Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Bhutan
Bhutan: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre was 8.61 people per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
8.61 people per square kilometre
Change on year
up 2.7%
World rank
191st
of 215 countries
All-time high
8.61 people per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
0.1247 people per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Bhutan, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per square kilometre.
Analysis
Bhutan recorded 8.61 people per square kilometre for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 2.7% on the previous year and up 27.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Bhutan peaked at 8.61 people per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.1247 people per square kilometre, in 1961.
Bhutan ranks 191st of 215 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | people per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.1247 people per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 0.1306 people per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 1963 | 0.137 people per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 1964 | 0.1439 people per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 1965 | 0.1514 people per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 1966 | 0.1597 people per square kilometre | +5.5% |
| 1967 | 0.1691 people per square kilometre | +5.9% |
| 1968 | 0.1798 people per square kilometre | +6.3% |
| 1969 | 0.1919 people per square kilometre | +6.8% |
| 1970 | 0.209 people per square kilometre | +8.9% |
| 1971 | 0.24 people per square kilometre | +14.8% |
| 1972 | 0.2894 people per square kilometre | +20.6% |
| 1973 | 0.3553 people per square kilometre | +22.8% |
| 1974 | 0.4363 people per square kilometre | +22.8% |
| 1975 | 0.5309 people per square kilometre | +21.7% |
| 1976 | 0.6373 people per square kilometre | +20.0% |
| 1977 | 0.7532 people per square kilometre | +18.2% |
| 1978 | 0.876 people per square kilometre | +16.3% |
| 1979 | 1 people per square kilometre | +14.4% |
| 1980 | 1.13 people per square kilometre | +12.6% |
| 1981 | 1.25 people per square kilometre | +10.8% |
| 1982 | 1.37 people per square kilometre | +9.7% |
| 1983 | 1.5 people per square kilometre | +9.2% |
| 1984 | 1.63 people per square kilometre | +8.9% |
| 1985 | 1.77 people per square kilometre | +8.5% |
| 1986 | 1.91 people per square kilometre | +8.2% |
| 1987 | 2.07 people per square kilometre | +7.9% |
| 1988 | 2.22 people per square kilometre | +7.6% |
| 1989 | 2.38 people per square kilometre | +7.3% |
| 1990 | 2.55 people per square kilometre | +6.9% |
| 1991 | 2.69 people per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 1992 | 2.69 people per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 2.67 people per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 3.24 people per square kilometre | +21.3% |
| 1995 | 3.3 people per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 3.41 people per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 1997 | 3.57 people per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 1998 | 3.75 people per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 1999 | 3.94 people per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 2000 | 4.14 people per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 2001 | 4.34 people per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 2002 | 4.54 people per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 2003 | 4.75 people per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 2004 | 5.17 people per square kilometre | +8.9% |
| 2005 | 5.37 people per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 2006 | 5.56 people per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 2007 | 5.73 people per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 5.9 people per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 2009 | 6.07 people per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 6.24 people per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 6.41 people per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 6.59 people per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 6.77 people per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 2014 | 6.95 people per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 7.13 people per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 7.31 people per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 7.49 people per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 7.66 people per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 7.84 people per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 8.01 people per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 2021 | 8.2 people per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 8.38 people per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 8.61 people per square kilometre | +2.7% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 8.61 people per square kilometre is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 33.53 people per square kilometre, 26% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 8.61 people per square kilometre is below the median for South Asia, which is 153.73 people per square kilometre, 6% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.1542 people per square kilometre | 0.1247 people per square kilometre | 0.1919 people per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.533 people per square kilometre | 0.209 people per square kilometre | 1 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.72 people per square kilometre | 1.13 people per square kilometre | 2.38 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.18 people per square kilometre | 2.55 people per square kilometre | 3.94 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.16 people per square kilometre | 4.14 people per square kilometre | 6.07 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.04 people per square kilometre | 6.24 people per square kilometre | 7.84 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.3 people per square kilometre | 8.01 people per square kilometre | 8.61 people per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
- 188 Eritrea 9.94 people per square kilometre compare
- 189 Sudan 9.32 people per square kilometre compare
- 190 Gabon 8.84 people per square kilometre compare
- 192 Solomon Islands 8.58 people per square kilometre compare
- 193 Bolivia 8.02 people per square kilometre compare
- 194 Belize 7.56 people per square kilometre compare
More population data for Bhutan
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 874.29 Persons (2050)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.7852 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.716 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.0644 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.716 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.7% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 27,662 people (2100)
- Population density 18.1 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.7% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5679 % change on previous year (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Bhutan?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Bhutan was 8.61 people per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 8.61 people per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1247 people per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Bhutan rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre?
- Bhutan ranks 191st out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bhutan data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.