By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

PERSONS under the age of 18 represent the largest age group in New Providence, according to 2016 projections by the Bahamas Department of Statistics.

The report, prepared by the Census Section of the department for the Constituencies Commission, shows a population increase on the island of 17,152 persons or 6.9 per cent over 2010’s count of 248,948.

The age grouping of zero to 17 years-old accounts for 30 per cent (79,870) of the total population, with men in this category holding a slim majority of 51 per cent.

The second highest grouping is the 21 to 25 age bracket with a population of 21,720, which represents 8 per cent of the total population. In this grouping, there are only 30 more men than women.

Based on these figures, Millennials - persons between the ages of 18 and 35 - represent 28 per cent (74,970) of the total population.

While Baby Boomers, those between the ages of 55 and 70, represent 11 per cent (29,410) of the total population.

The report, obtained by The Tribune, also delineates the figures by 2012 electoral boundaries to aid commission members seeking to make adjustments to the boundaries given the low registration numbers.

Centreville and Bain and Grants Town are projected to have the largest constituencies, and of those figures, there were 12,849 and 12,337 persons aged 18 and older respectively.

Constituencies projected to have the smallest population sizes are Yamacraw (8,578) and Pinewood (9,852), the only two areas with figures under 10,000.

Women represented 51.9 per cent of the total population, and surpassed the total of men in all constituencies with the exception of Centreville. In that district, there were just 106 more men (8,137) than women (8,031). The largest gender gap was represented in Mount Moriah which was projected to have 843 more women (5,725) than men (5,281).

During the 1990 to 2000 period, New Providence saw an increase of roughly 28 per cent.

However, the island dropped to an 18 per cent increase in the following decade.

Commission Chair and House Speaker Dr Kendal Major confirmed to The Tribune last week that the Progressive Liberal Party government has made clear its intention to create additional seats.

In 2011, the boundaries report set a standard of no more than ten per cent (418 voters) over or below the average of 4,178 voters per constituency.

The proposed distribution produced a range of 626 voters with a high of 4,537 registered voters in Englerston (formerly St Cecilia) and a low of 3,923 in Elizabeth.

In the 2016 report, Englerston was projected to have a population size of 13,586, and Elizabeth 10,048.