BNSI Releases 2022 Census Housing Data Highlighting Gains in Homeownership, Better Access to Utilities, and a Decline in Overcrowding

NASSAU, The Bahamas — October 20, 2025. The Bahamas National Statistical Institute (BNSI) today released the Second Release of the 2022 Census of Population and Housing, focusing on Household and Dwelling Characteristics. This release provides valuable insights into the living conditions, housing quality, and access to essential amenities across The Bahamas, reflecting the nation’s evolving social and economic landscape.

The Census classifies living quarters into two categories:

• Private dwellings – living quarters occupied by a household, such as single-family homes, apartments, or townhouses.

• Collective dwellings – also referred to as group quarters, which include institutions such as children’s homes, senior care facilities, hospitals, and prisons, where larger groups of unrelated individuals reside.

According to the latest findings, The Bahamas recorded a total of 144,198 dwelling units in 2022. Of these, 82.6% (119,138) were occupied, while 17.4% (25,060) were vacant (Figure 1). This represents an overall increase of 17,705 dwellings (14%) compared to 2010, along with a 6% rise in vacant units over the same period.

Vacant dwellings were recorded across all islands, with the highest concentrations found on New Providence (34.8%), Grand Bahama (17.2%), and Eleuthera (10.4%). Collectively, these three islands accounted for more than 62% of all vacant dwellings nationwide, while the remaining 37.6% were distributed among the other Family Islands.

A comparison of private dwellings by major islands between 2010 and 2022 shows that both Grand Bahama and Abaco experienced minimal changes over the period. Grand Bahama accounted for 14.7% of all private dwellings in 2010 and 15.0% in 2022, while Abaco registered 5.1% in 2010 and 5.2% in 2022 (Table 1).

New Providence recorded a slight decline, with its share of private dwellings decreasing from 68.3% in 2010 to 66.9% in 2022. Conversely, the remaining Family Islands saw a modest increase from 12.0% in 2010 to 13.0% in 2022 (Table 1).
This upward trend in private dwellings across the Family Islands suggests that more home owners are choosing to build and reside in homes outside of New Providence, reflecting gradual population shifts and growing investment in Family Island development.