions

Protestant 46.2% (includes Anglican 15.8%, African Methodist Episcopal 8.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 6.7%, Pentecostal 3.5%, Methodist 2.7%, Presbyterian 2.0%, Church of God 1.6%, Baptist 1.2%, Salvation Army 1.1%, Brethren 1.0%, other Protestant 2.0%), Roman Catholic 14.5%, Jehovah's Witness 1.3%, other Christian 9.1%, Muslim 1%, other 3.9%, none 17.8%, unspecified 6.2% (2010 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: total

total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

12 years (2023 est.)

male

11 years (2023 est.)

total

12 years (2023 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.74 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.88 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

-0.2% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

100% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint George's, Sandys, Smith's, Southampton, Warwick

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November

etymology

named after Henry HAMILTON, who served as governor of Bermuda from 1788 to 1794

geographic coordinates

32 17 N, 64 47 W

name

Hamilton

time difference

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of the UK

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

Constitution

amendment process

proposal procedure - NA; passage by an Order in Council in the UK

history

several previous (dating to 1684); latest entered into force 8 June 1968 (Bermuda Constitution Order 1968)

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Bermuda

etymology

named after Juan de BERMUDEZ, an early 16th-century Spanish sea captain and the first European explorer of the archipelago

former

Somers Islands

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Consul General Antoinette HURTADO (since 27 March 2025)

consulate(s) general

16 Middle Road, Devonshire DV O3

email address and website

HamiltonConsulate@state.gov https://bm.usconsulate.gov/

embassy

US Consulate Bermuda, 16 Middle Road, Devonshire, DV 03, Bermuda

FAX

(441) 295-1592

mailing address

5300 Hamilton Place, Washington, DC 20520-5300

telephone

(441) 295-1342

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet nominated by the premier, approved by the governor

chief of state

King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Andrew MURDOCH (since 23 January 2025)

election/appointment process

the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the governor usually appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as the premier

head of government

Premier David BURT (since 19 July 2017)

Flag

description: a red field with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant and the Bermudian coat of arms centered on the right half of the flag; the coat of arms is a white shield with a red lion on a green field, holding a scroll showing the sinking of the ship "Sea Venture"  history: the 1609 shipwreck of the "Sea Venture" led to the settling of Bermuda

Government type

Overseas Territory of the UK with limited self-government; parliamentary democracy

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

Caricom (associate), ICC (NGOs), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ITUC (NGOs), UPU, WCO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and at least 2 justices); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, 4 puisne judges, and 1 associate justice); the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) is the court of final appeal

judge selection and term of office

Court of Appeal justice appointed by the governor; justice tenure by individual appointment; Supreme Court judges nominated by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission and appointed by the governor; judge tenure based on terms of appointment

subordinate courts

commercial court (began in 2006); magistrates' courts

Legal system

English common law

Legislative branch

legislative structure

bicameral

legislature name

Parliament

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

House of Assembly

electoral system

plurality/majority

expected date of next election

2025

most recent election date

10/1/2020

number of seats

36 (directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

PLP (30); OBA (6)

percentage of women in chamber

20%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

Senate

expected date of next election

2027

most recent election date

2022

number of seats

11 (appointed)

percentage of women in chamber

63.6%

term in office

5 years

National anthem(s)

history

official anthem, as a UK territory

lyrics/music

unknown

title

"God Save the King"

National coat of arms

Bermuda's coat of arms was formally granted by Royal Warrant on 4 October 1910 but has been in use since at least 1624; the red lion is a symbol of Great Britain; the Latin motto under the coat of arms, Quo Fata Ferunt, means "Whither the Fates Carry [Us];" the ship is the Sea Venture, an English ship that was wrecked on then-uninhabited Bermuda in 1609

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Historic Town of St. George and Related Fortifications

total World Heritage Sites

1 (cultural); note - excerpted from the UK entry

National holiday

Bermuda Day, 24 May

National symbol(s)

red lion

Political parties

Free Democratic Movement or FDM One Bermuda Alliance or OBA Progressive Labor Party or PLP

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products, honey

Budget

expenditures

$1.176 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

$999.2 million (2017 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2021

$962.258 million (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

$1.135 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$1.32 billion (2023 est.)

Economic overview

small, tourism- and construction-based, territorial-island economy; American import and tourist destination; known offshore banking hub; increasing inflation; major re-exportation and re-importation area

Exchange rates

Currency

Bermudian dollars (BMD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

1 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

1 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

1 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

1 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

1 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$1.136 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$1.425 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$1.599 billion (2023 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, ships, aircraft, liquor, railway cargo containers (2023)

Exports - partners

Germany 40%, South Africa 38%, Netherlands 15%, USA 2%, Angola 2% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

56.3% (2024 est.)

government consumption

11% (2024 est.)

household consumption

45.6% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services

-24.2% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital

11.3% (2024 est.)

investment in inventories

0% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0.2% (2023 est.)

industry

4.6% (2023 est.)

services

91.5% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$8.98 billion (2024 est.)

Imports

Imports 2021

$1.925 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$2.235 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$2.3 billion (2023 est.)

Imports - commodities

ships, refined petroleum, railway cargo containers, packaged medicine, cars (2023)

Imports - partners

USA 38%, Cyprus 31%, UK 6%, China 6%, Canada 4% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

-3.6% (2023 est.)

Industries

international business, tourism, light manufacturing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

0% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

1.4% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

2.8% (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$6.355 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$6.667 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$6.808 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

6.5% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

4.9% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

2.1% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$98,100 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$103,100 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$105,300 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2021

22.7% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

22.3% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

23.7% of GDP (2023 est.)

Coal

consumption

4 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports

4 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

590.38 million kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

172,000 kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

43.172 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

99% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

122.737 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

4,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

36 (2022 est.)

total

23,000 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

3 TV stations; cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; roughly 13 radio stations operating

Internet country code

.bm

Internet users

percent of population

98% (2017 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

39 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

25,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

97 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

68,164 (2022 est.)

Airports

1 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

VP-B

Merchant marine

by type

container ship 15, oil tanker 8, other 99

total

122 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Freeport, Hamilton, Ireland Island, St. George

large

0

medium

1

ports with oil terminals

3

size unknown

1

small

2

total ports

4 (2024)

very small

0

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK; the Royal Bermuda Regiment’s responsibilities include maritime security of Bermuda’s inshore waters, search and rescue, ceremonial duties, humanitarian/disaster assistance, security of key installations, and assisting the Bermuda Police with maintaining public order; it includes explosive ordnance disposal, diver, maritime, security police, and support units (2025)

Military and security forces

Royal Bermuda Regiment; Bermuda Police Service (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

the Royal Bermuda Regiment has about 350 troops (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Regiment is equipped with small arms (2025)

Military service age and obligation

men and women who are Commonwealth citizens and 18-45 years of age can volunteer for the Bermuda Regiment; service is for a minimum period of three years and two months from the date of enlistment; after completing their initial service, soldiers in the Regiment can choose to extend their service (2025)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

9 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

577,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

577,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

air pollution from vehicle emissions; scarce water resources; solid waste disposal; hazardous waste disposal; sewage disposal; overfishing; oil spills

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

82,000 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

2% (2012 est.)