Bhutan: Tight Spot
Bhutan’s geography plays an out-size role in its economic health.
Bhutan GDP and Economic Data
Includes Bhutan real Gross Domestic Product growth rate, with latest forecasts and historical data, GDP per capita, GDP composition and breakdown by sector.
Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Bhutan economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. Rankings of Bhutan best banks and safest banks are also available.
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Real GDP growth
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
| 12.6% | 10.8% | 5.7% | 9.3% | 9.7% | 6.4% | 3.6% |
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016* | 2017* | 2018* | ||
| 4% | 6.2% | 7.3% | 7.4% | 5.8% |
*Estimate
Source
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GDP - composition by sector
- agriculture: 17.4 %%
- industry: 40.6%
- services: 37.2%
(2017 estimate)
Inflation
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
| 7.6% | 7.6% | 5.5% | 3.5% | 3.6% |
*Estimate
Source
Unemployment rate
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017* | 2018* | 2019* |
| 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.2% |
*Estimate
Source
Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
| 95.7% | 109.7% | 108% | 102.4% | 108.6% |
*Estimate
Source
Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
| 1.5% | -1.1% | -3.4% | -2% | -1.3% |
*Estimate
Source
Government bond ratings
Standard & Poor's: N/A
Moody's: N/A
Standard & Poor's / Moody's (Updated October 2019)
Source
Market value of publicly traded shares
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
Source
Current account balance by percentage of GDP
-18.4 % (2018 estimate)
Source
Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)
29.1% (2017)
Shares in world total merchandising export
0.003% (2018)
Shares in world total commercial services export
0.003% (2018)
Export commodities
Electricity (to india), ferrosilicon, cement, cardamom, calcium carbide, steel rods/bars, dolomite, gypsum
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Import commodities
Fuel and lubricants, airplanes, machinery and parts, rice, motor vehicles
FDI inflows
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| USD -6.7 million | USD -9.9 million | USD 5.9 million |
FDI outflows
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014
N/A
(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015
N/A
(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )
Best countries for doing business
Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.
Overall ranking:
89 out of 190 countries
Subcategories:
Starting a Business: 103 out of 190 countries
Dealing with Construction Permits: 91 out of 190 countries
Getting Electricity: 78 out of 190 countries
Registering Property: 53 out of 190 countries
Getting Credit: 94 out of 190 countries
Protecting Minority Investors: 111 out of 190 countries
Paying Taxes: 15 out of 190 countries
Trading across Borders: 30 out of 190 countries
Enforcing Contracts: 29 out of 190 countries
Resolving Insolvency: 168 out of 190 countries
World Bank - Doing Business 2019
Source
Global competitiveness ranking
N/A
(2019)
Index of Economic Freedom
Ranking: 74 / Score: 62.9 (Moderately free)
(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)
Source
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Languages
Sharchhopka 28%, Dzongkha (official) 24%, Lhotshamkha 22%, other 26% (includes foreign languages) (2005 est.)
Religions
Lamaistic Buddhist 75.3%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 22.1%, other 2.6%(2005 est.)
Total population
| 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2015* | 2020* |
| 0.54 million | 0.56 million | 0.72 million | 0.78 million | 0.84 million |
*Estimate
Source
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Urban population as % of total population
| 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2015 |
| 3.6% | 10.1% | 25.4% | 40.9% |
Literacy
Total population: 64.9%
Male: 73.1%
Female: 55%
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)
% of population living on less than $3.10 a day
12% (last available estimate, 2017)
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)
37.4 (last available estimate, 2017)
(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)
Source
Freedom House rating
Partly Free
Political Rights: 3
Civil Liberties: 4 (2019)
(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)
Source
Total telephone subscribers as % of population
Fixed: 2.9% Mobile: 93.3% (2018)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)