Bhutan Demographics

Population of Bhutan (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Bhutan

Bhutan Population
802,214
see live
Yearly Change
+0.69%
Global Share
0.01%
Global Rank
167

Median Age

The median age in Bhutan is 31.0 years (2026).

Fertility in Bhutan

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
1.43
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in Bhutan

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
73.8
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
75.8
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
72.1
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Bhutan


Infant Mortality
16.6
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
19.5
(per 1,000 live births)


Bhutan Urban Population

Currently, 44.3% of the population of Bhutan is urban (355,642 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in Bhutan is 21 people per km² (54 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 38,394 km² (14,824 sq. miles).

Largest Towns in Bhutan

The 30 largest of 52 towns, ranked by population at the census of May 30, 2017 (by National Statistics Bureau, Bhutan).

RankTownPopulation
1Thimphu114,551
2Phuntsholing27,658
3Paro11,448
4Gelephu9,858
5Samdrup Jongkhar9,325
6Wangdue Phodrang8,954
7PunakhaKhuru6,262
8JakarBumthang6,243
9Nganglam5,418
10Samtse5,396
11Mongar4,452
12Gomtu3,661
13DamphuTsirang3,448
14Kanglung3,223
15Trashiyangtse3,187
16Sarpang3,152
17Trongsa3,122
18Trashigang3,037
19Gedu2,849
20Gyalpozhing2,629
21Ha2,596
22Zhemgang2,177
23Tsimalakha2,135
24Rangjung2,024
25Lhamoyzingkhar1,961
26Mebisa1,842
27Samdrup Choling1,713
28Daga1,547
29Lhuntse1,500
30Jomotsangkha1,136
See all 53 towns in Bhutan

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.