Languages spoken in Bhutan
Thimphu
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The main languages spoken in Bhutan are:
Dzongkha - the official language, spoken by ~24% of the population as a mother tongue, and used in government and education.
Sharchopkha - the most widely spoken mother tongue, ~28% of the population, mainly in the east.
Lhotshamkha (Nepali) - spoken by ~22% of the population, mainly in the south.
Numerous other dialects account for the remainder, reflecting Bhutan''s diverse ethnic groups.
Dzongkha is the sole official language of Bhutan.
| Geography |
Location: Southern Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas, between China and India
Map references: Asia
Area:
total: 38,394 sq km
Land boundaries:
border countries: China, India
| People |
Population: 786,387-892,877 (2023-2025 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 23.1%
15-64 years: 70.2%
65 years and over: 6.7% (2024 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.9 years
male: 73.9 years
female: 75.9 years (2021)
Infant mortality rate: 19.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2023)
Nationality:
noun/adjective: Bhutanese
Ethnic groups: Ngalop (Bhote) 50%, ethnic Nepali 35% (predominantly Lhotshampa), indigenous or migrant tribes 15%
Religions: Lamaistic Buddhist 75.3%, Indian- and Nepali-influenced Hinduism 22.1%, other 2.6% (2005 est.)
Languages: Sharchopkha 28%, Dzongkha (official) 24%, Lhotshamkha 22%, other 26% (2005 est.)
Literacy: total population 64.9% (male 73.4%, female 57%) (2022 est.)
| Government |
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan
conventional short form: Bhutan
local long form: Druk Gyalkhap
local short form: Druk Yul ("Land of the Dragon")
Data code: BT
Government type: parliamentary constitutional monarchy
National capital: Thimphu
Background: the last Himalayan Buddhist kingdom; measures national progress by Gross National Happiness rather than GDP alone; kept television out of the country until 1999; balances Dzongkha-speaking highland culture with a Nepali-speaking southern minority, whose expulsion in the 1990s remains a sensitive legacy
| Economy |
Economy - overview: lower-middle-income economy driven by hydropower exports to India, which fund most of the state budget, complemented by high-value, low-volume tourism under a daily visitor fee; began mining Bitcoin using surplus hydropower around 2023, holding an estimated $600+ million in cryptocurrency by 2025 (roughly 30% of GDP), used partly to fund civil servant salary increases; youth unemployment and emigration remain key challenges
GDP (purchasing power parity): $15.415 billion (2026 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 7.0% (2025f)
GDP - per capita: $19,255 PPP (2026 est.)
Inflation rate: 2.8% (2024)
Unemployment rate: 3.2% (2025 est.); youth unemployment reached 19% in 2024
Population below poverty line: 8.2% (2017)
Currency: Ngultrum (BTN)
| Military |
Military branches: Royal Bhutan Army (RBA, includes Royal Bodyguard and an air wing); National Militia (2025)
Military - note: Bhutan''s closest security partner is India; under the 2007 India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty, both countries cooperate closely on national interest issues (2025)