What is the population of Bhutan in 2026?
Bhutan has a population of 796,682 people (2025 estimate), which is 167th in the world and about 0.01% of the global total.
Officially Kingdom of Bhutan
Population 2025
796,682
0.01% of world population
World Bank, 2025Annual Growth
+0.65%
+5,178 people a year
World Bank, 2025Density
21/km²
38,140 km² land area
World Bank, 2023Median Age
30.5 years
Life expectancy 73.3 years
Our World in Data, 2025About Bhutan
With roughly 797,000 people spread across 38,140 km², this Asian nation ranks 165th globally in population. The median age of 30.5 years suggests a relatively young demographic, while the fertility rate of 1.4 births per woman and modest annual growth of 0.7% point to stabilizing population dynamics. Life expectancy stands at 73.3 years, and about 43% of residents live in urban areas.
The Kingdom operates as a constitutional monarchy established in 1949, bordered by China and India. Dzongkha is the official language, and the economy operates with a GDP per capita of $4,493, using the Bhutanese ngultrum and Indian rupee as currencies. Thimphu serves as the capital city across the country's varied terrain.
This summary is AI-generated from the indicators on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.
Country Facts
- Capital
- Thimphu
- Continent
- Asia
- ISO codes
- BT · BTN
- Demonym
- Bhutanese
- Currency
- Bhutanese ngultrum (BTN Nu.), Indian rupee (INR ₹)
- Government
- Constitutional monarchy, Parliamentary monarchy, Parliamentary system +1 more
- State inception
- 1949
- Time zone
- UTC+06:00
- Driving side
- Left
- Calling code
- +975
- Internet TLD
- .bt
- Land neighbours
- 2
Languages
- Dzongkha
Demographics
Economy
Health
Education
Not published for Bhutan: Mean Years of Schooling.
Environment
Infrastructure
Quality of Life
Geography
Military
None of our sources publish these indicators for Bhutan.
Age & Gender Distribution
Population by five-year age band, UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Male Female
- Age 0–14
- 20.9%
- Age 15–64
- 72.6%
- Age 65+
- 6.5%
| Age band | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 100+ | 4 | 8 |
| 95-99 | 49 | 76 |
| 90-94 | 313 | 424 |
| 85-89 | 1,056 | 1,253 |
| 80-84 | 2,473 | 2,747 |
| 75-79 | 4,371 | 4,522 |
| 70-74 | 7,056 | 6,981 |
| 65-69 | 10,162 | 9,911 |
| 60-64 | 12,741 | 11,681 |
| 55-59 | 16,942 | 14,704 |
| 50-54 | 20,460 | 16,890 |
| 45-49 | 26,755 | 21,784 |
| 40-44 | 33,663 | 27,242 |
| 35-39 | 41,310 | 33,025 |
| 30-34 | 46,187 | 36,130 |
| 25-29 | 40,672 | 33,752 |
| 20-24 | 37,795 | 35,111 |
| 15-19 | 35,253 | 32,520 |
| 10-14 | 33,538 | 30,479 |
| 5-9 | 27,418 | 25,460 |
| 0-4 | 24,829 | 23,779 |
Population History & Projection (1950–2100)
Observed population to 2024, then the UN medium-variant projection.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 169,982 |
| 1960 | 224,084 |
| 1970 | 308,528 |
| 1980 | 433,404 |
| 1990 | 589,287 |
| 2000 | 596,863 |
| 2010 | 701,632 |
| 2020 | 770,006 |
| 2030 | 820,694 |
| 2040 | 862,129 |
| 2050 | 882,340 |
| 2060 | 878,277 |
| 2070 | 849,494 |
| 2080 | 799,952 |
| 2090 | 741,734 |
| 2100 | 690,432 |
How Bhutan Compares
Population against the ten most populous countries.
| Name | Population |
|---|---|
| India | 1.46B |
| China | 1.41B |
| United States | 341.8M |
| Indonesia | 285.7M |
| Pakistan | 255.2M |
| Nigeria | 237.5M |
| Brazil | 212.8M |
| Bangladesh | 175.7M |
| Russia | 143.5M |
| Ethiopia | 135.5M |
| Bhutan | 797K |
Countries Bordering Bhutan
2 land borders.
Bhutan Population FAQ
Is the population of Bhutan growing or shrinking?
Bhutan's population is growing at +0.65% per year, a change of roughly 5,178 people annually.
What is the capital of Bhutan?
The capital of Bhutan is Thimphu.
How densely populated is Bhutan?
Bhutan has 21/km² across 38,140 km² of land area.
What is life expectancy in Bhutan?
Life expectancy at birth in Bhutan is 73.3 years (2024).
What is the median age in Bhutan?
The median age in Bhutan is 30.5 years, meaning half the population is younger than that and half older.
Which continent is Bhutan in?
Bhutan is in Asia.