Population growth in Bhutan
Bhutan: Population growth was 0.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Population growth in Bhutan, 1961–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2025, population growth in Bhutan stood at 0.6%.
The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 36.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Bhutan peaked at 3.4% in 1977 and was at its lowest, -4.1%, in 1993.
Bhutan ranks 127th of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population growth in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.9% | — |
| 1962 | 3.0% | +4.8% |
| 1963 | 3.1% | +3.7% |
| 1964 | 3.1% | +0.9% |
| 1965 | 3.2% | +1.6% |
| 1966 | 3.2% | +1.6% |
| 1967 | 3.3% | +1.4% |
| 1968 | 3.3% | +1.3% |
| 1969 | 3.4% | +1.2% |
| 1970 | 3.4% | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 3.4% | +0.1% |
| 1972 | 3.4% | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 3.4% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 3.4% | -0.0% |
| 1975 | 3.4% | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 3.4% | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 3.4% | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 3.4% | -0.0% |
| 1979 | 3.4% | -0.8% |
| 1980 | 3.3% | -1.6% |
| 1981 | 3.3% | -1.7% |
| 1982 | 3.2% | -1.7% |
| 1983 | 3.2% | -1.0% |
| 1984 | 3.2% | -0.9% |
| 1985 | 3.1% | -1.3% |
| 1986 | 3.1% | -1.0% |
| 1987 | 3.0% | -1.2% |
| 1988 | 3.0% | -1.8% |
| 1989 | 2.9% | -1.9% |
| 1990 | 2.7% | -8.0% |
| 1991 | 1.8% | -34.6% |
| 1992 | -3.7% | -311.7% |
| 1993 | -4.1% | +9.1% |
| 1994 | -0.0% | -99.2% |
| 1995 | -1.2% | +3620.2% |
| 1996 | 0.1% | -112.3% |
| 1997 | 1.8% | +1134.9% |
| 1998 | 1.9% | +6.3% |
| 1999 | 2.3% | +19.9% |
| 2000 | 2.4% | +6.1% |
| 2001 | 2.3% | -4.8% |
| 2002 | 2.2% | -4.4% |
| 2003 | 2.1% | -4.7% |
| 2004 | 2.0% | -4.8% |
| 2005 | 1.7% | -13.7% |
| 2006 | 1.3% | -22.3% |
| 2007 | 1.2% | -13.3% |
| 2008 | 1.1% | -2.8% |
| 2009 | 1.1% | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 1.1% | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 1.1% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 1.1% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 1.1% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1.1% | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 1.0% | -5.9% |
| 2016 | 1.0% | -4.0% |
| 2017 | 0.9% | -11.6% |
| 2018 | 0.7% | -16.8% |
| 2019 | 0.7% | -7.3% |
| 2020 | 0.7% | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 0.7% | +4.2% |
| 2022 | 0.7% | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 0.7% | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 0.7% | -6.7% |
| 2025 | 0.6% | -0.3% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 0.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.7%, 37% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 0.6% is above the median for South Asia, which is 0.5%, 1.3× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth in Bhutan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | -3620.2% | -0.0% | -1.2% |
| 1997 | +1134.9% | 0.1% | 1.8% |
| 1992 | -311.7% | 1.8% | -3.7% |
| 1996 | +112.3% | -1.2% | 0.1% |
| 1994 | +99.2% | -4.1% | -0.0% |
| 1991 | -34.6% | 2.7% | 1.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.2% | 2.9% | 3.4% | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.4% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.1% | 2.9% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.2% | -4.1% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.7% | 1.1% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.0% | 0.7% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
More climate change data for Bhutan
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 2.70 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 581.26 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 78.23 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 503.03 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 0.2952 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 17.97 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 129 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 40.23 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 88.77 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.1518 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Bhutan?
- Population growth in Bhutan was 0.6% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 3.4% in 1977.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was -4.1% in 1993.
- How does Bhutan rank for population growth?
- Bhutan ranks 127th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 36.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bhutan data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.