Bhutan

South Asia·Lower middle income

Population: 786K; 165th of 217
GDP: $3.02B; 181st of 214 · 2023
GDP per capita: $3,839; 150th of 214 · 2023
Life expectancy: 73; 123rd of 217
Human development: 0.666; 125th of 189 · 2021

Benchmarked against

Bhutan

Sri Lanka

India

Bangladesh

Nepal

Default peers are drawn from region, income, and bloc membership — swap in any country you like. The gray tick on each strip is the world median.

hydropower investments spurring economic development; Gross National Happiness economy; sharp poverty declines; low inflation; strong monetary and fiscal policies; stable currency; fairly resilient response to COVID-19; key economic and strategic relations with India; climate vulnerabilities

Area: 38,394 km²
Languages: Sharchopkha 28%, Dzongkha (official) 24%, Lhotshamkha 22%, other 26% (includes foreign…
Resources: timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbonate
Borders: China; India

Religion

who identifies with what, 2020

world view →

Buddhist74.7%
Hindu22.5%
Other1.9%
Christian0.6%

Religious diversity: 4.55 / 10 · moderate · 68th of 193

Change markers show percentage-point shifts from 2010 to 2020 · Pew Research Center, Religious Composition 2010–2020.

Score card

quartile grades among all countries with data

A · Top quartileB · Above medianC · Below medianD · Bottom quartile

Topic

BTN

LKA

IND

BGD

GDP

current US$

$3.02B–––

GDP per capita

current US$

–––

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

–––

GDP growth

annual %

–––

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

–––

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

–––

FDI inflows

current US$

$22.8M–––

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

68.1%–––

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

15%–––

Industry value added

% of GDP

29.6%–––

Unemployment

% of labor force

–––

Gini index

0–100

–––

Extreme poverty

% below $2.15/day

–––

Population

people

786K–––

Population density

people per km²

20.5–––

Urban population

% of total

44.4%–––

Life expectancy

years at birth

–––

Fertility rate

births per woman

1.5–––

Net migration

people

-277–––

Population under 15

% of total

20.9%–––

Population 65+

% of total

6.5%–––

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Health expenditure

% of GDP

4.4%–––

Physicians

per 1,000 people

–––

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

–––

Education expenditure

% of GDP

5.8%–––

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

–––

Safe drinking water

% of population

–––

Internet users

% of population

–––

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

–––

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

–––

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

–––

Access to electricity

% of population

–––

Energy use per capita

kWh

18.8K–––

Electricity per capita

kWh

14.2K–––

Electricity generation

TWh

11.2–––

Renewable electricity

% of generation

–––

Fossil electricity

% of generation

–––

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

–––

CO₂ per capita

t per person

–––

Share of global CO₂

0%–––

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

–––

Top 1% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Top 10% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Bottom 50% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Top 1% wealth share

% of net wealth

–––

Gini, pre-tax income

0–1

–––

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Civil liberties

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Political corruption

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Academic freedom

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

–––

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

–––

State-based conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

–––

One-sided violence deaths

civilian deaths per year

–––

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

4.55–––

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

0%–––

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

–––

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

–––

Happiness

Cantril ladder, 0–10

–––

Global Peace Index

1–5

–––

Economy & Trade

Output, growth, prices, and openness

theme overview →

GDP

current US$

#181/214

$3.02B2023

GDP per capita

current US$

#150/214

$3,8392023

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

#113/203

$16,254latest

GDP growth

annual %

#47/214

4.9%2023

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

#142/207

$3,7402023

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

#127/213

4.4%2023

FDI inflows

current US$

#166/201

$22.8M2024

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

#64/205

68.1%2024

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

#57/206

15%2023

Industry value added

% of GDP

#60/208

29.6%2023

Unemployment

% of labor force

#46/187

3.1%latest

Gini index

0–100

#21/168

28.5latest

Extreme poverty

% below $2.15/day

#5/168

0%latest

People & Society

Population structure, urbanization, and migration

theme overview →

Population

people

#165/217

786Klatest

Population density

people per km²

#183/216

20.5latest

Urban population

% of total

#159/215

44.4%latest

Life expectancy

years at birth

#123/217

73latest

Fertility rate

births per woman

#167/217

1.5latest

Net migration

people

#100/217

-2772024

Population under 15

% of total

#119/217

20.9%2024

Population 65+

% of total

#132/217

6.5%2024

Health & Education

Longevity, mortality, learning, and public spending

theme overview →

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

#123/196

18.5latest

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

#126/196

23.1latest

Health expenditure

% of GDP

#144/192

4.4%latest

Physicians

per 1,000 people

#138/195

0.6latest

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

#130/160

72.1%latest

Education expenditure

% of GDP

#35/199

5.8%latest

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

#146/194

15%latest

Safe drinking water

% of population

#84/139

73.3%latest

Connectivity

Internet, mobile, and digital infrastructure

theme overview →

Internet users

% of population

#62/210

88.4%latest

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

#150/214

95.62023

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

#164/208

1.32023

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

#98/215

1,339.22024

Access to electricity

% of population

#17/215

100%latest

Energy & Climate

Energy use, electricity mix, and emissions

theme overview →

Energy use per capita

kWh

#82/198

18.8K2023

Electricity per capita

kWh

#10/202

14.2K2023

Electricity generation

TWh

#105/202

11.22023

Renewable electricity

% of generation

#2/202

100%2023

Fossil electricity

% of generation

#2/202

0%2023

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

#46/204

1.72024

CO₂ per capita

t per person

#82/204

2.12024

Share of global CO₂

#162/204

0%2024

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

#123/193

6.42023

Inequality

Who gets what — top and bottom shares of income and wealth, from tax data and national accounts

theme overview →

Top 1% income share

% of pre-tax income

#71/210

0.1%2024

Top 10% income share

% of pre-tax income

#66/210

0.4%2024

Bottom 50% income share

% of pre-tax income

#102/210

0.2%2024

Top 1% wealth share

% of net wealth

#42/210

0.2%2024

Gini, pre-tax income

0–1

#75/210

0.5492024

Governance & Democracy

Democratic institutions, corruption, and rule of law

theme overview →

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#75/175

0.5662025

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#70/175

0.4572025

Civil liberties

V-Dem, 0–1

#95/175

0.7012025

Political corruption

V-Dem, 0–1

#34/175

0.1482025

Academic freedom

V-Dem, 0–1

#114/175

0.4012025

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

#24/178

682022

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#21/193

1.512022

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#49/193

0.5562022

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#47/193

0.6722022

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#40/193

0.8652022

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

#116/175

0.6752025

Conflict & Security

Organized violence since 1989 — every battle death georeferenced by the Uppsala Conflict Data Program

theme overview →

Conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

#28/126

02025

State-based conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

#33/126

02025

One-sided violence deaths

civilian deaths per year

#33/126

02025

Values & Beliefs

What people hold sacred, permit, and pass on — from 40 years of World Values Survey interviews

theme overview →

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

#68/193

4.552020

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

#177/193

0%2020

Development & Wellbeing

Composite measures of how life is going

theme overview →

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

#125/189

0.6662021

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

#98/170

0.4152021

Happiness

Cantril ladder, 0–10

#108/164

5.082018

Global Peace Index

1–5

#17/158

1.52023

Explore any measure in depth on its own page — try GDP per capita or electoral democracy.