Bahrain Economic Outlook
May 12, 2020
The economy will likely contract in the first half of this year, as measures introduced in late March to contain the spread of coronavirus, including travel restrictions, the closure of shops and restaurants, and the banning of large public gatherings, have hampered activity; the Bahrain Grand Prix, which was originally scheduled to take place on 20–22 March, was one of the most notable event cancellations. Moreover, a steep fall in oil prices in recent months has dented Bahrain’s public finances and led the government to announce in April that it would reduce spending in the short term, further damaging economic prospects. More positively, however, a partial easing of social distancing measures, including the re-opening of some shops and industrial plants, came into effect from early May.Bahrain Economic Growth
The economy will contract this year, hampered by the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, the associated containment measures, low oil prices and regional geopolitical instability. Accommodative monetary policy should slow the downturn, however. FocusEconomics analysts project the economy to contract 2.4% in 2020, which is down 2.7 percentage points from last month’s forecast, before expanding 2.0% in 2021.Bahrain Economy Data
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (million) | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| GDP per capita (USD) | 22,700 | 22,597 | 24,328 | 25,385 | - |
| GDP (USD bn) | 31.1 | 32.2 | 35.3 | 37.6 | - |
| Economic Growth (GDP, annual variation in %) | 2.9 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 1.7 | - |
| Consumption (annual variation in %) | - | - | - | - | - |
| Investment (annual variation in %) | -8.5 | 10.8 | 11.0 | 4.7 | - |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.1 | - | - |
| Fiscal Balance (% of GDP) | -13.0 | -13.6 | -10.0 | -6.3 | - |
| Public Debt (% of GDP) | 60.3 | 71.8 | 79.5 | 80.9 | - |
| Money (annual variation in %) | 3.0 | 1.2 | 4.2 | 2.4 | - |
| Inflation Rate (CPI, annual variation in %) | 1.9 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 2.1 | 1.0 |
| Policy Interest Rate (%) | 0.75 | 1.00 | 1.75 | 2.75 | 2.25 |
| Exchange Rate (vs USD) | 0.38 | 0.38 | 0.38 | 0.38 | 0.38 |
| Exchange Rate (vs USD, aop) | 0.38 | 0.38 | 0.38 | 0.38 | 0.38 |
| Current Account (% of GDP) | -2.4 | -4.6 | -4.1 | -6.5 | - |
| Current Account Balance (USD bn) | -0.8 | -1.5 | -1.4 | -2.4 | - |
| Trade Balance (USD billion) | 0.8 | -0.8 | -0.5 | -1.1 | - |
| Exports (USD billion) | 16.5 | 12.8 | 15.5 | 18.0 | - |
| Imports (USD billion) | 15.7 | 13.6 | 16.0 | 19.0 | - |
| Exports (annual variation in %) | -29.6 | -22.7 | 21.4 | 16.2 | - |
| Imports (annual variation in %) | -20.6 | -13.5 | 18.3 | 18.8 | - |
| International Reserves (USD) | 3.1 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 1.9 | - |
Sample Report
Get a sample report showing our regional, country and commodities data and analysis.
Bahrain Facts
| Value | Change | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exchange Rate | 0.38 | 0.03 % | Jan 01 |
Request a Trial
Start working with the reports used by the world’s major financial institutions, multinational enterprises & government agencies now. Click on the button below to get started.
© Copyright: 2020. | Bahrain Economy | Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap | RSS feed
