Total population (thousands) in Bhutan
Bhutan: Total population (thousands) was 793.94 thousands in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
793.94 thousands
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
165th
of 233 countries
All-time high
793.94 thousands
in 2025
All-time low
303.28 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Total population in Bhutan, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
Bhutan recorded 793.94 thousands for total population in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and up 7.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total population in Bhutan peaked at 793.94 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 303.28 thousands, in 1970.
That places Bhutan 165th out of 233 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Total population (thousands) in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 303.28 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 313.78 thousands | +3.5% |
| 1972 | 324.64 thousands | +3.5% |
| 1973 | 335.89 thousands | +3.5% |
| 1974 | 347.52 thousands | +3.5% |
| 1975 | 359.55 thousands | +3.5% |
| 1976 | 372.03 thousands | +3.5% |
| 1977 | 384.95 thousands | +3.5% |
| 1978 | 398.33 thousands | +3.5% |
| 1979 | 412.16 thousands | +3.5% |
| 1980 | 426.24 thousands | +3.4% |
| 1981 | 440.57 thousands | +3.4% |
| 1982 | 455.1 thousands | +3.3% |
| 1983 | 469.87 thousands | +3.2% |
| 1984 | 485.05 thousands | +3.2% |
| 1985 | 500.51 thousands | +3.2% |
| 1986 | 516.27 thousands | +3.1% |
| 1987 | 532.38 thousands | +3.1% |
| 1988 | 548.73 thousands | +3.1% |
| 1989 | 565.24 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1990 | 581.93 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1991 | 596.64 thousands | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 602.93 thousands | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 552.62 thousands | -8.3% |
| 1994 | 556.73 thousands | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 552.27 thousands | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 543.71 thousands | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 553.86 thousands | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 563.53 thousands | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 575.34 thousands | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 589.82 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 603.9 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 617.68 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 631.13 thousands | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 644.2 thousands | +2.1% |
| 2005 | 656.89 thousands | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 666.84 thousands | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 674.76 thousands | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 682.52 thousands | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 690.18 thousands | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 697.79 thousands | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 705.47 thousands | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 713.28 thousands | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 721.28 thousands | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 729.27 thousands | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 737.01 thousands | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 744.23 thousands | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 751.5 thousands | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 757.16 thousands | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 762.35 thousands | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 767.29 thousands | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 772.72 thousands | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 778.16 thousands | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 783.66 thousands | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 789.11 thousands | +0.7% |
| 2025 | 793.94 thousands | +0.6% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 793.94 thousands is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 12,314 thousands, 6% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 793.94 thousands is below the median for South Asia, which is 26,398 thousands, 3% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 355.21 thousands | 303.28 thousands | 412.16 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 494 thousands | 426.24 thousands | 565.24 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 567.96 thousands | 543.71 thousands | 602.93 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 645.79 thousands | 589.82 thousands | 690.18 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 731.94 thousands | 697.79 thousands | 762.35 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 780.81 thousands | 767.29 thousands | 793.94 thousands | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
- 162 Comoros 874.75 thousands compare
- 163 Guyana 833.54 thousands compare
- 164 Solomon Islands 828.86 thousands compare
- 166 Macao 721.66 thousands compare
- 167 Luxembourg 676.87 thousands compare
- 168 Montenegro 637.52 thousands compare
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 total population in Bhutan?
- Total population in Bhutan was 793.94 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest total population recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 793.94 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest total population recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 303.28 thousands in 1970.
- How does Bhutan rank for total population?
- Bhutan ranks 165th out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is total population rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bhutan data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Total population (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release