Rank #23 by World Population

🇧🇹Bhutan

Bhutan has a population of 786,385, ranking #23 in the world. The capital is Thimphu. Located in South Asia.

World Bank: Lower middle income

786,385

Population

#23

World Rank

73.0

Life Expectancy

$3,831

GDP Per Capita

Bhutan, #23 by world population

Bhutan Population History (1960-2024)

The country of Bhutan had a population of 224,084 in 1960 and 791,524 in 2024, a 3.5× growth over 64 years. The peak was 791,524 in 2024. Average annual growth rate: 2.00%.

Bhutan population, 1960–2024 · Source: U.S. Census Bureau — decennial census & Population Estimates

791,524

Population (2024)

224,084

Population (1960)

791,524

Peak (2024)

2.00%

Avg Annual Growth

Year	Population	Change	Annual %	Source
1960	224,084	-	-	estimate
1961	230,602	+6,518	+2.91%	estimate
1962	237,636	+7,034	+3.05%	estimate
1963	245,156	+7,520	+3.16%	estimate
1964	252,987	+7,831	+3.19%	estimate
1965	261,200	+8,213	+3.25%	estimate
1966	269,820	+8,620	+3.30%	estimate
1967	278,852	+9,032	+3.35%	estimate
1968	288,311	+9,459	+3.39%	estimate
1969	298,214	+9,903	+3.43%	estimate
1970	308,528	+10,314	+3.46%	estimate
1971	319,211	+10,683	+3.46%	estimate
1972	330,264	+11,053	+3.46%	estimate
1973	341,705	+11,441	+3.46%	estimate
1974	353,538	+11,833	+3.46%	estimate
1975	365,791	+12,253	+3.47%	estimate
1976	378,490	+12,699	+3.47%	estimate
1977	391,639	+13,149	+3.47%	estimate
1978	405,243	+13,604	+3.47%	estimate
1979	419,200	+13,957	+3.44%	estimate
1980	433,404	+14,204	+3.39%	estimate
1981	447,836	+14,432	+3.33%	estimate
1982	462,485	+14,649	+3.27%	estimate
1983	477,460	+14,975	+3.24%	estimate
1984	492,784	+15,324	+3.21%	estimate
1985	508,392	+15,608	+3.17%	estimate
1986	524,324	+15,932	+3.13%	estimate
1987	540,557	+16,233	+3.10%	estimate
1988	556,986	+16,429	+3.04%	estimate
1989	573,586	+16,600	+2.98%	estimate
1990	589,287	+15,701	+2.74%	estimate
1991	599,784	+10,497	+1.78%	estimate
1992	577,774	-22,010	-3.67%	estimate
1993	554,673	-23,101	-4.00%	estimate
1994	554,497	-176	-0.03%	estimate
1995	547,989	-6,508	-1.17%	estimate
1996	548,784	+795	+0.15%	estimate
1997	558,697	+9,913	+1.81%	estimate
1998	569,435	+10,738	+1.92%	estimate
1999	582,579	+13,144	+2.31%	estimate
2000	596,863	+14,284	+2.45%	estimate
2001	610,794	+13,931	+2.33%	estimate
2002	624,409	+13,615	+2.23%	estimate
2003	637,663	+13,254	+2.12%	estimate
2004	650,544	+12,881	+2.02%	estimate
2005	661,865	+11,321	+1.74%	estimate
2006	670,799	+8,934	+1.35%	estimate
2007	678,641	+7,842	+1.17%	estimate
2008	686,351	+7,710	+1.14%	estimate
2009	693,988	+7,637	+1.11%	estimate
2010	701,632	+7,644	+1.10%	estimate
2011	709,377	+7,745	+1.10%	estimate
2012	717,279	+7,902	+1.11%	estimate
2013	725,273	+7,994	+1.11%	estimate
2014	733,139	+7,866	+1.08%	estimate
2015	740,618	+7,479	+1.02%	estimate
2016	747,866	+7,248	+0.98%	estimate
2017	754,335	+6,469	+0.86%	estimate
2018	759,759	+5,424	+0.72%	estimate
2019	764,824	+5,065	+0.67%	estimate
2020	770,006	+5,182	+0.68%	estimate
2021	775,442	+5,436	+0.71%	estimate
2022	780,914	+5,472	+0.71%	estimate
2023	786,385	+5,471	+0.70%	estimate
2024	791,524	+5,139	+0.65%	estimate

Demographics

Population	786,385
Population Growth Rate	0.70%
Urban Population	41.7%
Fertility Rate	1.46 births/woman
Life Expectancy	73.0 years
Infant Mortality Rate	14.3 per 1,000
Literacy Rate	-

Economy & Trade

$3,831

GDP Per Capita

3.1%

Unemployment Rate

Lower middle income

Income Level

28.5

Gini Index (inequality)

81.7%

Trade (% of GDP)

29,799.999

Tourism Arrivals

Health & Education

4.4%

Health Expenditure (% GDP)

0.55

Physicians per 1,000

5.8%

Education Expenditure (% GDP)

14.3

Infant Mortality (per 1,000)

Development & Connectivity

100.0%

Electricity Access

88.4%

Internet Users

100

Mobile Subs per 100

20.6

People per km2

291

Net Migration

Environment

71.6%

Forest Area

Other Countries in South Asia

Bangladesh India Maldives Nepal Sri Lanka

Compare Bhutan

vs Afghanistan vs Albania vs Algeria vs American Samoa

Bhutan in global context

Bhutan is one of 212 countries tracked. See how it ranks globally, regional shares of world population, and projections to 2050 / 2100.

World Population 2026: Top 10 Countries, Regions & Trends →

Other related entities

Bangladesh (171,466,990)India (1,438,069,596)Maldives (525,994)Nepal (29,694,614)Sri Lanka (22,037,000)All countries →

Country rankings

Populated Countries in the World Countries With Highest GDP Per Capita Countries With Highest Life Expectancy Countries With Highest Fertility Rates Countries With Highest Literacy Rates Urbanized Countries in the World Fastest Growing Countries by Population Countries With Highest Infant Mortality Countries With Highest Income Inequality Countries With Most International Tourism All rankings →

Frequently Asked Questions

Bhutan has a population of 786,385, ranking #23 in the world. The annual population growth rate is 0.70%.

Life expectancy in Bhutan is 73.0 years. The infant mortality rate is 14.3 per 1,000 live births.

Bhutan's GDP per capita is $3,831. It is classified as a lower middle income country by the World Bank.

41.7% of Bhutan's population lives in urban areas. The overall population density is 20.6 people per square kilometer.

Literacy data for Bhutan is available from the World Bank.

Sources: World Bank Open Data

International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population figures are latest available estimates. GDP per capita in current US dollars.

With 786,385 residents, Bhutan is a country in South Asia. Population growth is modest, around 0.7% a year.

Bhutan is a lower-income economy, with GDP per capita of about $3,831. Life expectancy is 73.0 years, with a fertility rate of 1.5 births per woman, and 41.7% of the population lives in urban areas.

Source: World Bank Open Data, 2026.