Population of Bhutan

Population - May 2025 796,510 #166 worldwide Bandera of Bhutan
Annual Growth 4,949 #140 worldwide
Median Age 30.5 years #130 worldwide
Life Expectancy 73 years #152 worldwide
Density 20.8 p/km² #200 worldwide

As of May 2025, the population of Bhutan is 796.5 thousand. The number of inhabitants has increased by 5 thousand in the last year, representing a growth of 0.63%. The median age of the population has increased in recent years, rising from 24.9 years in 2015 to 30.5 years in 2025. Currently, life expectancy at birth is 73 years and population density is 20.8 inhabitants per square kilometer.

Population Growth

The population growth rate of Bhutan peaked in 1977, reaching around 3.32% annually, but has since declined to approximately 0.62% in 2025. The annual increase in the number of people has also decreased from a peak of around 16.31 thousand in 1999 to nearly 4.95 thousand in 2025.

Life Expectancy

In Bhutan, life expectancy at birth has been increasing, with the indicator rising from 65.8 years in 2005 to 73 years in 2025, representing an increase of more than 7 years over the past 2 decades.

Most populous cities in Bhutan

The cities of Bhutan are small, with the 5 most populated adding up to around 184.1 thousand inhabitants. The most populous city is Thimphu, Thimphu District, con una diferencia significativa sobre las demás, alcanzando approximately 98.7 thousand inhabitants. It is followed by Phuntsholing, Chukha with 27.7 thousand and Tsirang, Tsirang District with 22.4 thousand.

These are the 20 most populous cities in Bhutan:

# City Population
1 Thimphu, Thimphu District 98,676
2 Phuntsholing, Chukha 27,658
3 Tsirang, Tsirang District 22,376
4 Punākha, Punakha 21,500
5 Pemagatshel 13,864
6 Paro 11,448
7 Sarpang, Sarpang District 10,416
8 Samdrup Jongkhar 9,325
9 Wangdue Phodrang, Wangdi Phodrang 8,954
10 Jakar, Bumthang District 6,243
# City Population
11 Samtse, Samtse District 5,396
12 Pajo, Punakha 3,032
13 Trashi Yangtse, Trashi Yangste 3,025
14 Mongar 2,969
15 Tsimasham, Chukha 2,855
16 Trongsa, Tongsa 2,805
17 Daga, Dagana 2,243
18 Laya, Gasa 2,000
19 Daphu, Chukha 1,666
20 Ha, Haa 1,449