National Identity
- Official name
- Kingdom of Bhutan
- Official name (in Dzongkha)
- འབྲུག་རྒྱལ་ཁབ
- Official name (in Dzongkha, Romanized)
- Druk Gyal Khap
- Name etymology
name may derive from the Sanskrit words bhoṭa, the name for Tibet, and anta, meaning "end" -- a reference to Bhutan's location at the southernmost end of Tibet; the local Dzongkha name Druk Yul means "Land of the Dragon"
Sources:- The Constitution of The Kingdom of Bhutan ↗ - Department of Local Governance and Disaster Management - Ministry of Home Affairs
- The World Factbook: Bhutan - CIA
- National emblem
- National flag
As published by the Department of Local Governance, Royal Government of Bhutan The upper yellow half that touches the base [...] The lower orange half that extends to the top [...] The dragon that fully presses down the fimbriation [...] The white dragon
As published in EnglishAs published by the Department of Local Governance, Royal Government of Bhutan The National Flag
The upper yellow half that touches the base symbolizes the secular tradition. It personifies His Majesty the King, whose noble actions enhance the Kingdom. Hence, it symbolizes that His Majesty is the upholder of the spiritual and secular foundations of the Kingdom.
The lower orange half that extends to the top symbolizes the spiritual tradition. It also symbolizes the flourishing of the Buddhist teachings in general and that of the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions in particular.
The dragon that fully presses down the fimbriation symbolizes the name of the Kingdom, which is endowed with the spiritual and secular traditions.
The white dragon symbolizes the undefiled thoughts of the people that express their loyalty, patriotism and great sense of belonging to the Kingdom although they have different ethnic and linguistic origins.
As published in EnglishSource:- dlgdm.gov.bt ↗ - the Department of Local Governance, Royal Government of Bhutan
- National anthem
- Druk tsendhen (འབྲུག་ཙན་དན་)1:44
- Title (in Dzongkha)
- འབྲུག་ཙན་དན་
- Title (in Dzongkha, Romanized)
- Druk tsendhen
- Title (in English, translated)
- The Thunder Dragon Kingdom
- Lyrics
འབྲུག་ཙན་དན་བཀོད་པའི་རྒྱལ་ཁབ་ནང་།། དཔལ་ལུགས་གཉིས་བསྟན་སྲིད་སྐྱོང་བའི་མགོན་།། འབྲུག་རྒྱལ་པོ་མངའ་བདག་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་།། སྐུ་འགྱུར་མེད་བརྟན་ཅིང་ཆབ་སྲིད་འཕེལ་།། ཆོས་སངས་རྒྱས་བསྟན་པ་དར་ཞིང་རྒྱས་།། འབངས་བདེ་སྐྱིད་ཉི་མ་ཤར་བར་ཤོག་།།
- Citizens
- Bhutanese
- Official name:The Constitution of The Kingdom of Bhutan ↗ - Department of Local Governance and Disaster Management - Ministry of Home Affairs
- Official name, Citizens:The World Factbook: Bhutan - CIA
- National flag:dlgdm.gov.bt ↗ - the Department of Local Governance, Royal Government of Bhutan
- National anthem:nationalanthems.info ↗
- National anthem:Recording credit
Geography
- Location
- Total area
- 38,394 km²
- Land area
- 38,394 km²
- Water area
- 0.00 km²
- Coastline
- 0 km(Landlocked)
- Terrain
Mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna - Mean elevation
- 2,220 m
- Highest point
- 7,570 mGangkar Puensum
- Lowest point
- 97 mDrangeme Chhu
- Climate
Varies tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas - Avg. temperature
- 9.6 °C
- Avg. daily range
- 5.5 to 14.2 °C
- Annual precipitation
- 3,334 mm
Temperature °CMeanDaily rangePrecipitation mmMonthly climate normals Month Avg. high, °C Mean, °C Avg. low, °C Precipitation, mm January 7.1 1.3 −3.9 75 February 8.6 3.2 −2 107 March 11.4 6.3 1.3 166 April 14.2 9.5 4.8 208 May 16.7 12.5 8.6 313 June 18.5 15.1 12.3 575 July 18.8 15.8 13.4 727 August 19.1 15.8 13.1 525 September 18.2 14.5 11.4 365 October 15.7 10.8 6.3 157 November 12.4 6.6 1.6 61 December 9.3 3.3 −1.7 54 Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.
Sources:- The World Factbook: Bhutan - CIA
- Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Weather
- Loading
- Land use2023
- Arable2.6%Perm. crops0.4%Pasture10.8%Forest70.6%Other15.6%
- Arable land
- 100,000 hectares (2.6%)
- Permanent crops
- 14,000 hectares (0.4%)
- Permanent meadows & pastures
- 413,000 hectares (10.8%)
- Forest
- 2,691,708 hectares (70.6%)
- Other land
- 595,292 hectares (15.6%)
Source: - Natural hazards2026
- Earthquakes6.8Very high#48/191Epidemics5.0High#93/191River floods4.2Medium#113/191Tsunamis0.0Very lowTropical cyclones0.0Very lowCoastal floods0.0Very lowDrought0.0Very low
Scores out of 10, ranks out of 191 countries.
Source:- INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Location, Land borders, Coastline, Terrain, Mean elevation, Highest point, Lowest point, Climate:The World Factbook: Bhutan - CIA
- Climate:Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Land use:FAOSTAT Land Use domain ↗ - FAO
- Natural hazards:INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
Demographics
- Population change2026
- +0.69% per year+5,532 people/yearWorld Rank121stof 237
- Birth rate
- 12.2 per 1,000 population
- Death rate
- 6.0 per 1,000 population
- Net migration rate
- +0.8 per 1,000 population
- 2026
- 31.0 yearsWorld Rank129thof 237
- Age structure2026
- 0-14 years19.8%15-64 years73.4%65 years +6.8%
- Share aged 65 and over
- 6.8%
- Share aged under 18
- 24.7%
- Total dependency ratio
- 36
- Youth dependency ratio
- 27
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 9
- Sex ratio
- 1.14 male / female
MaleAgeFemalePopulation by age group, % of total population Age Male Female 80+ 0.5% 0.6% 70-79 1.5% 1.6% 60-69 3.0% 2.8% 50-59 5.0% 4.2% 40-49 8.2% 6.6% 30-39 11.0% 8.7% 20-29 9.6% 8.6% 10-19 8.3% 7.5% 0-9 6.3% 6.0% - 2026
- 0.67 below the replacement level for Bhutan ()1.43 births per womanreplacement 2.10123World Rank189thof 237
- 0.68 daughters per woman0.32 below replacement, long-run each generation smaller than the lastreplacement 1.000.511.5
- 2026
- +6.2 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 6.2 more births than deaths a year
- 2026
- +0.8 per 1,000 population
- Urbanization2026
- 44.3% live in cities355,642 urban residents
- Largest towns2017latest available
- Thimphu, Phuntsholing, Paro, GelephuRankTownPopulation (2017 census)1Thimphu114,5512Phuntsholing27,6583Paro11,4484Gelephu9,8585Samdrup Jongkhar9,3256Wangdue Phodrang8,9547Punakha6,2628Jakar6,2439Nganglam5,41810Samtse5,396Source:
- National Statistics Bureau, Bhutan (2017 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Ethnic groups
- Ngalop50.0%Ethnic Nepali35.0%Indigenous or migrant tribes15.0%
Ngalop are also known as Bhote.Ethnic Nepalis are predominantly Lhotshampas.
Source:- The World Factbook: Bhutan - CIA
- Religions2005
- Lamaistic Buddhist75.3%Indian- and Nepali-influenced Hinduism22.1%Other2.6%
- Languages
- Dzongkha (རྫོང་ཁ)
- Population, Population change, Median age, Age structure, Total fertility rate, Net reproduction rate, Natural change, Net migration rate:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Urbanization:UN World Urbanization Prospects ↗
- Largest cities:National Statistics Bureau, Bhutan (2017 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Ethnic groups, Religions:The World Factbook: Bhutan - CIA
Government & Administration
- Form of state
- Constitutional monarchyThe Druk Gyalpo (King) is head of state; the throne passes by hereditary succession to direct descendants, and the monarch must step down at 65. The Constitution names the form "a Democratic Constitutional Monarchy" (Arts. 1, 2).
- System of government
- ParliamentaryThe Druk Gyalpo confers office as Prime Minister on the leader or nominee of the party winning a National Assembly majority; a two-thirds no-confidence vote requires the Government's dismissal, and the Assembly may be dissolved early on the Prime Minister's recommendation (Arts. 10, 17).Source:
- Territorial organisation
- Unitary
- Official websites
- Capital
- Thimphu114,551 people(2017)
- National holidays
- 17 days in 2026
- FriJan 2Winter Solstice
- MonJan 19Traditional Day of Offering
- WedFeb 18Losar
- ThuFeb 19Losar
- SatFeb 21Birth Anniversary of His Majesty the King
- SunFeb 22Birth Anniversary of His Majesty the King
- MonFeb 23Birth Anniversary of His Majesty the King
- SunApr 26Death Anniversary of Zhabdrung
- SatMay 2Birth Anniversary of the 3rd Druk Gyalpo
- SunMay 31Lord Buddha's Parinirvana
- WedJun 24Birth Anniversary of Guru Rinpoche
- SatJul 18First Sermon of Lord Buddha
- WedSep 23Blessed Rainy Day
- WedOct 21Dassain
- SunNov 1Coronation of His Majesty the KingDescending Day of Lord Buddha
- WedNov 11Birth Anniversary of the 4th Druk Gyalpo - Constitution Day
- ThuDec 17National Day
Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.
- Time
- BTTBhutan TimeUTC+6
- Currencies
- Bhutanese Ngultrum (BTN)Indian Rupee (INR)
- Entry requirements
- Official visa and entry information
- Calling code
- +975
- Internet TLD
- .bt
- ISO 3166-1 codes
- BT, BTN
- Infrastructure
- Passengers carried
- 189,878 by the country's airlines(2023)
- Heliports
- 8
- Aircraft departures
- 3,752 by the country's airlines(2023)
- Air freight
- 0.5 million tonne-km(2023)
- Aircraft registration prefix
- A5
Sources:- The World Factbook: Bhutan - CIA
- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Flag carrier
- DrukairState-owned
- 2025
- 71 / 100World Rank18thof 182
Significant improverUp 8 points since 2013, when it scored 63.
Confidence intervalCorruption index score by year Year Score Lower bound Upper bound 2012 63 57 69 2013 63 59 67 2014 65 62 68 2015 65 61 69 2016 65 62 69 2017 67 64 70 2018 68 63 73 2019 68 63.5 72.5 2020 68 64.1 71.9 2021 68 64.3 71.7 2022 68 64.4 71.6 2023 68 64.4 71.6 2024 72 69.3 74.7 2025 71 67.6 74.4 Source:- Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
- Form of state, System of government, Territorial organisation:The Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan (ISBN 99936-754-0-7), English text ↗ - Department of Local Governance and Disaster Management, Ministry of Home Affairs of Bhutan
- National holidays:Open World Holidays Framework (vacanza/holidays) ↗
- Infrastructure:The World Factbook: Bhutan - CIA
- Infrastructure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Corruption Perceptions Index:Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
Economy
- Lower middle income
- GDP growth (real)2026
- +7% per yearWorld Rank16thof 195
- GDP per capita (PPP)2026
- GDP per capita (nominal)
- $4,933 (129th in the world)
Source:- 2024
- Services51.5% of GDPIndustry31.7% of GDPAgriculture14.1% of GDPManufacturing6.6%part of industry
- Households
- +53.8%
- Government
- +20%
- Investment
- +42.6%
- Exports
- +31.5%
- Imports
- −47.9%
The shape of the economyGDP by end useSource:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Inflation2026
- 5.6%up 3.1 percentage points3.1pp from 2025
- Labor force2024
- 406,287 (51% of population)World Rank161stof 187
- Labor force participation2024
- 64.9% of people aged 15+
- Unemployment2024
- 3.3%
- Youth unemployment2024
- 17.9% ages 15 to 24
- Labor productivity2024
- $10.8 per hour worked at PPP
- Budget balance2026
- 0.4% of GDP deficit
- Current account
- 16.3% of GDP, $637 million deficit
Source: - Debt2024
- Central government debt107.8% of GDPInterest on debt2% of GDP
- Trade2024
- Goods$660.1 million69.6%
- Services$288.1 million30.4%
- Total exports
- $948.2 million
- Change from 2023
- up 16.5 percent on the previous year16.5%
Sources:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- The World Factbook: Bhutan - CIA
- Agricultural products2024
- Areca nuts, Ginger (raw), Oranges, and 7 more
- 1Areca nuts246.5×
- 2Ginger (raw)27.6×
- 3Oranges12.4×
- 4Squash and gourds (including pumpkins)5.4×
- 5Chillies and peppers (green)5×
- 6Carrots and turnips4.4×
- 7Potatoes3.9×
- 8Raw milk of cattle2.2×
- 9Rice2×
- 10Hen eggs in shell (fresh)1.7×
ProductSource:- FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Industries
- cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide, tourism
- Income level, GDP by sector, Trade:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- GDP (nominal), GDP growth (real), GDP per capita (PPP), Inflation, Budget balance:IMF World Economic Outlook ↗
- Labor force, Labor force participation, Unemployment, Youth unemployment, Labor productivity:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- Debt:IMF Global Debt Database ↗
- Debt:IMF Public Finances in Modern History ↗
- Trade, Industries:The World Factbook: Bhutan - CIA
- Agricultural products:FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
Cost of Living
- Cost of living index
- Loading
- Monthly costs (excluding rent)
- Loading
- Rent
- Loading
- Buying an apartment
- Loading
- Average gross salary2025
- BTN 28,073 per month$322 (USD), $1,333 (PPP)
- Median
- BTN 25,000 per month($287)
- Men
- BTN 29,041 per month($333)
- Women
- BTN 25,493 per month($292)
Source:- ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- 2024
- BTN 3,750 per month, gross$45 (USD), $180 (PPP)
- Average gross salary, Minimum wage:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
Society
- 2023
- 0.698MediumWorld Rank125thof 193BhutanWorld
Human Development Index by year Year Bhutan World 2010 0.593 0.707 2011 0.603 0.713 2012 0.609 0.717 2013 0.616 0.721 2014 0.626 0.726 2015 0.637 0.731 2016 0.647 0.735 2017 0.656 0.739 2018 0.667 0.741 2019 0.680 0.745 2020 0.688 0.742 2021 0.691 0.742 2022 0.695 0.752 2023 0.698 0.756 Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- 2022
- 28.5
- Mean years of schooling2023
- 5.8 years
- Expected for a child today
- 13.2 years
Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Literacy2022
- 64.9% of adults
- Education expenditure2023
- 5.8% of GDP
- Share of government spending
- 19.2%
Source:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users2024
- 91.3% of the population
- Households with Internet access
- 92.1%
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Mobile subscriptions2024
- 789,606
- Fixed telephone lines
- 0
- Fixed broadband
- 2.9 subscriptions per 100 people
Counts subscriptions, not people.
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership2014latest available
- 0% of adults
- Debit-card ownership
- 17%
- Account at a bank or mobile-money provider
- 34%
- Made or received a digital payment
- 17%
Source:- Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Inbound tourists2022
- Official tourism site20,900 arrivalsdown 93% against 201993% below 2019World Rank136thof 139
- Per resident
- 2.7 arrivals per 100 residents
- $199.1 million(2024)
- Share of GDP
- 9.5% tourism direct GDP(2019, latest available)
- Domestic trips
- 765,000 overnight trips by residents(2019, latest available)
- Residents' trips abroad
- 41,000 overnight trips(2019, latest available)
- $103.6 million(2024)
- Hotel beds
- 8,762(2021, latest available)
Overnight arrivals by year2010 to 2022A tourist stays at least one night. Arrivals count trips, not people.
Source:- UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- Human Development Index, Mean years of schooling:Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Income inequality (Gini), Education expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Literacy:UIS Data Browser ↗ - UNESCO Institute for Statistics
- Internet users, Mobile subscriptions:ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership:Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Inbound tourists:UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
Crime & Safety
- Travel advisory (US)
- Loading
- Active humanitarian crisisAug 2026
- None - no active crisis
- Homicide rate2020
- 2.5 per 100,000 peopleLow by global standards
- Crime rates
- 6 offence categories
Offence Per 100,000 Count Year Homicide (victims) 2.5 19 2020 Serious assault 107.5 828 2020 Sexual violence 10.2 77 2017 Kidnapping 0.0 0 2020 Burglary 30.9 238 2020 Theft 40.8 314 2020 A low figure can also mean weak recording.
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Prison population2019
- 255.5 per 100,000 people
- Persons held
- 1,954
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Active humanitarian crisis:INFORM Severity Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Homicide rate, Crime rates, Prison population:UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Health
- Life expectancy2026
- 73.8 years
- Health expenditure2023
- 4.4% of GDP$162 per person
- Physicians2022
- 0.55 per 1,000 population
- Hospital beds2023
- 2.2 per 1,000 population
- Infant mortality2026
- 16.6 per 1,000 live births
- Maternal mortality2023
- 47 per 100,000 live births
- Alcohol consumption2022
- 4.4 litres of pure alcohol per adult per year
- Tobacco use2023
- 19.9% of adults
- Men
- 28.4%
- Women
- 11.4%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Road traffic deaths2019
- 16.2 per 100,000 population
- Life expectancy, Infant mortality:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Health expenditure, Physicians, Hospital beds, Road traffic deaths:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Maternal mortality:Maternal mortality estimates ↗ - UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-agency Group
- Alcohol consumption, Tobacco use:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
Environment
- CO₂ emissions2024
- 1.59 Mt per yearup 2 percent on the previous year2% from 2023
- CO₂ per capita
- 1.8 t per personWorld Rank126thof 207
- Share of global CO₂
- < 0.01%
- Methane (CH₄)
- 1.03 Mt CO₂-eq
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- 0.18 Mt CO₂-eq
- All greenhouse gases
- 2.81 Mt CO₂-eq
Source:- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- 2024
- 25.2 µg/m³ of PM2.52 years of life expectancy lost against the WHO guidelineMost polluted36thof 236
- WHO guideline
- 5 µg/m³
Source:- Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues
- soil erosion
- limited access to potable water
- wildlife conservation
- industrial pollution
- waste disposal
Source:- The World Factbook: Bhutan - CIA
- International agreements
- 13 of 20 landmark treaties in forceParty to 27 multilateral environmental agreements
Treaty Standing Joined Climate Paris Agreement in force 2017 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in force 1995 Kyoto Protocol in force 2005 Ozone layer Montreal Protocol in force 2004 Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer) in force 2004 Biodiversity Convention on Biological Diversity in force 1995 CITES in force 2002 Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn) not a party Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in force 2003 Nagoya Protocol in force 2014 Land and heritage Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in force 2012 World Heritage Convention in force 2002 UN Convention to Combat Desertification in force 2003 Chemicals and waste Basel Convention in force 2002 Rotterdam Convention (PIC) not a party Stockholm Convention (POPs) not a party Minamata Convention on Mercury not a party Oceans UN Convention on the Law of the Sea signed 1982, not ratified High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) not a party MARPOL 73/78 not a party Source:- International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
- CO₂ emissions:Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- Air pollution:Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues:The World Factbook: Bhutan - CIA
- International agreements:International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
Food & Water
- No access to safe drinking water2022
- 0% of the population
- Renewable water2022
- 78 billion m³ per year
- Per person
- 99,883 m³ per year
- Dependency ratio
- 0% originates outside the country
- Annual water withdrawal
- 0.3 billion m³ per year
- Withdrawn for agriculture
- 94%
- Water stress
- 1% of available freshwater withdrawn
Source:- AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Obesity2024
- 13.1% of adults
- Men
- 9.8%
- Women
- 16.9%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children2023
- 8.7% of children under five
- No access to safe drinking water, Renewable water:AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Obesity:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
Energy
- Energy consumption2024
- Per capita
- 80.9 GJ per person
- Share of world total
- 0.01%
- Supply
- Deficitproduces 67% of what it consumes, 2024
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Electricity2024
- Imports only, 1.5 TWh imported, nothing exported in 202411 TWh generated per year
- Generation
- 11 TWh per year
- Consumption
- 12 TWh per year
- Imports
- 1.5 TWh per year
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal
- No domestic productionconsumes 5,453 b/d in 2024Consumption20245,453 b/d
Oil imports and exports count crude oil only.
- Energy consumption, Electricity, Oil, gas & coal:International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
Defense
- Military personnel2025
- estimated 7,000–8,000active Royal Bhutan Army
- Military service2025
- Voluntarymen and women 18+; militia training is compulsory for men aged 20–25 over a 3-year period
- Nuclear weapons2026
- None - no nuclear arsenal
- Military personnel, Military service:The World Factbook: Bhutan - CIA
- Nuclear weapons:Status of World Nuclear Forces ↗ - Federation of American Scientists
