Government and power in the Bahamas
Who leads the Bahamas, how the World Bank's governance indicators score it, how many women sit in parliament and government, what the state spends and taxes, and the official bodies that hold power to account. System of government: Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy.
Who leads the Bahamas?
- Head of state: King Charles III (King)
- Representative of the head of state: Cynthia A. Pratt (Governor-General of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas)
- Head of government: Philip Edward Davis (Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas)
- Foreign minister: Frederick Audley Mitchell (Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas)
Source: Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers for Foreign Affairs: Public List (United Nations Protocol and Liaison Service), list dated 15 October 2026. All world leaders.
Governance scores
The World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators combine surveys of households and firms with assessments by public, private and non-governmental bodies. Each score runs from 0 to 100; higher means the sources rate governance better. They measure perceptions, and each has a margin of error.
- Voice and accountability
- Measures how far citizens can choose their government, and freedom of expression, association and the media.
- Political stability and absence of violence
- Measures the likelihood of political instability or politically motivated violence, including terrorism.
- Government effectiveness
- Measures the quality of public services and the civil service, and how independent they are from political pressure.
- Regulatory quality
- Measures the government's ability to make and carry out policies that let the private sector develop.
- Rule of law
- Measures confidence in and respect for the rules of society, including contract enforcement, property rights, the police and the courts.
- Control of corruption
- Measures how far public power is used for private gain, including petty and grand corruption and "capture" of the state by elites.
How does the Bahamas score on voice and accountability?
Voice and accountability: 69.3 out of 100 in 2025, 54th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 64). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 70.3.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does the Bahamas score on political stability?
Political stability and absence of violence: 83.5 out of 100 in 2025, 35th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 69.9). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 78.5.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does the Bahamas score on government effectiveness?
Government effectiveness: 65.6 out of 100 in 2025, 50th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 52.5). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 65.9.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does the Bahamas score on regulatory quality?
Regulatory quality: 54 out of 100 in 2025, 91st highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 53.4). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 58.3.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does the Bahamas score on the rule of law?
Rule of law: 62.4 out of 100 in 2025, 74th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 53.5). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 66.1.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does the Bahamas score on control of corruption?
Control of corruption: 69.1 out of 100 in 2025, 31st highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 40.4). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 70.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many women are in the Bahamas's parliament?
Women held 18.4% of seats in the national parliament (single or lower chamber) in 2025, 129th highest of 184 countries with data. Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union, via the World Bank.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many of the Bahamas's ministers are women?
Women held 22.2% of ministerial posts in 2025, 85th highest of 190.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow much does the government of the Bahamas spend?
Central government spending (expense) was 20.3% of GDP in 2023.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow much tax does the government of the Bahamas collect?
Central government tax revenue was 17.3% of GDP in 2024, 53rd highest of 92.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow big are the armed forces of the Bahamas?
Armed forces personnel numbered 2,000 in 2020.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow good are the Bahamas's official statistics?
The World Bank's Statistical Performance Indicator, which scores how well a country's official statistics system works, was 51.3 out of 100 in 2024, 158th highest of 187.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many people in the Bahamas use the internet?
92.5% of people used the internet in 2024.
Source: World Bank · saved copyOfficial bodies that hold power in the Bahamas
Government
- Government of The BahamasGovernment services, ministry information, press releases and official notices.
Parliament
- Parliament of The Bahamas (House of Assembly and Senate)Bills, Acts, Hansard and member lists for the House of Assembly and the Senate.
Elections
- Parliamentary Registration DepartmentVoter registration information, polling divisions and official election results.
Courts
- The Judiciary of The BahamasJudgments of the Supreme Court, court lists, practice directions and judiciary notices.
Government below the national level
- New Providence: No local government; run by central government
- Second-schedule district councils (13), with town committees (41 town areas): Town committee members elected every three years; district councils formed from town committee members
- Third-schedule district councils (19): Councillors elected directly every three years; chief councillor chosen by councillors
How local power works in the Bahamas
Places in the Bahamas
Sources
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Voice and accountability (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 70f2804fd1e2…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Political stability and absence of violence (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1317de0c85e1…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Government effectiveness (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a775e808dc65…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Regulatory quality (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 83b57e36ff8c…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Rule of law (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0bccc3c054e8…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Control of corruption (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3b15a5340cdd…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Seats held by women in national parliament (SG.GEN.PARL.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1ae1dc13981a…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Women in ministerial positions (SG.GEN.MNST.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a4e448a5b8bd…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Central government spending (GC.XPN.TOTL.GD.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 808094019f50…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Tax revenue (GC.TAX.TOTL.GD.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 08c94b750f31…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Armed forces personnel (MS.MIL.TOTL.P1), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fa4663c743ba…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Statistical Performance Indicator (overall score) (IQ.SPI.OVRL), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 08ac7cde9129…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: People using the internet (IT.NET.USER.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0d78dc658329…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.