Bermuda
Bermuda
- 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.
- Location
- North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US)
- Geographic coordinates
- 32 20 N, 64 45 W
- Map references
- North America
- Area
- total: 54 sq km
land: 54 sq km
water: 0 sq km - Area - comparative
- about one-third the size of Washington, D.C.
- Land boundaries
- total: 0 km
- Coastline
- 103 km
- Maritime claims
- territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm - Climate
- subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter
- Terrain
- low hills separated by fertile depressions
- Elevation
- highest point: Town Hill 79 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m - Natural resources
- limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism
- 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.) - Irrigated land
- NA
- Population distribution
- relatively even population distribution throughout
- Natural hazards
- hurricanes (June to November)
- 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
- Population
- total: 72,800 (2024 est.)
male: 35,401
female: 37,399 - Nationality
- noun: Bermudian(s)
adjective: Bermudian - Ethnic groups
- African descent 52%, White 31%, mixed 9%, Asian 4%, other 4% (2010 est.)
- Languages
- English (official), Portuguese
- 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.)
- 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) - Dependency ratios
- total dependency ratio: 64.1 (2024 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 26.9 (2024 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 37.2 (2024 est.)
potential support ratio: 2.7 (2024 est.) - Median age
- total: 43.9 years (2025 est.)
male: 41.5 years
female: 46.3 years - Population growth rate
- 0.27% (2025 est.)
- Birth rate
- 10.82 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 9.4 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Net migration rate
- 1.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- relatively even population distribution throughout
- Urbanization
- urban population: 100% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: -0.2% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) - Major urban areas - population
- 10,000 HAMILTON (capital) (2018)
- Sex ratio
- at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
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
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.) - Infant mortality rate
- total: 2.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
male: 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 1.8 deaths/1,000 live births - Life expectancy at birth
- total population: 82.5 years (2024 est.)
male: 79.4 years
female: 85.7 years - Total fertility rate
- 1.88 children born/woman (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 0.92 (2025 est.)
- Drinking water source
- improved: urban: urban: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.) - Sanitation facility access
- improved: urban: urban: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.) - Currently married women (ages 15-49)
- 49.7% (2016 est.)
- Education expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP): 1.9% of GDP (2023 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 7.8% national budget (2017 est.) - School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
- total: 12 years (2023 est.)
male: 11 years (2023 est.)
female: 12 years (2023 est.)
- Environmental issues
- air pollution from vehicle emissions; scarce water resources; solid waste disposal; hazardous waste disposal; sewage disposal; overfishing; oil spills
- Climate
- subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter
- 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.) - Urbanization
- urban population: 100% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: -0.2% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) - Carbon dioxide emissions
- total emissions: 577,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
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.) - Waste and recycling
- municipal solid waste generated annually: 82,000 tons (2024 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 2% (2012 est.)
- Country name
- conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bermuda
former: Somers Islands
etymology: named after Juan de BERMUDEZ, an early 16th-century Spanish sea captain and the first European explorer of the archipelago - Government type
- Overseas Territory of the UK with limited self-government; parliamentary democracy
- Dependency status
- overseas territory of the UK
- Capital
- name: Hamilton
geographic coordinates: 32 17 N, 64 47 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
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 - Administrative divisions
- 9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint George's, Sandys, Smith's, Southampton, Warwick
- Legal system
- English common law
- Constitution
- history: several previous (dating to 1684); latest entered into force 8 June 1968 (Bermuda Constitution Order 1968)
amendment process: proposal procedure - NA; passage by an Order in Council in the UK - International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
- 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 - Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
- Executive branch
- chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Andrew MURDOCH (since 23 January 2025)
head of government: Premier David BURT (since 19 July 2017)
cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the premier, approved by the governor
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 - Legislative branch
- legislature name: Parliament
legislative structure: bicameral - Legislative branch - lower chamber
- chamber name: House of Assembly
number of seats: 36 (directly elected)
electoral system: plurality/majority
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 5 years
most recent election date: 10/1/2020
parties elected and seats per party: PLP (30); OBA (6)
percentage of women in chamber: 20%
expected date of next election: 2025 - Legislative branch - upper chamber
- chamber name: Senate
number of seats: 11 (appointed)
term in office: 5 years
most recent election date: 2022
percentage of women in chamber: 63.6%
expected date of next election: 2027 - 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 - Political parties
- Free Democratic Movement or FDMOne Bermuda Alliance or OBAProgressive Labor Party or PLP
- Diplomatic representation in the US
- none (overseas territory of the UK)
- Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission: Consul General Antoinette HURTADO (since 27 March 2025)
embassy: US Consulate Bermuda, 16 Middle Road, Devonshire, DV 03, Bermuda
mailing address: 5300 Hamilton Place, Washington, DC 20520-5300
telephone: (441) 295-1342
FAX: (441) 295-1592
email address and website: HamiltonConsulate@state.govhttps://bm.usconsulate.gov/
consulate(s) general: 16 Middle Road, Devonshire DV O3 - International organization participation
- Caricom (associate), ICC (NGOs), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ITUC (NGOs), UPU, WCO
- Independence
- none (overseas territory of the UK)
- National holiday
- Bermuda Day, 24 May
- 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
- National symbol(s)
- red lion
- 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 anthem(s)
- title: "God Save the King"
lyrics/music: unknown
history: official anthem, as a UK territory - National heritage
- total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural); note - excerpted from the UK entry
selected World Heritage Site locales: Historic Town of St. George and Related Fortifications
- 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
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $6.808 billion (2024 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $6.667 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $6.355 billion (2022 est.) - Real GDP growth rate
- Real GDP growth rate 2024: 2.1% (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 4.9% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 6.5% (2022 est.) - Real GDP per capita
- Real GDP per capita 2024: $105,300 (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $103,100 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $98,100 (2022 est.) - GDP (official exchange rate)
- $8.98 billion (2024 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 2.8% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021: 1.4% (2021 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020: 0% (2020 est.) - GDP - composition, by sector of origin
- agriculture: 0.2% (2023 est.)
industry: 4.6% (2023 est.)
services: 91.5% (2023 est.) - GDP - composition, by end use
- household consumption: 45.6% (2024 est.)
government consumption: 11% (2024 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 11.3% (2024 est.)
investment in inventories: 0% (2024 est.)
exports of goods and services: 56.3% (2024 est.)
imports of goods and services: -24.2% (2024 est.) - Agricultural products
- bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products, honey
- Industries
- international business, tourism, light manufacturing
- Industrial production growth rate
- -3.6% (2023 est.)
- Remittances
- Remittances 2023: 23.7% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2022: 22.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2021: 22.7% of GDP (2021 est.) - Budget
- revenues: $999.2 million (2017 est.)
expenditures: $1.176 billion (2017 est.) - Current account balance
- Current account balance 2023: $1.32 billion (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2022: $1.135 billion (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2021: $962.258 million (2021 est.) - Exports
- Exports 2023: $1.599 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2022: $1.425 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2021: $1.136 billion (2021 est.) - Exports - partners
- Germany 40%, South Africa 38%, Netherlands 15%, USA 2%, Angola 2% (2023)
- Exports - commodities
- crude petroleum, ships, aircraft, liquor, railway cargo containers (2023)
- Imports
- Imports 2023: $2.3 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2022: $2.235 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2021: $1.925 billion (2021 est.) - Imports - partners
- USA 38%, Cyprus 31%, UK 6%, China 6%, Canada 4% (2023)
- Imports - commodities
- ships, refined petroleum, railway cargo containers, packaged medicine, cars (2023)
- Exchange rates
- Currency: Bermudian dollars (BMD) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2024: 1 (2024 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 1 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 1 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 1 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2020: 1 (2020 est.)
- Electricity access
- electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
- Electricity
- installed generating capacity: 172,000 kW (2023 est.)
consumption: 590.38 million kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 43.172 million kWh (2023 est.) - Electricity generation sources
- fossil fuels: 99% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
biomass and waste: 1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) - Coal
- consumption: 4 metric tons (2023 est.)
imports: 4 metric tons (2023 est.) - Petroleum
- refined petroleum consumption: 4,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Energy consumption per capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 122.737 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
- Telephones - fixed lines
- total subscriptions: 25,000 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 39 (2022 est.) - Telephones - mobile cellular
- total subscriptions: 68,164 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 97 (2024 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.)
- Broadband - fixed subscriptions
- total: 23,000 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 36 (2022 est.)
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- VP-B
- Airports
- 1 (2025)
- Merchant marine
- total: 122 (2023)
by type: container ship 15, oil tanker 8, other 99 - Ports
- total ports: 4 (2024)
large: 0
medium: 1
small: 2
very small: 0
size unknown: 1
ports with oil terminals: 3
key ports: Freeport, Hamilton, Ireland Island, St. George
- 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)
- 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)