Share of population living in rural areas in Bhutan
Bhutan: Share of population living in rural areas was 69.5% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Bhutan, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, share of population living in rural areas in Bhutan stood at 69.5%.
The figure is up 3.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Bhutan peaked at 89.2% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 67.4%, in 2010.
That places Bhutan 14th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 89.2% | — |
| 1955 | 87.6% | -1.8% |
| 1960 | 85.7% | -2.1% |
| 1965 | 83.5% | -2.6% |
| 1970 | 80.8% | -3.3% |
| 1975 | 77.7% | -3.9% |
| 1980 | 76.3% | -1.7% |
| 1985 | 74.9% | -1.9% |
| 1990 | 73.6% | -1.7% |
| 1995 | 71.5% | -2.8% |
| 2000 | 71.2% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 68.9% | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 67.4% | -2.3% |
| 2015 | 68.0% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 69.5% | +2.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 88.4% | 87.6% | 89.2% | 2 |
| 1960s | 84.6% | 83.5% | 85.7% | 2 |
| 1970s | 79.2% | 77.7% | 80.8% | 2 |
| 1980s | 75.6% | 74.9% | 76.3% | 2 |
| 1990s | 72.6% | 71.5% | 73.6% | 2 |
| 2000s | 70.1% | 68.9% | 71.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 67.7% | 67.4% | 68.0% | 2 |
| 2020s | 69.5% | 69.5% | 69.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
More population data for Bhutan
- Population regions 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 long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.716 % change on previous year (2100)
- 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)
- World population growth -0.7% (2100)
- Population density 18.1 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 27,662 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Bhutan?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Bhutan was 69.5% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 89.2% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 67.4% in 2010.
- How does Bhutan rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Bhutan ranks 14th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bhutan data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.