By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

THE number of legally married people dropped by 2.5 percent in 2022 compared to 2010, according to an analysis of the 2022 Census results.

The divorced and legally separated populations also saw marked increases, with the legally separated group growing by 75.6 percent. In contrast, the never-married population experienced a substantial rise of 18.2 percent, climbing to 267,201 in 2022, compared to 226,028 in 2010.

The census also revealed shifts in the religious affiliations of Bahamians. Non-denominational Christian groups have now joined the ranks of the three largest denominations for the first time, pushing Roman Catholics to fourth place. Baptists remain the largest Christian denomination group, increasing by 10.9 percent. Anglicans experienced a slight 1.1 percent decline.

Roman Catholic affiliation dropped by 17.8 percent.

The census also indicates that The Bahamas is ageing, with the percentage of Bahamians aged 65 and over rising from 6.2 percent in 2010 to 7.0 percent in 2022. The number of centenarians — those aged 100 and over — has increased by 30 percent, with 35 recorded in 2022, up from 27 in 2010.

Alongside these demographic changes, the census reveals a shrinking youthful population. Bahamian families are opting to have fewer children, contributing to a decline in the number of young people in The Bahamas.

The percentage share of the youthful population has steadily decreased from 32 percent in 1990 to 22.5 percent in 2022.