Bhutan has not carried out an official census since 2005, although it's population is estimated to have growth rather significantly. It is currently projected that Bhutan will exceed 800,000 people by 2020 and hit nearly 900,000 by 2030. This is a far cry from its 1991 population of 1.37 million.
| Bhutan Population (as of 10/15/2024) | 792,928 |
| Last UN Estimate (July 1, 2024) | 791,524 |
| Births per Day | 27 |
| Deaths per Day | 13 |
| Migrations per Day | -1 |
| Net Change per Day | 13 |
| Population Change Since Jan. 1 | 3,744 |
Net increase of 1 person every 110.77 minutes
Population estimates based on interpolation of data from World Population Prospects
| One birth every 53.33 minutes | |
| One death every 110.77 minutes | |
| One emigrant every 1440 minutes | |
| Net gain of one person every 110.77 minutes |
City | 2024 Pop. |
|---|---|
| Thimphu | 98,676 |
| Punakha | 21,500 |
| Tsirang | 18,667 |
| Phuntsholing | 17,043 |
| Pemagatshel | 13,864 |
| Sarpang | 10,416 |
| Wangdue Phodrang | 7,507 |
| Samdrup Jongkhar | 7,507 |
| Samtse | 5,479 |
| Jakar | 4,829 |
Year | Population | Change | Density (/km²) | Population Rank | Density Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 791,524 | 0.69% | 21 | 167 | 194 |
| 2023 | 786,385 | 0.69% | 21 | 167 | 194 |
| 2020 | 770,006 | 0.68% | 20 | 166 | 193 |
| 2019 | 764,824 | 0.67% | 20 | 166 | 193 |
| 2018 | 759,759 | 0.72% | 20 | 166 | 193 |
| 2017 | 754,335 | 0.86% | 20 | 166 | 193 |
| 2015 | 740,618 | 1.09% | 19 | 165 | 192 |
| 2010 | 701,632 | 1.17% | 18 | 165 | 193 |
| 2005 | 661,865 | 2.09% | 17 | 165 | 188 |
| 2000 | 596,863 | 1.72% | 16 | 166 | 190 |
| 1995 | 547,989 | -1.44% | 14 | 165 | 190 |
| 1990 | 589,287 | 3% | 15 | 162 | 189 |
| 1985 | 508,392 | 3.24% | 13 | 162 | 189 |
| 1980 | 433,404 | 3.45% | 11 | 162 | 190 |
| 1975 | 365,791 | 3.46% | 10 | 163 | 190 |
| 1970 | 308,528 | 3.39% | 8 | 167 | 191 |
| 1965 | 261,200 | 3.11% | 7 | 168 | 191 |
| 1960 | 224,084 | 2.85% | 6 | 168 | 192 |
| 1955 | 194,748 | 2.76% | 5 | 169 | 192 |
Year | Population | Change | Density (/km²) | Population Rank | Density Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 791,524 | 0.69% | 21 | 167 | 194 |
| 2025 | 796,682 | 0.68% | 21 | 167 | 194 |
| 2030 | 820,694 | 0.6% | 22 | 167 | 196 |
| 2035 | 843,202 | 0.54% | 22 | 167 | 196 |
| 2040 | 862,129 | 0.45% | 23 | 167 | 198 |
| 2045 | 876,173 | 0.32% | 23 | 167 | 199 |
| 2050 | 882,340 | 0.14% | 23 | 167 | 199 |
| 2055 | 883,406 | 0.02% | 23 | 167 | 200 |
| 2060 | 878,277 | -0.12% | 23 | 167 | 200 |
| 2065 | 867,231 | -0.25% | 23 | 167 | 201 |
| 2070 | 849,494 | -0.41% | 22 | 168 | 202 |
| 2075 | 825,862 | -0.56% | 22 | 169 | 205 |
| 2080 | 799,952 | -0.64% | 21 | 168 | 205 |
| 2085 | 771,297 | -0.73% | 20 | 170 | 205 |
| 2090 | 741,734 | -0.78% | 19 | 170 | 205 |
| 2095 | 714,353 | -0.75% | 19 | 172 | 205 |
29.1
Total
29.6
Male
28.6
Female
There are people over age 18 in Bhutan.
Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 30 May 2016 |
| 2005 | 31 May 2005 |
Bhutan is a landlocked country in South Asia at the end of the Himalayas. Bhutan is bordered by India to the west, south and east and China to the north. The last census in the country was carried out in 2005 showing a population of 634,900, which is about half the population of 1.37 million in 1991. Bhutan's population density is 18 people per square kilometer, which is one of the lowest population densities in the world.
The capital and largest city is Thimphu, with a population of 80,000 and a metro population of 115,000.
Most Bhutanese people belong to the Ngalops and Sharchops, or Western Bhutanese and Eastern Bhutanese. The Lhotshampa, or southerners, are a group primarily of Nepali descent. In 1988, this group accounted for 45% of the population and it included migrants who fought a war with Bhutan over rights to language and dress. Since then, there has been mass emigration, some of which was forced, that caused hundreds of thousands to leave Bhutan as stateless people in refugee camps. An additional 15% of the population is indigenous or from migrant tribes.
In 2006, Business Week ranked Bhutan as the happiest country in Asia and the 8th happiest in the world. Bhutan has a literacy rate of 60% with a median age of 25 years old.
75% of the population is Buddhist, most of which follow Vajrayana Buddhism, the state religion. 22% are Hindu, followed by 2% folk religion and 1% other religions.