Rural population in Bhutan
Bhutan: Rural population was 55.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Bhutan, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population in Bhutan is 55.0%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Bhutan peaked at 93.9% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 55.0%, in 2024.
That places Bhutan 56th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 93.9% | — |
| 1971 | 93.6% | -0.3% |
| 1972 | 93.2% | -0.4% |
| 1973 | 92.9% | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 92.5% | -0.4% |
| 1975 | 92.1% | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 91.7% | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 91.3% | -0.5% |
| 1978 | 90.8% | -0.5% |
| 1979 | 90.4% | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 89.9% | -0.5% |
| 1981 | 89.4% | -0.6% |
| 1982 | 88.8% | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 88.3% | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 87.7% | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 87.1% | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 86.4% | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 85.8% | -0.8% |
| 1988 | 85.1% | -0.8% |
| 1989 | 84.4% | -0.8% |
| 1990 | 83.6% | -0.9% |
| 1991 | 82.8% | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 82.0% | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 81.2% | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 80.4% | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 79.5% | -1.1% |
| 1996 | 78.5% | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 77.6% | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 76.6% | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 75.6% | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 74.6% | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 73.5% | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 72.4% | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 71.3% | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 70.2% | -1.6% |
| 2005 | 69.0% | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 68.3% | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 67.5% | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 66.8% | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 66.0% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 65.2% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 64.4% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 63.6% | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 62.9% | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 62.1% | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 61.3% | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 60.6% | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 59.8% | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 59.1% | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 58.4% | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 57.7% | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 57.0% | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 56.3% | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 55.6% | -1.2% |
| 2024 | 55.0% | -1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 92.2% | 90.4% | 93.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 87.3% | 84.4% | 89.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 79.8% | 75.6% | 83.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 70.0% | 66.0% | 74.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.7% | 58.4% | 65.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 56.3% | 55.0% | 57.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
- 53 Central African Republic 55.9% compare
- 54 Aruba 55.5% compare
- 55 Sierra Leone 55.2% compare
- 57 Togo 54.9% compare
- 58 Guinea-Bissau 54.1% compare
- 59 Belize 53.2% compare
More population data for Bhutan
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.7852 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 874.29 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.5776 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5679 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.739 (2100)
- Population density 18.1 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 27,662 (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.739 (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 0.5776 % change on previous year (2030)
- Fertility and wanted fertility, annual growth rate -0.8892 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Bhutan?
- Rural population in Bhutan was 55.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 93.9% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 55.0% in 2024.
- How does Bhutan rank for rural population?
- Bhutan ranks 56th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bhutan data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release