Demographics of Bermuda

This is a demography 'of the population of Bermuda' including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population, including changes in the demographic make-up of Bermuda over the centuries of its permanent settlement.

Population

According to the 2016 census the de jure population was 63,779, compared to 64,319 in 2010 and 62,098 in 2000. The estimated mid-year population of is .

Structure of the population

Age group	Male	Female	Total	%
Total	30 690	33 089	63 779	100
0–4	1 482	1 511	2 993	4.69
5–9	1 705	1 648	3 353	5.26
10–14	1 650	1 523	3 173	4.97
15–19	1 521	1 629	3 150	4.94
20–24	1 451	1 514	2 965	4.65
25–29	1 659	1 809	3 468	5.44
30–34	2 160	2 282	4 442	6.96
35–39	2 253	2 328	4 581	7.18
40–44	2 437	2 321	4 758	7.46
45–49	2 533	2 472	5 005	7.85
50–54	2 712	2 741	5 453	8.55
55–59	2 505	2 846	5 351	8.39
60–64	2 045	2 338	4 383	6.87
65–69	1 584	1 865	3 449	5.41
70–74	1 208	1 477	2 685	4.21
75–79	789	1 110	1 899	2.98
80–84	631	846	1 477	2.32
85-89	268	501	769	1.21
90-94	88	258	346	0.57
95-99	9	63	72	0.11
100+	0	7	7	0.01
Age group	Male	Female	Total	Percent
0–14	4 837	4 682	9 519	14.92
15–64	21 276	22 280	43 556	68.29
65+	4 577	6 127	10 704	16.78

Age group	Male	Female	Total	%
Total	30 783	33 272	64 055	100
0–4	1 400	1 381	2 781	4.34
5–9	1 482	1 511	2 993	4.67
10–14	1 701	1 640	3 341	5.22
15–19	1 648	1 524	3 172	4.95
20–24	1 519	1 627	3 146	4.91
25–29	1 438	1 509	2 947	4.60
30–34	1 639	1 799	3 438	5.37
35–39	2 136	2 268	4 404	6.88
40–44	2 235	2 324	4 559	7.12
45–49	2 409	2 306	4 715	7.36
50–54	2 492	2 446	4 938	7.71
55–59	2 639	2 703	5 342	8.34
60–64	2 403	2 797	5 200	8.12
65-69	1 927	2 288	4 215	6.58
70-74	1 450	1 786	3 236	5.05
75-79	1 055	1 366	2 421	3.78
80-84	644	967	1 611	2.52
85+	566	1 030	1 596	2.49
Age group	Male	Female	Total	Percent
0–14	4 583	4 532	9 115	14.23
15–64	20 558	21 303	41 861	65.35
65+	5 642	7 437	13 079	20.42

Vital statistics

Ethnic groups

Historical

Current

As noted above, only in recent years have Bermudians been given the option to define themselves by more than one race on census returns, with the 2000 Census giving respondents the options of black, white, Asian, black and white, black and other, white and other, other, and not stated. For a variety of reasons, most Bermudians have continued to identify themselves by a single racial group.

One race

The 2016 Census results reported roughly 91% of the population self-identifying as only one racial group which was slightly lower than the 2010 Census. The largest group reported Black alone, which decreased slightly from 54% in 2010 to 52% in 2016. The White population remained constant at about 31% of the total population in 2016. The remaining 8% of the 2016 population who reported one race consisted of persons reporting Asian only, and those reporting an other race from the ones listed. The proportions of these respective racial groups were similar to what they were in 2010.

More than one race

Nine percent of the population reported belonging to more than one race in 2016, up from 8% in 2010. The black and white category was the most common, representing 39% of the number reporting multi-racial groups and 4% of the total population of Bermuda. The proportion of 'black and other' increased from 2% to 3% of the total population, making up 35% of the people identifying as mixed race. The remainder were of 'white and other' mixed descent, and remained unchanged at 2% of the total population. The changing racial composition of Bermuda's population is consequence of immigration and an increase of interracial marriage.

Languages

The predominant language on Bermuda is Bermudian English. It exhibits characteristics of British, West Indian, and American English. Perhaps most interesting is its closeness to acrolectal English compared to varieties in the West Indies.
British English spellings and conventions are used in print media and formal written communications.
Portuguese is also spoken in Bermuda; this is owing to immigration from Portugal, particularly from the Azores, as well as from Madeira and the Cape Verde Islands.

Religion

During the intercensal period, the distribution of persons across the various religious affiliations shifted but remained generally widespread. All religious groups experienced declines in their followings with the exception of Roman Catholics, Seventh-Day Adventists and non-denominational groups. Nearly one fifth or 20% of the population claimed no religious affiliation in 2010 compared with a 14% share in 2000. Although the number of Roman Catholics increased to 9,340 persons, its share remained constant at 15% compared to 2000. Over the ten-year period, nondenominational congregations increased a strong 33% while the Seventh-Day Adventist following rose 6%.

History

From settlement until the 19th century, the largest demographic group remained what in the United States is referred to as white-Anglo. The reason Black slaves did not quickly come to outnumber Whites, as was the case in continental and West Indian colonies at that time, was that Bermuda's 17th-century agricultural industry continued to rely on indentured servants, mostly from England, until 1684, thanks to it remaining a company colony. Spanish-speaking Blacks began to immigrate in numbers from the West Indies as indentured servants in the mid-17th century, but White fears at their growing numbers led to their terms of indenture being raised from seven years, as with Whites, to 99 years. Throughout the next two centuries, frequent efforts were made to lower the Black population.
Free Blacks, who were the majority of Black Bermudians in the 17th century, were threatened with enslavement as an attempt to encourage their emigration, and slave owners were encouraged to export enslaved Blacks whenever a war loomed, as they were portrayed as unnecessary bellies to feed during times of shortage.
In addition to free and enslaved Blacks, 17th-century Bermuda had large minorities of Irish indentured servants and Native American slaves, as well as a smaller number of Scots, all forced to leave their homelands and shipped to Bermuda. Native Americans sold into chattel slavery in Bermuda were brought from various parts of North America, including Mexico, but most particularly from the Algonquian areas of the Atlantic seaboard, from which natives were subjected to genocide by the English; most famously following the Pequot War and Metacomet's War. The Irish and Scots are usually described as prisoners-of-war, which was certainly true of the Scots. The Irish shipped to Bermuda following the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland included both prisoners-of-war and civilians of either sex ethnically cleansed from lands slated for resettlement by Protestants from Britain, including Cromwell's soldiers who were to be paid with Irish land. In Bermuda they were sold into indentured servitude. The Scots and the Irish were ostracised by the white English population, who were particularly fearful of the Irish, who plotted rebellions with Black slaves, and intermarried with the Blacks and Native Americans. The majority white-Anglo population, or at least its elites, became alarmed very early at the increasing numbers of Irish and non-whites, most of whom were presumed to be clinging to Catholicism.
Despite the banning of the importation of any more Irish after they were perceived to be the leaders of a foiled 1661 uprising intended to be carried out in concert with black slaves, the passing of a law against miscegenation in 1663, the first of a succession of attempts to force free blacks to emigrate in 1656, and frequent encouragement of the owners of black slaves to export them, by the 18th century the merging of the various minority groups, along with some of the white-Anglos, had resulted in a new demographic group, "coloured" Bermudians, who gained a slight majority by the 19th century.